The need for Environmental Health scientists is increasing due to the limited availability of college training programs for this field and evolving environmental health concerns of a modern society.
The Environmental Health Science major at UGA is nationally accredited and the only undergraduate environmental health program in the state of Georgia. The curriculum incorporates multiple fields of study such as biology, chemistry, physics, math, and microbiology. Applied environmental health science courses in such areas as air, water, and noise pollution; solid and hazardous waste management; environmental toxicology; industrial hygiene; food microbiology; epidemiology; and public health law are available. Students have considerable freedom in choosing courses of interest to develop a specialty area in Industrial Hygiene, Environmental Protection, or Public Health.
A dual degree program is also offered with Biological and Agricultural Engineering which allows a student to earn both the Bachelor of Science in Environmental Health (B.S.E.H.) and the Bachelor of Science in Biological Engineering (B.S.B.E.) simultaneously in a five-year course of study.
A wide range of employment options exist in environmental and occupational health departments, public health and safety agencies, private industry, solid and hazardous waste management, general sanitation engineering, water and air pollution control, and consulting firms. The degree prepares graduates for advanced degrees in industrial hygiene, toxicology, epidemiology, ecology, and many others while satisfying entrance requirements for professional degree programs in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, optometry, and pharmacy.
Study Abroad Options: Maymester programs in Vietnam, China, and Croatia; Agriculture and Ecology in Tropical America - Guatemala (odd-numbered years) & Costa Rica (even-numbered years); Agriculture and Ecology of Tropical America - Pernambuco Brazil; Costa Rica Ecology Program; Costa Rica Study Abroad; Sustainable Agriculture in Mediterranean Regions
