Environment and Public Health

June 9 - July 25, 2008
8:30AM - 3:30PM, Monday - Friday

Sorry, on-line registration is not available for this program. You must apply to be accepted. Click here to get started.

Registration will be available in early 2008.

Would you like to obtain more information or apply for this program? Here are 3 convenient ways to contact us:
1. Click here to join our mailing list (please refer to "Environment & Public Health" or "EPH")
2. Call us at 732-932-9271
3. E-mail us at ocpe@njaes.rutgers.edu

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 anywhere between 1 and 9 credits from Rutgers University that can be earned by completing EPH and additional course work. You’ll need to pay a separate fee for these credits. Please call (732) 932-9271 if you would like to discuss this option.

II. To be eligible to sit for the state 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 or equivalent courses at the college level & the 200-hour 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 along with a registration form and a $40 non-refundable application fee. 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 EPH course schedule (*tentative - based on 2007 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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Course Schedule

The course is held from 8:30am - 3:30pm five days a week (Mon - Fri) for seven weeks on the Cook Campus in New Brunswick. The topics typically covered in each week are as follows (please note -- this is based on the 2007 schedule, it may change for 2008):

Week 1
Epidemiology
Public Health Microbiology
Soils
Water Chemistry
Water & Wastewater
Environmental Law
Environmental Pollution: Investigation and Enforcement Issues
Environmental Pollution: Water Supply & Drinking Water
Risk Communication
Management Styles
REHS Test & Internship Preview

Week 2
Epidemiology (con't)
Public Health Microbiology (con't)
Soils (con't)
Water & Wastewater (con't)
Environmental Pollution: Hazmat
Environmental Pollution: Bioterrorism Response
Environmental Law (con't)
Public Health Administration: Types of Health Departments
Bioterrorism & Emergency Preparedness Planning & Legal Aspects
Weekly Quiz

Week 3
Epidemiology (con't)
Public Health Microbiology (con't)
Soils (con't)
Water & Wastewater (con't)
Environmental Pollution: Radon in Air & Water
Environmental Pollution: Indoor Air Pollutants/Molds
Environmental Pollution: Solid & Hazardous Waste
Environmental Pollution: Right to Know
Public Health Sanitation: Infection Control
Interest Based Negotiations
ICS 100
Bioterrorism Module 1: Planning & Legal Aspects
Weekly Quiz

Week 4
Epidemiology (con't)
Soils (con't)
Water & Wastewater (con't)
Environmental Pollution: Noise Pollution
Public Health Sanitation: Body Art / Medical Waste
Public Health Law - Food Law
Emergency Health Powers Act
Field Trip to Sewage Authority
Weekly Quiz

Week 5
Epidemiology (con't)
Water & Wastewater (con't)
Environmental Pollution: Atmospheric Air Pollution
Public Health Sanitation: Youth Camp Safety/Bathing Regulations
Public Health Sanitation: Pool Chemistry
Public Health Sanitation: Veterinary Public Health/Rabies
Public Health Law - Moot Court
Pesticides
Mosquitoes
Weekly Quiz

Week 6
Epidemiology (con't)
Soils (con't)
Water & Wastewater (con't)
Public Health Sanitation: Principles of Food Safety
Public Health Sanitation: Food Outbreak Investigations
Public Health Sanitation: Inspection Techniques/Food Sampling
Public Health Sanitation: Investigation Report Writing
Public Health Sanitation: Milk Safety / Bottled Juice & Water HACCP
Public Health Sanitation: Chapter 24
Public Health Sanitation: Food Safety Strategies: Local Health Dept Perspective
Public Health Sanitation: Food Safety Strategies: Industry Perspective
Weekly Quiz

Week 7
Epidemiology (con't)
Soils (con't)
Biological Agents of Terrorism
Public Health Sanitation: Shellfish/Seafood Safety
Environmental Pollution: Water Pollution Control / UST
Watershed Management
Water & Wastewater: Sanitary Survey / Trend Analysis of Whippany River
Pest Control for Public Health
Food Safety Quiz
Case Study & Review
Final Exam

Classroom course is followed by a 5-week (200 hour) field training internship with a local health department. Placement is provided by Rutgers. Schedule is determined by student & supervisor.

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Vincent Agovino
Environmental Consultant/Licensed Health Officer

Richard Dewling
Principal, Dewling Associates, Inc.
Former Commissioner, NJDEP

William Manley
Coordinator, Retail Food Project
Food and Milk Program, NJDHSS

Joseph Mikulka
Senior Project Manager, Cerenzio & Panaro, PC, Consulting Engineers
Former Bureau Chief, NJDEP Water Compliance & Enforcement

Donald Moore, Esq.
Kelleher & Moore, Somerville

Donald Schaffner, Ph.D.
Extension Specialist in Food Science
Rutgers Cooperative Extension

George Van Orden, Ph.D.
Health Officer, Hanover Township Health Department

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TESTIMONIALS - Click here to find out how EPH has changed the lives of our students.

Evaluations Results (2003-2007)

Participant Ratings of the EPH:
(tally of responses received over 5 years, 2003-2007)

Participant Responses to this question:
Would you Recommend this Program to an Associate?

Evaluation - Written Comments About the EPH Course
These comments reflect the high level of satisfaction EPH students expressed about the course over the past 5 years:

• Great diversity of speakers
• Very useful
• Content was extensive; very well put together
• Classes meshed
• I thought this class was excellent
• Everything was explained well; very little confusion
• The information we discussed gave us a good foundation for the weeks ahead
• Speakers have experience and genuine interest in their subjects and are passionate; that generated my interest
• I loved the field trip to the sewage treatment plant
• You guys are diligent and caring
• All of the courses that taught the practical aspects of being an REHS
• All staff members have been informative and helpful
• I’m really thrilled with this class. It’s hard , but it’s interesting, almost all the professors are top notch
• The information is all good, but the best part is the practical field trips because the students can see exactly what was taught in class
• Great overview mix of speakers
• It has been a great experience with the staff, speakers, and students. Thank you
• It was excellent and your team really listens to student comments
• I am thoroughly enjoying the course. It is better than I expected and has even gotten me more enthusiastic to get into the field
• I’m ecstatic to be here
• Staff is very fostering and caring
• Great instructors and interesting topics
• [Field trip] put everything together. So much easier to understand what we've been talking about when you can actually see it
• Learned so much from the instructors' field experiences
• It's interesting and the information can be applied to life in general
• I finally realized my money and time investment was wisely done
• High quality instructors and good preparation for the field
• It's very interesting to be able to apply the things learned in previous weeks (like microbiology) to things we are learning now, like food safety.
• I'm anxious to apply what I learned in the course to the field
• A great volume of information. Relevant and useful

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Evaluation - Written Comments About EPH Instructors
These comments, spanning 5 years of course evaluations, represent student praise of only a handful of the dozens of instructors involved in EPH.

George Van Orden (Epidemiology)

• George ties it all together.
• The best instructor
• He is an excellent teacher. He teaches in a way I can understand.
• As good as it gets.
• Excellent professor!
• Love his teaching method
• George is an excellent instructor and I truly appreciated being his student!
• Brilliant
• Best teacher
• Great guy and an amazing teacher. I really learned a lot from him.

Dick Dewling (Water / Wastewater)

• Dynamic speaker and good communicator
• He is an excellent professor. Very helpful and knowledgeable
• Another excellent teacher. Very organized and funny. He is just great. I really have learned a great deal from him.
• Excellent speaker – keeps everyone on their toes
• Very entertaining
• Enthusiastic, explains things well
• Engaging and entertaining-I think everyone enjoyed his session
• Dick Dewling is the best. He made his topics easy to understand and fun to listen to.
• Best speaker out of the whole class
• He will be missed
• Brilliant and awesome teacher
• Made topic really interesting

Vince Agovino (Soils)

• Vinny Rules!
• Good speaker and able to communicate material well
• A lot of good information
• The pit work was useful and helpful
• Extremely knowledgeable
• Groundwater lecture very clear and helpful

Don Schaffner (Microbiology / Communicable Diseases)

• Stories were good and helpful
• Covered tons of material well

Jean Lioy (Microbiology / Communicable Diseases)

• She’s great!
• Very good at teaching diseases
• She made diseases interesting, was receptive to questions.
• Jean had a great way of presenting the material and helping us to understand
• Jean is so great at making her topics understandable
• Excellent instructor

Joe Mikulka (Environmental Enforcement / Water Pollution)

• Excellent presentation.
• Great speaker, clear and to the point
• He’s Good
• Excellent information which is clean cut
• Really interesting, helpful

Bill Manley (Food Sanitation Investigation / Report Writing)

• Interesting seeing it all put together
• Funny
• Love Bill Manley!
• I liked Bill Manley's approach to bridging the science and practicality of inspections

Calliope Alexander (Shellfish/Seafood Safety)

• Calliope Alexander was on Dick Dewling’s level. She was great too.
• I loved her energy
• Excellent -- nothing to improve
• Very good presentation -- wouldn’t change a thing
• Very good -- jeopardy was fun
• Super at lecturing; engaging
• We love Callie!!

Michelle Malavet (Food Outbreak Investigations)

• Very energetic
• Great animated speaker
• Would have loved to have her speak more
• Awesome speaker
• Had a real passion for the topic

Tony Monaco (Body Art / Medical Waste / Infection Control)

• Great
• Videos were great!
• As good as it gets.
• Very knowledgeable on the subject matter and good graphics

Don Moore (Public Health Law)

• Great
• Excellent

Eric Zwerling (Noise Pollution)

• Made the topic fascinating. I’m Serious. Great.
• Has lots of energy and is interesting
• Enjoyable lecture. I wish we had more time.
• Great speaker! Knows how to teach the topic.

Bill Jamison (Risk Communication)

• Funny and entertaining
• He was great; very enthusiastic
• The best session yet! He is an outstanding presenter
• Bill was great! Interactive and enthusiastic

Ned Lipman (Management Styles)

• Great tool
• Really interesting
• This topic is important to the field
• Loved the activity

Jim Morris (Resume Writing)

• Motivating
• What can I say? - Very Informative.
• Very useful resume information.
• Dynamic person
• Good communicator
• Jim is always great!
• The best!
• Resume ideas were very helpful

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Advice from Past Graduates

What is it really like to take EPH? What will you get out of it? How should you prepare? Check out this advice, some helpful tips and insights from past graduates!

You learn a lot in a short period of time. Make good contacts with professionals in their field of study.

Be prepared mentally. The course is time consuming and demanding.

Prepare for information overload!

Send in your transcripts way in advance.

Do some preparatory reading before course begins (especially microbiology).

It is nearly impossible to work full-time and pass this course. If possible, save money and work part-time simultaneously.

Attend classes every day so that you can get all the information.

Form study groups!

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