Curriculum

Through the MS in Climate, Environment and Health (MS-CEH), health and environment methods are synthesized across all courses, drawing connections between the methods used in these areas of study, so that students understand both the Environment & Health fields and how the methods are applied at the intersection.

The MS-CEH curriculum integrates the scientific methods from Environment & Health as foundational knowledge, supplemented with climate, toxicology and epidemiology. Courses on data visualization, computer modeling and artificial intelligence introduce critical tools. Methods for designing and managing multi-stakeholder problem-solving and policy design processes provide a foundation for leadership. Economics and financing and project and program management provide tools to equip students for career positions.

Faculty members engaged in this interdisciplinary program leverage design-thinking approaches to harmonize content across courses, ensuring pedagogical rigor in each course while integrating learning outcomes across the curriculum. This demanding program offers students an immersive experience that combines rigorous theoretical coursework with practical, hands-on learning experiences. By focusing on real-world skills and interdisciplinary approaches, the program prepares graduates to excel in their fields within a condensed time frame.

Semester 1

The Fall lays the foundation for a theory-to-practice approach. Backed by environmental and health sciences, students will learn to support stakeholders in designing strategies for climate-driven adaptation and resilience. Then, students will learn to guide stakeholders in creating programs and projects, including budgeting, implementation, and evaluation. 

Semester 2

In the Spring, students will further develop skills and gain the expertise required for technical, government, and private sector careers. For instance, the Data Analysis and Visualization and GIS courses will expose students to numerous software applications and equip them with the skills needed for very technical jobs. This technical skills-building will be complemented by courses around policy design, climate science, and in-depth exploration of toxicology and exposure assessment. 

Summer

The program’s Summer semester is designated for the Capstone Project. This experience will enable students to apply the knowledge and skills they have acquired throughout the year, with a focus on skill development and application, and cultural sensitivity.  

More on the capstone

Curriculum at a Glance

Infographic titled “Curriculum Overview” with three sections for Semester 1, Semester 2, and Semester 3.

Semester 1:

Resolving Complex Public Problems in Environment and Health (3 credits)

Health for All: Epidemiology and Biostatistics (3 credits)

Environmental Foundations and Challenges (3 credits)

Environmental and Health Economics and Financing (3 credits)

Program and Project Design, Budgeting, Implementation, and Evaluation (3 credits)

Co-curricular Portfolio Design: Career Pathway (non-credit bearing)
Total credits: 15 credits

Semester 2:

Data Analysis and Visualization (various software) (3 credits)

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) (1.5 credits)

Global Climate and Health Policy (3 credits)

Climate Science (3 credits)

Toxicology and Exposure Assessment in a Changing Climate (3 credits)

Co-curricular Portfolio Design: Capstone Preparation (non-credit bearing)
Total credits: 13.5 credits

Semester 3:
12-week Capstone Course: Theory-Based Practical Experience
Caption: “Capstone findings presented in August annually”
(1.5 credits)

Jump In with Immersive Learning

Pre-Semester Foundational Course: Resolving Complex Public Problems in Environment & Health

To set students’ foundation in problem-solving, an immersive course will take place in the classroom as well as at field sites in Chincoteague, Virginia during the week prior to the fall semester. This foundational course introduces students to analysis, intervention design, stakeholder management and resolution in the context of resource management, adaptation and mitigation of climate change. Contexts range from resolving conflict through cross-sector collaboration to forward-looking co-creation processes where community members are already fully engaged as core stakeholders. Cutting-edge application at the intersection of climate, health and the environment will focus on areas such as disaster mitigation and adaptation around human and animal migration, food security, water and waste management and natural disaster. This immersive experience will acclimate students to a real context in which climate and environmental change jeopardize health outcomes. In their first experience in the program, students will learn about the complex problems facing Chincoteague and its surrounding area and co-develop projects with community members.

Capstone

The 12-week Capstone Course provides cohorts of 2-5 students with a theory-based practical experience to apply their understanding of Environment & Health challenges in an organizational setting. Working in teams, students will be placed in an organization to conduct field research, or develop or implement a program or project. There is a focus on vulnerable populations affected by a changing climate. Key competencies for identifying opportunities and resolving environmental challenges impacting health include: leveraging business, project implementation, problem-solving, analytical, and synthesis skills, and effective communication. Students will present their Capstone findings in August.