Environmental Health Policy, Minor

The Environmental Health Policy minor allows you to develop the knowledge and professional skills necessary to pursue a successful career or graduate degree program in health-related or environmental fields. A collaborative effort, EHP facilitates interdisciplinary studies, drawing from the Environmental Studies (ENSTU) and Collaborative Health and Human Services (CHHS) programs.

The Environmental Health Policy minor augments ESTP, ENSTU, and CHHS majors’ studies by fostering a more comprehensive understanding of health program development, policy change and advocacy. It especially benefits students who aspire to work with local or state environmental health agencies, or with community-based environmental health advocacy groups, to improve environmental conditions and community health.

Required Courses

Please note: Twelve of the units taken to complete a minor (6 of which are upper division) may not be used in fulfillment of other minors, concentrations, or major requirements.

Complete a minimum of 12 units from the following courses:
ENSTU 309 - Science and Policy of Global Climate Change Units: 3
ENSTU 365 - Critical Pedagogy for Environmental Education Units: 3
ENSTU 384 - Social & Ecological Justice Units: 3
ENSTU 384S - Social and Ecological Justice Service Learning Units: 5
ENSTU 387 - Water Resource Assess/Law/Poli Units: 3
ENSTU 412 - Enviro Thought & Practice Units: 3
PH 320 - Introduction to Public Health Units: 3
PH 407 - Multicultural Health Education Units: 3
PH 417 - Global Women’s Health and Social Issues Units: 3
PH 447 - Food Policy, Culture & Health Units: 3
PH 448 - Principles of Epidemiology Units: 3
CHHS 450 - Introduction to Policy Analysis Units: 3

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge of Health and Human Services

Demonstrate an understanding of the fundamental principles and issues common to the major fields of health and human services including community health, social welfare and public policy; and demonstrate competence in the selected areas of concentration.

Professional Development

Demonstrate ability to apply the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for growth and development as an entry-level professional by producing evidence of increasing self-awareness and self-correcting behaviors.

Public Policy Analysis

Demonstrate ability to critically analyze public policy issues and begin to master the skills necessary to identify and define public policy problems, analyze existing policies, develop alternatives to current policy and recommend alternatives.

Policy Competency

Students must understand and accurately communicate state, federal and local political structures and processes and their relationships, as well as landmark environmental laws and regulations.

Systems Approach to Environmental Decision Making

Students must be able to apply general systems theory, systems modeling, stakeholder analysis, cost/benefit analysis or other interdisciplinary analysis tools to evaluate the equitability and the effectiveness of alternative environmental decisions, policies or actions.