Bachelor of Science in Environmental Health Science

The Environmental Health Science Program is the appropriate choice for students who want to become health inspectors (i.e., registered environmental health specialists, REHS), industrial hygienists, hazardous waste control experts, air pollution control specialists, or vector control specialists. For those who plan on becoming registered environmental health specialists (REHS), this program is approved by the Environmental Health Specialist Registration Committee of the California Department of Public Health.  Students who are certified by the Environmental Health Coordinator will have met the academic and experience requirements for admittance to the California Environmental Health Specialist Registration Examination. The program is also accredited by the National Environmental Health Science and Protection Accreditation Council, making its graduates eligible for job opportunities as environmental health officers in the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Service.

Although a few courses in this program may be offered in online or hybrid mode, most courses are only offered in-person.

Note:  All upper-division courses with an HSCI prefix or any course approved for upper-division Health Science substitutions require a grade of "C" (2.0) or better.  

Requirements (77 units)

Total units required for graduation:  120

Requirements for the B.S. in Environmental Health Science

(Program Code: ENHS)

Lower-division requirements (35)
Completion of the lower-division requirements results in satisfaction of the B1, B2, B3 and B4 general education requirements (10 units).
CHEM 2100General Chemistry I4
CHEM 2100LGeneral Chemistry I Laboratory1
CHEM 2200General Chemistry II4
CHEM 2200LGeneral Chemistry II Laboratory1
CHEM 2060Survey of Organic and Biochemistry4
CHEM 2060LSurvey of Organic and Biochemistry Lab1
PHYS 2000Introduction to Physics I4
PHYS 2000LIntroduction to Physics I Lab1
PHYS 2010Introduction to Physics II4
PHYS 2010LIntroduction to Physics II Lab1
MATH 1601Modeling with Calculus3
HSCI 2203Introduction to Statistics in Health Sciences3
BIOL 2200Microbiology for Allied Health Majors4
One year sequence of Biology courses (8)
Choose either Group A or Group B for a minimum of 8 units8
Group A
Human Anatomy and Physiology I for Allied Health Majors
Human Anatomy and Physiology II for Allied Health Majors
Group B
Principles of Biology I
Principles of Biology II
Upper-division requirements (28)
HSCI 3052Principles of Environmental Health3
HSCI 3580Principles of Toxicology3
HSCI 4202Epidemiology3
HSCI 4501Advanced Environmental Health4
HSCI 4502Principles of Occupational Health4
HSCI 4503Vector-borne Disease Control4
HSCI 4578Environmental Health Management3
HSCI 5754Internship in Environmental Health4
Environmental Health Electives (6)
Six units chosen from the following (or others as approved by the program faculty advisor)6
Air Pollution and Radiological Health
Housing, Institutions, and Land Use
Water Quality and Pollution Control
Occupational Safety
Environmental Health Engineering
Food-Borne Illnesses and Their Prevention
Solid and Hazardous Waste Management
Bioterrorism and Emergency Response
Management of Water Quality
Total Units77