Undergraduate Programs

Environmental Health Sciences Focus

The environmental health sciences focus applies principles of toxicology, industrial hygiene, 
policy, oncology, and disaster management.  These principles eqip students with the knowledge and 
skills to prevent, detect, and mitigate environmental public health problems and threats locally and 
globally.  This focus allows for the integration of pre-med course requirements and includes a 
wide range of coursework that prepares students for degrees in public health, medicine, nursing, 
allied health, and joined graduate degrees in medicine (MD/MPH), law (JD/MPH), and social work 
(MSW/MPH).

Students in this focus will learn about basic and population driven approaches in science to identify,
implement, and evaluate innovative solutions to complex environmental public health problems.  These
include the effects of exposure to chemical substances, including those that cause cancer, as well as 
public health consequences resulting from disaster.

Specific competencies include:

• Describe the effects of environmental factors on public health
• Explain approaches to mitigate and/or prevent environmental health problems 

Courses Required

• SPHU 3150: Global to Local: Air, Water, Soil, and Food (3 credits)
• SPHU 4210: Health and Environmental Risk Assessment (3 credits)
• SPHU 4270: Ethics and Environmental Health (3 credits)

The environmental health sciences focus is designed to prepare students for positions with local, national, and international public health/environmental health agencies and industry. They will be able to develop environmental health initiatives and enforce existing regulations. Graduates will be eligible to enter programs in the health professions, including medicine, dentistry, optometry, osteopathy, podiatry, and veterinary medicine and will also be qualified to sit for national certification which will enhance their advancement and employment opportunities. For more information visit the environmental health section of the undergraduate public health website.

BS/MSPH BS/MPH 4+1 Programs
Tulane students registered in baccalaureate programs in science or engineering at Paul Tulane College of Arts and Sciences, School of Engineering, Newcomb College, or Xavier University may apply for admission to the joint BS/MSPH program during their third year of undergraduate studies. 

The 4+1 joint degree program allows outstanding Tulane BSPH students to complete the class requirements for both undergraduate and master’s degrees at the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in a period of approximately five years. Fifteen credit hours of graduate core coursework taken while completing the BSPH applies towards the BSPH and the MPH (or MSPH) for those accepted into the joint degree program.

BSPH students apply to the joint degree program during their third year of the BSPH, or one year before they expect to fully matriculate as a graduate student.  For full program details please see the BSPH 4+1 webpage.