Environmental Health - Professional Development course
Overview
To provide students with a framework for understanding the nature of environmental health hazards (including chemical, biological, physical and social factors), how they are investigated and control measures used to minimise their impact.
The unit will explore the major categories of environmental health hazards such as air quality; water & food quality; chemical hazards eg contaminated sites; physical hazards eg noise and radiation; and microbiological hazards eg Legionnaires’ disease.
It will use the disciplines of epidemiology, toxicology and ecology to characterise risks associated with these hazards and will explore various approaches to managing the risks.
In studying this unit students will appreciate the multi-disciplinary nature of environmental health concerns and the need to work closely with external agencies. Regional and global issues of sustainability, climate change and land use planning will also be addressed.
Course aims
This course aims to provide students with a framework for understanding the nature of environmental health hazards (including chemical, biological, physical and social factors), how they are investigated and control measures used to minimise their impact.
At the end of this unit students will be able to:
- Describe the major categories of hazards and settings in environmental health.
- Describe the major pathways of exposure to environmental contaminants and exposure measurement.
- Understand and apply the scope and basic approaches of the core disciplines in EH: epidemiology, toxicology and ecology.
- Apply a systematic approach for investigating environmental hazards and conducting simple risk assessments.
- Identify and critically appraise risk management tools, such as policies, programs, guidelines and legislation, used to control environmental health hazards.
- Appreciate the multidisciplinary nature of environmental health and the close links with environmental protection.
- Appreciate the potential health effects of large-scale ecological change eg urbanisation, climate change.
Presenters
Unit coordinator:
Dr Geoff Morgan,
Northern Rivers University Department of Rural Health
Dates
Semester 2 - 29th July to 23th November 2013
Some course components are online.
Application deadline
Semester 2 courses - 31 May
Late applications may be considered.
Costs
Information about costs of professional development courses.
How to apply
Fill in an application form.
Non-award applicants:
Please note that if you are applying as a non-award student you need to complete the application form and attach all supporting documents required except for academic transcripts of your qualifications. We are waiving this requirement for this course only, to simplify enrolment.
More information
Student Office
Room 329, Level 3
School of Public Health
Edward Ford Building (A27)
The University of Sydney
NSW 2006 Australia
Phone: +61 2 9036 5487 or +61 2 9351 4366
Email: