This class discusses the challenges of public health practice, focusing on tasks that employees working in environmental health may encounter. Using examples from environmental toxicology, hazardous materials and contaminated sites, GIS applications, acute and chronic exposures, emerging public health concerns, and community communications strategies, students complete assignments modeled after real-life situations. These include a briefing of subject matter experts, a site investigation plan for a town council, a PPT presentation to the executive board of a non-profit organization, a review of a superfund site for a state public health agency, and a factsheet for the general public.
The Master's Thesis is one of the options for a capstone requirement of all students in all tracks of the MPH program of the Department of Environmental Health Sciences (EHS). The thesis is intended to reflect the training you have received in the MPH program and demonstrate your ability to design, analyze, research and present scholarly writing relevant to your major field of interest.
Writing the thesis is an essential experience that could further your career development and or an application for further studies in academia. Employers seek in potential employees with a MPH degree the ability to write articles and reports, and want to see evidence that you can design studies, analyze data, and write scientific papers. If you plan to continue your academic studies, developing expertise and demonstrating your ability as a writer are two important skills required of doctoral candidates. A well-written paper is a great asset that you can bring with you to a job interview or include in an application for further study. The thesis ought to demonstrate your ability to think clearly and convey your thoughts effectively and thereby provide an example of your understanding and insight into a substantive area in which you have developed expertise.