Road to OEH Success

The MSc OEH requires students to complete 42 credits throughout the program. Which courses a student will take is dependent on whether a student chooses a practicum or thesis stream. 

At a Glance

Thesis OptionPracticum Option
21 credits of required courses (including 12 credits for thesis)18 credits of required courses (including 6 credits for project)
9 credits of recommended elective courses18 credits of recommended elective courses
12 credits of elective courses9 credits of elective courses
OEH SeminarsOEH Seminars
UBC Risk Mgmt short course in chemical safetyUBC Risk Mgmt short course in chemical safety
2 Short Courses2 Short Courses
Oral Exam (thesis defense)Capstone course

Required and Recommended Classes

It is always advised to check with your faculty advisor or the Program Director when planning your course selection.

Please note that the electives below are suggestions (albeit ones relevant to occupational and environmental hygiene practice and research). Students have a wide range of choices for electives from outside SPPH and just need to check in with the Program Director to confirm that the elective(s) are appropriate for the MSc OEH degree requirements.

Required Courses
ThesisPracticum
SPPH 502 (3) Epidemiological Methods 1SPPH 502 (3) Epidemiological Methods 1
SPPH 522 (3) Topics in Environmental HealthSPPH 522 (3) Topics in Environmental Health
SPPH 535 (3) Principles of Occupational and Environmental HygieneSPPH 535 (3) Principles of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
 SPPH 564 (3) Advanced Topics in Occupational and Environmental Health MSC OEH Capstone
SPPH 599 (12) MSc ThesisSPPH 598 (6) Occupational and Environmental Hygiene Project

Note: A maximum of 6 credits at the undergraduate level in courses numbered 300 to 499 may be counted toward the requirements of a Master’s degree.

Recommended Electives (9 credits for thesis option, 18 credits for practicum option)

Occupational & Environmental Science Courses

SPPH 526 (3) Leadership in Public Health
SPPH 532 (3) Environmental Health Risk Assessment and Communication
SPPH 533 (3) Toxicology and Public Health
SPPH 562 (3) Chemical and Biological Hazard Measurement
SPPH 567 (3) Quantitative Methods for the Assessment and Analysis of Exposure Data
SPPH 569 (3) Industrial and Environmental Acoustics and Vibrations

Environmental Emphasis Courses
FOOD 523 (3) Advances in Food Microbiology

Occupational Emphasis Courses
SPPH 563 (3) Technical Aspects of Chemical and Biological Hazard Control
SPPH 565 (3) Ergonomics (offered every other year)
SPPH 566 (3) Occupational Hygiene Practice
SPPH 568 (3) Safety (offered every other year)

Additional Electives (12 credits for thesis option, 9 credits for practicum option)

Public Health Courses
SPPH 400  (3) Statistics for Health Research
SPPH 500 (3) Analytical Methods in Epidemiological Research
SPPH 501 (3) Analysis of Longitudinal Data from Epidemiological Studies
SPPH 503 (3) Epidemiological Methods 2
SPPH 511 (3) Cancer Epidemiology
SPPH 516 (3) Systematic Overviews
SPPH 520 (3) Control of Communicable Diseases

SPPH 527 (3) Social Determinants of Health

SPPH 552 (3) Risk and Communication in Public Health (formerly 581S)
SPPH 553 (3) Foundations of Statistical Computing (formerly 581A)

Occupational and Environmental Science Courses
PHYS 536 (3) Advanced Radiation Biophysics

Environmental Emphasis Courses
CHBE 575 (3) Air Pollution Control
CHEM 302 (3) Atmospheric Environmental Chemistry (pre-reqs CHEM 201, 205, 251)
CHEM 535A (3) Atmospheric Aerosols
CIVL 565 (3) Physical-Chemical Treatment Processes

CIVL 569 (3) Environmental Biotechnology
FOOD 525 (3) Advances in Food Toxicology: Risk Benefit Analysis
PLAN 580 (3) Urban Transportation Planning

Occupational Emphasis Courses
ADHE 327 (3) Teaching Adults

BAHR 507(1.5) Two-Party Negotiations
BAHR 515 (1.5) Management of Health and Safety
BAHR 550 (1.5) Organizational Behavior
CHBE 479 (3) Chemical Engineering Aspects of Occupational Health and Safety
CHBE 506 (3) Industrial Process Engineering
MECH 473 (3) Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning (pre-req MECH 375)
MINE 402 (3) Mine Ventilation and Occupational Health and Safety (pre-req MINE 291)