Full Course Description
Life’s too short to take just any job. And right now,
the field of environmental health needs people that
want to make a difference with their careers.
Bioterrorism has brought renewed funding and
emphasis to the entire field of environmental health.
If you have the heart, desire and skills to save lives
and protect New Jersey’s residents and environment, then join the next generation of environmental health. The Environment and Public Health (EPH) summer course will get you there. To land a job in environmental health, you need broad technical skills, ranging from epidemiology to environmental science to emergency response for bioterrorism attacks. You also need experience and the REHS license. This seven-week course and accompanying five-week internship provides the expertise and experience you need and helps to prepare you for the state licensing exam.
REHS -
The Credential You Need in Environmental Health
Graduates of the EPH program and field training are eligible to take the New Jersey licensing exam to become a Registered Environmental Health Specialist (REHS). In New Jersey, an REHS acts as the front-line investigator for many of the state's public health and environmental regulations. Registered Environmental Health Specialists work as health inspectors, environmental compliance managers and environmental consultants in both the public and private sectors. EPH grads are working around the state, country and world on global and local issues, including:
- Developing bioterrorism preparedness plans
- Scouting for early signs of disease outbreaks and food poisoning
- Detection and monitoring of the West Nile virus
- Computerized mapping of rabies and Lyme disease outbreaks
- Troubleshooting environmental problems associated with famine in Africa
- Investigating environmental carcinogens for The World Health Organization
- Investigating “Cancer Clusters” in New Jersey
- Organizing and leading regional watershed planning efforts
The EPH course includes eight separate modules covering a wide range of topics in environmental health and management including:
- Emerging Issues in Public Health - updates from the cutting edge of public health in topics ranging from bioterrorism to West Nile virus to risk communication, includes an intro to public health administration topics related to management and structure of health departments
- Public Health Sanitation - food safety and inspection techniques, new topics on food security, and a wide variety of other public health topics
- Epidemiology , Communicable Diseases and Outbreak Investigations - this is a core skill in
the war on bioterrorism
- Public Health Microbiology - microbes and the symptoms, transmission and prevention of
diseases they cause
- Water and Wastewater - stream pollution investigation and water treatment systems
- Environmental and Public Health Law - case preparation and court trial simulation
- Soils, Septics and the Environment - soil logs and septic system design
- Environmental Pollution - hazardous materials and pollution control strategies for air and water
After the seven-week classroom session concludes, we’ll place you in a 200-hour (five-week) internship with a local health department to further develop the skills that employers value. You’ll gain a wide range of on-the-job skills including:
- Conducting epidemiological investigations
- Inspecting wholesale and retail food establishments
- Monitoring streams, lakes and groundwater
- Investigating air and noise pollution
- Investigating reports of disease outbreaks
- Addressing public health concerns such as West Nile Virus and mosquito spraying techniques
Where and When?
This course meets five days a week for seven weeks on the Cook Campus in New Brunswick. Typical class times run from 8:30am - 3:30pm. In addition, all students must complete a 200-hour (5-week) field training internship with a local health department in their area. This is usually done after the classroom portion of the course ends in July, although some students complete the internship on their own before EPH begins. Typical workday times run from 9am - 4pm. Internships will be coordinated by our office.
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Pre-requisites
I. To be accepted into EPH, you must:
- Complete at least 32 credits in biological, physical, environmental or health sciences
- At least 1 of these courses must be a lab
- Courses with a grade less than C will not be considered
- Up to 6 of these credits may come from statistics, calculus or higher level college math
- Have a minimum of 90 credits overall*
*Note: While you do not have to have a bachelor's degree to be accepted into EPH, you must have it to successfully complete EPH. An EPH certificate of completion will not be issued until you have provided proof that you have earned your undergraduate degree.
Courses in biology, chemistry and environmental science are strongly recommended. If you lack 32 science credits, it may be possible to register for EPH as a 6-credit undergraduate course and/or between 1 and 3 credits of independent study, giving you a total of up to 9 credits. These credits are earned by attending EPH and completing class assignments and quizzes as you normally would but also through completion of additional course work. You will need to pay a separate fee to the Rutgers Summer Session office for these credits. Please call (732) 932-9271 and ask for Marianne or Becky if you would like to discuss this option.
II. To be eligible to sit for the NJ REHS Licensing Exam* you must:
- Meet the requirements listed above for entry into EPH and
- Hold a Bachelors Degree and
- Successfully complete the EPH program (which includes a 200-hour field training internship) OR
- Successfully complete college-level courses deemed equivalent to EPH plus a 200-hour field training internship
*Note: Our office helps EPH graduates with the application process for the REHS exam when taken the autumn immediately following the course.
Ready to Get Started?
To start the process, fill out our risk free application before you submit your application fee. Please have your unofficial college transcripts in electronic format ready for submission as an attachment to the application so we can determine if you have enough credits to qualify for the course. (If you do not have your transcripts in electronic format, you may mail or fax them to our office. More information is provided on the form.) Once we receive and review your application and transcripts, we will notify you to let you know if qualify. If you do, we will ask you to have your official transcripts mailed from your undergraduate school and have you complete a registration form and submit with a $40 non-refundable application fee to our office. Feel free to call us at 732-932-9271 or email us at eph@njaes.rutgers.edu first. We can give you a quick read on your prospects.
View sample EPH course schedule
Meet our faculty coordinators
See how previous students rated this course
Read what past graduates have to say about EPH
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Loans
Like other areas within the financial community, loans and loan companies are limited. If you are looking to apply for a student loan to attend EPH program, please be mindful of the potential issues surrounding obtaining a loan and be vigilant in securing your financial arrangements early.
We suggest that you approach your local banks as well as search the Internet since lenders change their policy often. We have set up an account with SallieMae and you may follow this procedure to start the loan process:
- Go to SallieMae.com
- Start your application – I am a student
- Click: SallieMae Smart Option Student Loan
- Apply with or without a cosigner (depending on your credit)
- Select State – NJ
- Select School – Rutgers University – OCPE – Cont Educ – 002629-97
- Course of Study – Other
- Grade Level – First Year freshman
- Enrollment Status – Half Time
If you need further information, please do not hesitate to contact Marianne or Becky at 732-932-9271 or via e-mail at eph@njaes.rutgers.edu
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