Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences Graduate Program

School of Health Sciences

Open House

Every October we hold a virtual information session and open house for students interested in learning more about our graduate degrees. Please fill out this survey to receive updates on this year’s open house.

Occupational and environmental health professionals protect individuals from possible health effects caused by workplace and environmental hazards, such as lead or air pollution. Purdue’s occupational and environmental health sciences (OEHS) graduate program, which specializes in industrial hygiene, offers both Master of Science and PhD degree programs.

Our mission is to advance professionals, leaders and researchers in industrial hygiene and related fields. The program will prepare you with the knowledge and skills to be an outstanding scientist equipped to protect workers, families and communities from hazardous environmental agents and workplace stressors.

The MS program is accredited by the Applied Science Accreditation Commission of ABET. For a complete description of our educational objectives, student outcomes and enrollment and graduation data, visit our accreditation page. As of 2022, the MS program is ranked No. 2 among the top 25 master’s programs in occupational health and safety by Best Health Degrees.

The MS in OEHS is recognized as a Qualified Academic Program (QAP) by the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP), meeting the qualified credential requirement for the Certified Safety Professional (CSP) certification.

Interested in undergraduate education in occupational and environmental health sciences? Check out our undergraduate program.

Program Highlights

Participate in OSHA training, continuing education, conferences, and networking through partnerships with the Greater Lafayette Area Safety Council, Chicago Local Section of AIHA, Indiana Local Section of AIHA, and the Central Indiana Chapter of the American Society of Safety Professionals.
Work on research projects with a faculty mentor and have opportunities to win local, regional and even national awards recognizing your excellence in research.
You may also be eligible to receive financial support from our NIOSH training grant or a number of other scholarships and awards.
Meet and learn from your peers by joining the Student Environmental Health and Safety Association and Workplace Health Without Borders – Purdue Chapter.

Potential Careers

The environmental health and safety field offers the benefit of job diversity, which empowers you to choose from a variety of careers and industries. Occupational and environmental health professionals who specialize in industrial hygiene are in particularly high demand. You may choose employment in a variety of organizations, such as:

Hazardous waste companies
Manufacturing companies
Colleges and universities
Government agencies
Research laboratories
Insurance companies
Chemical companies
Consulting firms
Public utilities
Labor unions
Hospitals

Concentrations

View Plans of study

Research

The occupational and environmental health sciences graduate program emphasizes field research. In the program, you’ll conduct research in industrial hygiene and other areas, such as aerosol science, exposure assessment and epidemiology. Our faculty are highly active in a variety of research projects, investigating the extent and health impact of exposures to a variety of workplace and environmental hazards, such as metals, air pollution and microbial contaminants.

Research Opportunities

Occupational and environmental health sciences
Industrial hygiene
Ergonomics
Epidemiology

Research Areas

Research Facilities

Life Science MRI facility
The Birck Nanotechnology Center
The Bindley Bioscience Center
The Regenstrief Center for Healthcare Engineering
Purdue’s Center for the Environment

Faculty

Admissions/Requirements

Applications submitted prior to December 1, 2025 will be considered for fellowships and awards.

Required undergraduate coursework includes:

2 semesters of college-level Biology
2 semesters of college-level Chemistry
2 semesters of college-level Physics
1 semester of college-level Calculus preferred

View Admissions Criteria

Ellen Wells | Program Director

For questions regarding the occupational and environmental health sciences graduate program, please contact our graduate coordinator, Karen Walker, at kwalker@purdue.edu.

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