Climate Change and Health Core Concepts and Coursework

This section outlines climate- and equity-focused coursework, experiential learning, and student funding opportunities offered throughout Drexel University, with a specific focus on the Dornsife School of Public Health and the Urban Health Collaborative.

Public Health and Climate Change Coursework at Drexel Dornsife

Below is a list of undergraduate and graduate courses. Special topics courses may also focus on climate change, and certain courses may not be offered every term. Note that certain classes may require prerequisites or have additional restrictions.

Undergraduate Courses

Drexel undergraduate courses that study climate change include:

Nature Prescription: Trees, Green Space, and Your Health (PBHL 319)
Adapting to a Hotter Climate: Protecting Health of Vulnerable Populations (PBHL 457)
Global Air Pollution and Health (PBHL 362)

See the full Drexel Undergraduate Catalog

Graduate Courses

Drexel graduate courses that cover climate change include:

Public Health Impacts of Global Climate Change (EOH 657)
Global Air Pollution and Health (EOH 562)
Public Health and Disaster Preparedness (EOH 648)
Environmental and Occupational Health Policy (EOH 615)
Public Health Foundations & Systems I (PBHL 510)
Public Health Foundations & Systems II (PBHL 511)
Intro to Urban Health (EOH 550)
Quantitative Risk Analysis for Environmental Health (EOH 665)
Advanced Methods in GIS for Public Health (EOH 710)
Environmental Exposure Science (EOH 612)
Evidence Evaluation for Identification of Environmental Hazards (EOH 605)
Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology (EOH 625)
Healthy Housing & Built Environment (EOH 642)
Introduction to GIS for Public Health (HMP 703)

See all public health courses

See all environmental and occupational health courses

See all health management and policy courses

Graduate Minors Offered

In the Environmental and Occupational Health minor students learn about the principles and practice of environmental and occupational health, including climate change and environmental hazards.

Climate Change and Health: Core Concepts

Learn more about the types of climate change and health coursework at Dornsife:

Experiential Learning in Climate Change Topics

Co-Ops

Drexel's cooperative (co-op) education program allows students to integrate up to three six-month, full-time professional work experiences within their academic schedule.

Students who are interested in climate change can find a co-op that aligns with future career goals. One example of a co-op that focused on climate change was through the Patrick Center for Environmental Research at Drexel's Academy of Natural Sciences. There a co-op student worked with a senior scientist to study the impact of saltwater intrusion into coastal forests.

APEs

All Master of Public Health students at the Dornsife School of Public Health complete an Applied Practical Experience (APE) as part of their degree requirements. The APE is a supervised project or an internship learning alongside one of Dornsife's community partner organizations, generally over one term (quarter).

One example of an APE that focused on climate change was an internship at the United States Department of Agriculture's Forest Service. There an MPH student collected and analyzed data focused on maximizing the impact of urban tree planting in Philadelphia.

Student Funding to Support Climate Change Research

The following list is a sampling of funding opportunities for students through the Urban Health Collaborative and other schools at Drexel University.

UHC Masters Fellowships

The Drexel Urban Health Collaborative (UHC) supports a limited number of Master's Fellowships for students interested in urban health research each academic year. UHC master's fellows receive a stipend to work with a faculty mentor. Prospective UHC master's fellows will be considered for these positions based on their exceptional academic promise and their interest in urban health as evidenced in their application for admission.

Past UHC fellow Duong (Tina) Nguyen, MPH ’21, Health Management and Policy (2019-20), worked with Jane Clougherty, MSc, ScD, on an air monitoring network campaign to inventory and map available data on air pollution emissions across the City of Philadelphia for epidemiological and policy purposes.

UHC Doctoral Fellowships

UHC Doctoral Fellows are supported to conduct urban health research under the mentorship of a faculty research sponsor. Fellows will receive a stipend, full tuition remission and additional support for research and travel. Awards are renewable for a second year depending on progress.

Past UHC doctoral fellow Janelle Edwards, MPH, Environmental and Occupational Health (2020-21), worked with Leah Schinasi, MSPH, PhD, on a study that examined greenspace usage during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Learn more about student funding at the UHC and see the full list of UHC fellows

UHC Doctoral Dissertation Funding Awards

The UHC supports dissertation projects with a focus on understanding and improving health in cities in order to promote urban health research and to train the next generation of urban health researchers.

Past awardee Rachit Sharma, MBBS, MPH (2022-23), authored the dissertation "Air Pollution, Temperature, and Psychosocial Stressors in Pediatric Seizure and Epilepsy Risk along the Urbanicity Gradient Across New York State."

Udall Undergraduate Scholarship

The Udall Scholarship awards approximately 55 scholarships of up to $7,000 to sophomore and junior level college students committed to careers related to the environment, tribal public policy, or Native American health care.

Past scholar Grace Zaborski, BA Environmental Studies and Sustainability '23, completed two co-ops focused on urban environmental policy.

NOAA Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship

The Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship Program, administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), provides support and multidisciplinary learning experiences for undergraduate students interested in pursuing research, public service, or teaching careers in the oceanic and atmospheric sciences.

Past scholar Sofi Courtney, BS Environmental Science ’20, was on two co-ops that focused on promoting the conservation of wild places.