Frequently Asked Questions

Our environmental public health bachelor’s degree program includes required courses in fields such as chemistry, microbiology, physiology, statistics, science writing, and environmental health. You’ll explore foundational topics like epidemiology, occupational health and safety, air and waste management, water quality, and environmental toxicology, among others. Visit our course catalog to see a list, by academic year, of required courses and recommended electives.

Our advising team is here to help, supporting you through personalized one-on-one advising and mentoring, to help them set academic and professional goals and tailor their education to align with their path.

Yes! While the environmental public health program includes a required internship, our small, close-knit community makes it easy for you to connect with faculty and engage in research, even in their first year. Our undergrads conduct hands-on, faculty-mentored research covering lab-based analyses, field campaigns, and community studies. Many students have even co-authored peer-reviewed publications. We also encourage and support students presenting their work at CSU research symposia and at regional and national conferences.

Our college also offers undergraduate research opportunities in more than 30 specialty labs across our college. The college’s Maximizing Access to Research Careers (“MARC”) program offers eligible sophomores a grant-funded, biomedical research training experience, funded by the National Institutes of Health.

If you are interested in participating in research, we encourage you to take the free online course, “Research Ready” through TILT, CSU’s institute for faculty and student development. This course will teach you about undergraduate research, help you explore research interests, navigate opportunities at CSU, prepare a CV and personal statement, and develop an outreach plan.

While we require one internship to graduate, we encourage students to take as many internships as possible, as the experiences will strengthen your postgraduation prospects. You choose your path, including the location, but you will be fully supported as an essential part of our environmental public health curriculum.

You’ll first complete our field methods course (ERHS 230), which teaches field sampling and lab analysis techniques. Next, you’ll take ERHS 479, Environmental Health Practice, an eight-week, 1-credit seminar. This seminar covers resume and cover letter writing, interview skills, networking, and even how to successfully attend a career fair. You’ll also meet with alumni through panel discussions, guided conversations/mock interviews, and resume critiques to support your learning.

You will also begin meeting with an internship coordinator to discuss your interests and needs. Your internship coordinator will engage with you weekly throughout your internship and even visit you on site whenever possible. You will also have an on-site preceptor to mentor you through the internship requirements. Once your internship concludes, you may continue working with your internship coordinator on additional internship opportunities beyond the baseline requirement.

We offer a variety of ways for students to obtain hands-on experiences in the field, through coursework, internships, and other department research opportunities. A few recent examples include:

• Performing sampling campaigns for livestock operations to assess bioaerosol exposures and lung health
• Assisting with sample collection and health measurements, such as collecting personal air samples from study participants following a work shift, conducting pulmonary function tests before or after a shift, and collecting nasal swabs to characterize the microbiome
• Conducting indoor air quality investigations to validate occupant health in various building types, including those that are LEED certified
• Working with communities disproportionately impacted by environmental public health issues, like air pollution, water quality, and food deserts
• Assisting in water quality campaigns along Colorado’s Front Range to assess compositional impacts on the gut microbiome

Our graduates acquire strong foundational knowledge and real-world experience that position them to make an immediate impact in exciting and growing career fields. These opportunities are influenced by notable industry trends:

• Environmental justice: growing recognition of the disproportionate impact of environmental hazards on marginalized communities is driving demand for professionals who can advocate for equitable solutions and address environmental health disparities.
• Aging infrastructure: deteriorating water systems, outdated waste management facilities, and aging industrial sites pose significant public health risks, requiring skilled professionals to assess and mitigate these hazards.
• One Health approach: recognition of the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health (“One Health”) emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration to address complex health challenges.
• Community engagement: effective environmental public health interventions require strong community partnerships and engagement. Professionals who can build trust and work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders are essential.
• International collaboration: environmental health challenges often transcend national borders, requiring international collaboration and cooperation. Professionals with a global perspective and understanding of international health issues are valuable.

Whether you want to further your education or transition directly to the workforce, our graduates leave CSU ready to make an impact. This is a challenging STEM major, with solid career opportunities for a bachelor’s degree. Since 2020, 93 percent of our graduates had postgraduate plans secured prior to commencement, 88 percent of which were directly related to our program.

While a quarter of environmental public health graduates typically choose to continue their education via graduate school or professional programs like medical or veterinary school, most of our graduates go directly into the workforce. Common career paths include:

• Disaster assistance team leader
• Environmental consultant
• Environmental public health specialist
• Hazardous and solid waste specialist
• Health educator
• Industrial hygienist
• Occupational safety specialist
• Pollution prevention specialist
• Instructor/professor
• Medical doctor or physician assistant
• Pharmacist
• Toxicologist
• Epidemiologist
• Veterinarian

We have an active and supportive alumni network, which you will experience in our Environmental Health Practice course (ERHS 479). Faculty will connect you with alumni in your area of interest to conduct a required interview. Alumni will also offer resume and cover letter critiques, participate in mock search committee exercises, and offer informational interviewing and shadowing opportunities as part of this immersive learning experience.

Yes. Our curriculum is built upon a strong science foundation and courses essential for admission to medical and other professional schools. We offer high standards, academic rigor, and accessible, renowned faculty, many of whom are M.D.s or D.V.M.s. and are committed to academic excellence. Our college is also home to the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine at CSU and CSU’s top-ranked veterinary medicine program, a global leader in translational medicine and research.

CSU offers many ways to help you obtain an affordable college education, including scholarships. CSU offers merit scholarships for Colorado residents and non-residents; RAM Transfer Scholarships for undergraduate transfer students; and the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE), which can provide a tuition reduction of up to $10,000 for eligible students. You are automatically considered for some of these scholarships by submitting your application. Many other scholarship opportunities are available through the Colorado State University Scholarship Application, which is a one-stop shop for applying to most scholarships at CSU.

Visit CSU’s cost and financial aid page to understand the cost of attendance, learn how to apply for financial aid, and explore all scholarship opportunities.

We are proud of the close-knit community we’ve built to support you. Engaged advisors will get to know you and help you chart a path that aligns with your interests and career goals. Our faculty are responsive, helpful, and well connected, and our alumni network is highly engaged in student success. Alumni offer their time and expertise to critique resumes, participate in mock interviews, and offer informational interviewing and shadowing opportunities.

Our Environmental Public Health Student Association (EPHSA) also plans professional and social events, often partnering alumni, that can help you build relationships, make connections, and explore career opportunities.

We also have close ties to organizations like the Colorado Environmental Health Association (CEHA), the American Industrial Hygiene Association, and the American Society for Safety Professionals. Our students attend and present at state, regional, and national conferences annually – an effective way to network with those working in your field of interest.

You can broaden your network further by engaging with other college student clubs and organizations.