5 credits

Human interaction has a major influence on the natural world, resulting in outcomes that can impact human and environmental health. In this course, students learn the principles of environmental health and examine the short- and long-term effects of environmental hazards on human health. Students consider their own interactions with natural and human-made environments to assess the impact of chemical, physical, biological, and social elements on their health. They also explore the potential impact of climate change on population health, emerging global health threats related to the environment, and environmental factors involved in the etiology and transmission of both communicable and non-infectious disease. Using concepts and methods presented in the course, students conduct an environmental risk assessment to determine the health of home environments. They also conduct a written analysis to report their findings, identifying actions to improve inspection results.