Master of Science Degree in Environmental Health Sciences

The Master of Science (MS) program in the Environmental Health Sciences department is aimed at graduates in the natural and applied sciences who plan to go on to scientific research and leadership careers.

The MS Program requires students to complete diadactic coursework and undertake original research culimnating in a master's thesis. Students are required to take 6 credit hours of research which will be supervised by an EHS faculty member. Graduates are qualified for positions in academia, research institutes, government, and industry. 

Degree Options and Concentrations

Environmental Health Sciences MS

Research areas of interest include a broad range of environmental and occupational areas. Many topics include aspects of Environment, Sustainability, and Heath and Occupational Health Sciences-Industrial Hygiene. The MS degree also offers a formalized concentration in Industrial Hygiene.

Environmental Health Sciences Accelerated Master's Degree (AMD)

The Accelerated Master's Degree  (AMD) program option will award a Master of Science degree in Environmental Health Sciences for highly motivated students working towards their bachelor's degree in their senior year, plus one more year of graduate study in Environmental Health Sciences. Students will application during the second semester of their second year. Learn more about the AMD program.

Toxicology MS

The field of toxicology identifies environmental and therapeutic exposures of concern, reveals mechanisms by which chemical toxicants create pathological dysfunction or disease, identifies interventions for the prevention of adverse effects, conducts safety assessments, and estimates acceptable levels of exposure for the protection of the public health. Learn more about the Toxicology MS.

Program Prerequisites

Typical undergraduate majors among applicants admitted to the MS in recent years include environmental sciences/studies, public health, industrial hygiene, biology, chemistry, biochemistry and engineering. However, prospective students with other undergraduate majors are welcome to apply. For the MS degree programs, basic science knowledge is expected.

Students who are applying for the MS or AMD programs must meet the following prerequisite courses listed below. Some deficiencies may be made up after admission to the program. Courses taken to fulfill basic deficiencies do not count toward fulfillment of the degree's course requirements.

• General Biology
• General Chemistry
• Organic Chemistry
• General Physics
• Calculus

Program Curriculum and Courses

Financial Support

Applicants will automatically be considerered for scholarships from the school/department upon submission of their application. Applications that are submitted by the priority deadline will be the first to recieve funding opportunities. As the application cycle continues, funding will not be guaranteed. 

In addition to financial aid and funding opportunities from the School of Public Health, Environmental Health Sciences Master’s of Science degree students can receive financial support from one or more of the following sources:

• Grants/scholarships the School of Public Health
• Graduate Student Instructor (GSI) positions from the department, the School of Public Health, and other Univeristy of Michigan deparments/schools
• Research assistantships from faculty research grants 
• Smaller scholarship awards from external organizations, such as the American Industrial Hygiene Foundations (AIHF), Chevron, and the 3M Corporation

Ready to Apply?

Applications for the Environmental Health Sciences Master of Science program should be submitted through the Rackham Graduate School. 

Deadlines

• MS in Environmental Health Sciences or Toxicology
  • Priority Deadline: December 1
  • Applications accepted on a rolling basis after December 1, but priority for funding decisions is given to those submitted by December 1
• MS AMD
  • Early Deadline: December 1 of your junior year
  • Official Deadline:  January 15 of your junior year
    • If you do not believe you'll complete your application by January 15, please contact Rachel Yarbrough, EHS Academic Program Manager, for guidance on next steps. 

Application Requirements

• Academic Statement of Purpose
  • Your SOP should be a concise, well-written statement about your academic and research background, your career goals, and how Michigan's graduate program will help you meet your career and educational objectives. The SOP should be 1-3 pages in length and include your name, name of the graduate program, and your UM ID (if known).
• Personal Statement
  • How have your background and life experiences, including cultural, geographical, financial, educational, citizenship status, or other opportunities or challenges, motivated your decision to pursue a graduate degree at the University of Michigan? The personal statement should be 500 words and include your name, name of the graduate program, and your UM ID (if known).
• Quantitative Statement
  • In an effort to get a better understanding of your abilities, we require a statement for all graduate-level applicants as part of the application process. This short essay (maximum 500 words) asks you to summarize the strength of your analytical and quantitative skills by addressing the following (if applicable).
    • List each college-level course you have taken that evaluates mathematical or quantitative skills (e.g. algebra, calculus, differential equations, statistics, physics, or courses that require data analysis using statistical software, etc.). For each course, indicate the name of the course, academic year (e.g. freshman, sophomore, etc.), and grade received. Example: Calculus I, freshman year, B+
    • Discuss specific details and examples of relevant research, work, volunteer, or professional experiences that involved analytical and/or quantitative skills and tasks. You may also incorporate instances where you worked with data.
    • If you have experience with quantitative or qualitative data, describe how you used it to solve a complex problem and include how you communicated your findings. Note: please include measurable outcomes that demonstrate your results.
• 3 Letters of Recommendation
  • You will add your recommender emails to the Rackham Graudate School application which, upon submitting, they will recieve an email to complete their form. Electronic submission is the highly preferred method; however, if your recommenders come across any issues, please contact the EHS Academic Program Manager. 
  • It is recommended that at least 2 of your recommendation letters be from faculty. However, if you do not have strong contacts anymore and would prefer to use professional recommenders, you can.
• CV/Resume
  • Upload your CV/Resume that describes your education, work experience, research publications, teaching experience, professional/volunteer activities, community engagement, honors, and awards. 
• Faculty Members
  • Although it is not required for MS students, you may list individual department faculty members with whom you would like to work if admitted into the program.
• Transcripts
  • The Rackham Graduate School allows students to upload electronic versions of their official transcripts to the application portal. If you are admitted, you will need to send an official copy if you would like to matriculate into the program. Please follow the Rackham Graduate School guidelines closely on how to upload your documents correctly to your application. 
  • WES is NOT required for the Rackham Graduate School 
• English Language Test Scores (TOEFL/IELTS)
  • Students can be waived of the TOEFL/IELTS if they earned their degree in the US, Canada, UK, etc. You can also be considered for a waiver if your school taught your curriculum in English. You can check the World Education Database to see if your university/college shows English as the primary language of instruction. 

Application Review Process

The Admissions Committee will begin reviewing applications in November. Complete applications will tyically take ~3 weeks from completion to be reviewed by the committee. Please note, that this turnaround may be impacted by the December break which occurs soon after the fall semester concludes. Admission review will resume when the Winter semester begins in January. 

Questions and More Information

For answers to any questions that you might have, please visit other pages on this website and/or contact Rachel Yarbrough, EHS Academic Program Manager, at [email protected]