MPH in Environmental Public Health

Environmental public health is the study of how the environment affects human health and how we can combat adverse health outcomes. That can mean understanding:

• How air, water, or toxic exposures impact disease
• How climate change affects health outcomes
• Why some communities face greater environmental risks than others
• How policy and public systems can prevent harm before it happens

At NYU GPH, the field is increasingly focused on creating the world's next generation of leaders to tackle our greatest public health challenges: climate change, global environmental health, and the complex systems shaping population health.

Yes, environmental health is in demand, especially as climate change, pollution, environmental justice, and global health challenges become more urgent. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of environmental scientists and specialists to grow 4% and employment of occupational health and safety specialists and technicians to grow 12% from 2024 to 2034.

Jobs in environmental health require a mix of scientific knowledge, analytical thinking, and communication skills. Many roles are interdisciplinary, meaning environmental health professionals often work across science, policy, healthcare, nonprofits, and global organizations. Some of the most important skills to have include the following:

• Systems thinking: understanding how environmental, social, and health issues connect
• Data analysis and research: interpreting environmental and health trends
• Problem-solving: investigating complex public health challenges
• Communication: translating technical findings into action for communities and policymakers
• Policy awareness: understanding environmental regulations and public health systems
• Climate and environmental literacy: understanding emerging global health risks

There's no single path for starting a career in environmental public health, which is part of what makes the field exciting. People come from backgrounds in public health, biology, environmental health science, policy, government, community advocacy, healthcare, medicine, nursing, occupational therapy, and more. An environmental health graduate program  can help you kickstart your career, build technical skills, and gain research experience to make you a competitive applicant in the job market.

An MPH in Environmental Public Health is a graduate degree focused on understanding how environmental factors affect human health. Students explore questions like:

• How does climate change affect public health?
• What environmental exposures increase disease risk?
• How can communities become more resilient to environmental threats?
• What policies help create healthier, more equitable environments?

At NYU GPH, the field is increasingly future-focused, with growing emphasis on climate change, global environmental health, environmental justice, urban health, and the major public health challenges of the decades ahead.

Graduates with an MPH in Environmental Health often work in federal, state, and local governments, private consulting firms, hospitals, healthcare systems, nonprofits, NGOs, and academia in areas like public health, sustainability, policy, research, and global health. 

• Career paths for MPH graduates in Environmental Health include roles as epidemiologists, environmental consultants, and positions within organizations like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Graduates also work as occupational health specialists, climate and health program analysts, environmental policy analysts, public health researchers, environmental risk assessors, sustainability specialists, community health professionals, environmental health and safety (EHS) managers, water quality specialists, built environment consultants, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) specialists, and more.

The core courses in our Environmental Public Health MPH program are as follows:

• Introduction to Global Health
• Epidemiology
• Global Issues in Social & Behavioral Health
• Health Care Policy
• Public Health Policy and Management
• Global Environmental Health
• Biostatistics for Public Health
• Introduction to Public Health

An environmental health MPH teaches you how to identify, evaluate, and mitigate physical, chemical, and biological hazards that harm human health.

You’ll learn these skills:

• Systems thinking: - Understanding how environmental, political, and social systems affect health
• Data analysis: Interpreting environmental and population health trends
• Research and risk assessment: Evaluating environmental hazards and exposures
• Policy analysis: Understanding environmental regulation and public health systems
• Communication: Translating scientific information into practical action
• Climate and environmental literacy: Anticipating, understanding, and addressing emerging climate and environmental risks

We offer a 180-hour applied practice experience (internship) designed to bridge classroom learning with real-world public health work. These supervised experiences allow you to apply public health skills in professional settings and, in some cases, may align with a student's current role or employer.

You can gain hands-on experience across a wide range of organizations, including government agencies, hospitals, nonprofits, businesses, professional associations, and international organizations. Placements may focus on pressing public health topics such as infectious and chronic disease prevention, environmental and food systems, family planning, substance use, and community health.

To support this hands-on learning, students also complete two faculty-guided seminars, the Applied Practice Experience Seminar and Integrative Learning Experience Seminar, which help connect fieldwork to career goals and real-world problem solving.

Our MPH in Environmental Public Health takes two years to complete full-time or three to four years to complete part-time.

Yes, NYU GPH is fully accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), the accrediting body for public health schools. CEPH accreditation means our school and programs meet rigorous standards for educational quality, faculty expertise, and resources to ensure graduates are positioned to be successful public health professionals.

Attending and graduating from a CEPH-accredited program opens doors to earning certifications, receiving funding and fellowships, and securing employment with government entities such as the U.S. Public Health Service, the U.S. military, and some government agencies that require graduates from CEPH-accredited programs.

Yes, NYU GPH’s MPH in Environmental Public Health is STEM-designated. This allows international students on an F-1 visa to apply for two years of additional employment in the U.S. after graduation if they meet the required criteria. Visit our international students page for additional information on the resources and services we provide to international students.

Yes, you can work full-time while completing your Environmental Health MPH. Many students work while in school, depending on their schedule, work demands, and how they want to engage with our on-campus program.

We encourage students interested in working full-time while completing our program to consider the following:

• Course intensity and technical coursework
• Research or applied practice commitments
• Networking, faculty collaboration, and extracurricular opportunities

Some students successfully balance jobs and graduate school, while others prefer a lighter workload to fully immerse themselves in research, internships, and professional development opportunities.

An MPH in Environmental Public Health is more practice-based and interdisciplinary, focusing on issues like population health, public policy, prevention and intervention. An MS in Environmental Health is often more research-intensive and technical, with stronger emphasis on laboratory science, environmental exposure assessment and research, and quantitative analysis. MPH graduates often work in government or health agencies, while MS graduates often pursue research, consulting, or doctoral degree programs.

We welcome applications from candidates with a Bachelor’s degree in any major from a regionally accredited university or college, or the international equivalent. Reviewers evaluate applications holistically, considering your overall GPA, coursework, grades, and any changes or improvements in your academic performance. If you’re an undergraduate senior, we recommend applying after your final Fall semester grades are posted.

We don't require nor consider the GRE as part of your application. While we don’t require previous work experience, we do value public health-related work, volunteer, research, and/or internship experience as part of our review process.

Learn more about our MPH application deadlines and requirements, eligibility criteria, and how to apply.

Follow these steps to apply:

1. View and meet our MPH eligibility criteria, application requirements, and deadlines.
2. Visit the SOPHAS Applicant Login page and create an account if you're a new user or log into your account if you're a returning user.
3. Follow the instructions, select our MPH Environmental Public Health concentration, and submit your application before our deadlines.

You must select a concentration on the application. However, you may request a concentration change within your first semester. 

We encourage you to submit your application by our Priority Deadline because scholarships are more plentiful earlier in the application cycle.

Use the NYU Office of the Bursar’s tuition calculator to calculate a term’s tuition and fee cost at current rates. NYU charges tuition on a per-credit basis at the start of each term. Our MPH program requires 46 credits total to successfully complete the degree. Tuition rates are set annually by NYU’s Board of Trustees and are subject to change.