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Post Graduate Program in Environmental Health in Cyprus (established in September 2006)
Graduate/Post Graduate Programs in Environmental Health at HSPH in Boston
Graduate/Post Graduate Programs in Environmental Health at HSPH in Boston
The intensive Postgraduate Program encompasses over 50 course credits taught over a 12-month period (September through August). In an effort to recruit outstanding students and maintain high quality training, fewer than 20 students are admitted per academic year. Graduates of the Program acquire skills that will prepare them for leadership positions in governmental and international organizations, in consulting, public service, private industry, and research. They will be proficient in the full range of environmental health and public health protection practices and research. Graduates will also be prepared for further studies leading to doctorate degrees at Harvard School of Public Health and other institutions.
Cyprus:
Cyprus is a member state of the European Union and is the third largest island of the Mediterranean. It enjoys a temperate climate with hot, dry summers and cool winters. The island’s exceptional natural beauty, perfect climate and wealth of history and culture make it an ideal place to enjoy life as a student. Mile upon mile of pristine beaches add to Cyprus’s great appeal. The island’s rich past draws upon Europe, the Middle East, and 9,000 years of constant invasion.
Throughout history Cyprus has always been an important trading post between the empires of Europe, Africa and the Middle East and is strewn with fascinating archeological reminders of the island's past. Relics exist from every era - Greek temples, Roman mosaics and 15th-century frescoes. Cyprus is serving once again as an international crossroads bringing together students and experts from all over the Eastern Mediterranean, North Africa, Europe, and the Middle East to study the pressing public health and environmental issues of the region at the Cyprus International Institute for the Environment and Public Health.
Cyprus is a well-suited location for the International Institute for the Environment and Public Health because of its historical roots. The field of public health traces its origin in Greek mythology to the god of healing, named Asklepios. Asklepios mastered the art of medicine, and had a number of children including three daughters. The daughters were Hygieia (Health), Iaso (Healing), and Panakeia (Cure-all). Hygieia represented the preservation of health and prevention of illness. The educational, research and outreach activities of the International Initiative are linked by this common spirit of preserving the health of humans and the environment in general.
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Course Offerings
Biostatistics
Students will cover basic statistical techniques that are important for analyzing data arising from epidemiology, environmental health, biomedical and other public health-related research. Major topics include descriptive statistics, elements of probability, introduction to estimation and hypothesis testing, nonparametric methods, techniques for categorical data, regression analysis, analysis of variance, and elements of study design. Applications are stressed. Background in algebra and calculus strongly recommended. (5 Credits)
Physiology
The objective of this course is to present aspects of human physiology in a manner geared towards nonmedical students. The first part of the course starts with a study of the basic cell functions including a review of chemical composition of the body, cell structure, protein activity and cellular metabolism, genetic information and protein synthesis and movements of molecules across cell membranes. The second and largest part of the course begins with biological control systems and a review of homeostatic mechanisms and cellular communication. Emphasis is then placed on understanding the various systems of the body including the nervous system and neural control mechanisms, endocrine system, cardiovascular system, respiratory system, gastrointestinal system, and reproductive system, defense mechanisms, regulation of metabolism and energy balance will also be examined. (5 Credits)
Toxicology
The objective of this course is to present Toxicology in an environmental context by covering the mechanisms of environmental insult and injury, including examples from cellular, animal and human systems. As an introductory course, it will include discussion of routes of exposure, the elements of the dose-response relationship, studies of absorption, distribution and metabolism of toxic compounds, and a survey with examples of toxic substances. Case studies will be used to illustrate the fundamentals presented in the course. (2.5 Credits)
Air Pollution and Energy Processes
The objective of the first half of this course is to develop an understanding of natural and anthropogenic energy systems. Sources of air pollution technology of emission control and an examination of regulatory institutions will be presented. The second portion of the course focuses on atmospheric processes with an emphasis on modeling techniques that relate air quality to emissions. Some lectures cover current research results. (5 Credits)
Introduction to Epidemiology
This course will provide an orientation to epidemiology as a basic science for public health and clinical medicine. It will address the principles of the quantitative approach to clinical and public health problems. There will be discussion of measures of frequency and association, an introduction to the design and validity of epidemiologic research, and an overview of data analysis. This course will provide an introduction to the skills needed by public health professionals to interpret critically the epidemiologic literature and will provide students with the principles and practical experience needed to initiate the development of these skills. Lectures are complemented by seminars devoted to case studies, exercises and critiques of current examples of epidemiologic studies. (2.5 credits)
Water Pollution
This course is designed to teach the basic principles of water pollution and water pollution issues on local, regional and global scales. The course will begin with a discussion of the basic chemical, physical and biological properties of water and water contaminants, including groundwater, freshwater, and marine water ecosystems. Subsequent lectures will cover the transport, fate and transformation of specific chemical and biological contaminants. Other topics include: eutrophication, harmful algal blooms, environmental impacts of aquaculture, ecological and human health risk assessment approaches for contaminated water bodies, the design and implementation of monitoring and assessment programs, and drinking water and wastewater treatment. Coursework will involve lectures, readings, problem sets, and a final project. (5 Credits)
Click here to visit the Water Pollution course website.
Risk Assessment
This course will provide an introduction to the framework of risk assessment and an overview of the relationship between cost-benefit, decision analysis and other tools for improving environmental decisions. The scientific foundations of risk assessment, epidemiology, toxicology, and exposure assessment are discussed. The mathematical sciences involved in developing models of dose-response, fate and transport, and the statistical aspects of parameter estimation and uncertainty analysis are introduced. Case studies are used to illustrate various issues in risk assessment and decision making. (2.5 Credits)
Sustainability, Trade and Environment
In addition to technological innovation, the globalization of trade is increasingly seen as the driving force of industrial economies. The establishment of the World Trade Organization, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Trade Agreement, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and other trading regimes raises serious questions concerning their effects on sustainability, which must be viewed broadly to include not only a healthy economic base, but also a sound environment, stable employment, adequate purchasing power, distributional equity, national self-reliance, and maintenance of cultural integrity. This course explores the many dimensions of sustainability and the use of national, multinational and international political and legal mechanisms to further sustainable development. The inter-relationship of global economic changes, employment, worker health & safety, and environment in the context of theories of development, trade, and employment, and the importance of networks and organizational learning will be examined. Mechanisms for resolving the apparent conflicts between development, environment, and employment will be explored. (2.5 Credits)
European and International, Law and Policy
National governments in both developed and industrializing countries have evolving legal systems in the regulation of environmental hazards in air, water, waste, the workplace, consumer products, and food. Some are more effective than others. In the 1970s the US was the leading model for these systems, but the European Community has now surpassed the US in its development of initiatives and legal instruments. At the same time, there is increasing international recognition of the need to harmonize environmental legal approaches and to coordinate national efforts, especially with the advent of globalized trade. This course will examine the basic features of regulatory systems for controlling and preventing pollution and contamination in air, water, waste, the workplace, consumer products, and food. The focus will be on European and International Environmental Law. Both mandated standards and economic incentives will be explored, and different national systems will be compared. This course draws upon European, U.S. and international literature published in English. It is intended to stimulate discussion and critical thinking of the assigned reading materials, as well as provide familiarity with legal concepts and skills. (2.5 Credits)
Indoor Air Quality
This course provides an introduction to indoor air quality (IAQ) assessment and control. It begins with a description of the indoor contaminants of greatest significance, their sources, and health effects. Subsequent lectures deal with how buildings operate including an introduction to heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning systems and contaminate transport mechanisms. Other topics that are presented include prevention and mitigation of IAQ problems, IAQ and comfort guidelines, moisture problems, and IAQ modeling. (2.5 Credits)
Exposure Assessment
This course is designed to provide the tools and foundation necessary to design and execute studies designed to measure environmental exposures to chemicals and biological contaminants. The first half of the course will be lecture-based, and will address topics such as: gas and particle properties and behavior; study design issues; air, water, sediment, and soil sampling; and laboratory analytical techniques for chemical and biological constituents. During the second half of the course, groups of students will design and execute their own field investigation using these techniques. The design and results of these projects are presented in class. (5 Credits)
Occupational Health
This course includes an overview of occupational health and safety including the effects of specific workplace chemical, biological and physical hazards such as asbestos, silica, metals, organic compounds, microbial exposures, noise and vibration. The course will also consider the relationship between working conditions and health, with special emphasis on the recognition, measurement, and control of occupational hazards. The course focuses on the assessment of workplace hazards, the physiology and biomechanical aspects of work, and a practical problem-solving approach to health problems in various work settings. Emphasizes the relationship between working conditions and health, with special reference to the recognition, measurement, and control of occupational hazards. (5 Credits)
Environmental Epidemiology
This course has three objectives: to review methods used in evaluating the health effects of physical and chemical agents in the environment, to review available evidence on the health effects of such exposures, and to consider policy questions raised by the scientific evidence. Topics include lectures on methodology, seminars on the review and criticism of current literature, and presentations by outside experts on specific environmental and occupational health issues of current interest. (2.5 Credits)
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Language:
The official language at the Cyprus International Institute (CII) is English.
Requirements:
A Bachelor or higher degree is required. Applicants must have knowledge of calculus, chemistry and biology.
Post Graduate Program size:
To assure academic excellence, fewer than twenty applicants are accepted per academic year.
Tuition:
The tuition for the Post Graduate Program is 7,500 Euros.
Scholarships:
Scholarship information for 2008-2009
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Applications and Deadlines:
Applicants are encouraged to apply to CII online at http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/cyprus/cii_apply.shtml. Only applications that are complete will be processed and reviewed for admission. For an application to be considered complete, the CII Admissions Office must receive the following application materials by April 1st, . The application will consist of the following five components:
- A completed and signed application form, a resume, and a 500-word essay written by the applicant. The essay should describe the applicant’s academic and professional history, reasons for wanting to enroll in the degree program, and professional or academic career plans upon completion of the program.
- Bachelor degree. Official transcripts from all colleges, graduate schools, and/or professional schools attended. Applicants are expected to have a distinguished undergraduate record, as well as excellent performance in any graduate work undertaken.
- Letters of recommendation from at least three people who are well acquainted with the applicant’s academic work and/or professional experience. Click here to Download Recommendation Form
- Official scores of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) are recommended but not required. Those who have already taken the GRE may submit the score as long as it is not more than six years old.
- Official scores of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), if applicable. Applicants from countries where English is not the language of instruction must submit a score from the TOEFL. Applicants with a TOEFL score of less than 220 will automatically be disqualified. Those who have already taken the TOEFL may submit the score as long as it is not more than three years old. The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam will be accepted if the applicant’s score is 7.0 or above.
Application Review:
Applicants are notified as soon as possible in writing about the status of their application. The CII Admissions Office will either confirm that an application is ready for review or will specify any missing documents. The decision of the CII Committee on Admissions and Degrees is final and is not subject to appeal. Applicants may apply a maximum of three times.
The CII Committee on Admissions and Degrees considers the academic ability of applicants, the relevance of their previous education and experience, and their overall qualifications for graduate education, including those qualities of character that reflect upon an individual’s suitability to be a public health professional. In decisions about admission, CII does not discriminate against individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, age, national or ethnic origin, political beliefs, veteran status, or disability. The increased participation of under represented groups in public health practice and research is essential to the advancement of health and CII is committed to expanding the diversity of its faculty, staff and student body.
Mailing Address:
Cyprus International Institute for the Environment and Public Health
Attention: Admissions
P O Box 24440,
1703 Nicosia, Cyprus
Cost of Living:
The estimated cost of living for international students is approximately 1,000 Euro per month. CII will provide assistance in finding off-campus housing for students upon admission.
Visas:
Assistance will be provided to students with obtaining visas upon admission.
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The HSPH Department of Environmental Health focuses on complex health problems that require the contributions of many specialties. Its faculty, research staff, and students reflect the multidisciplinary nature of the field and include chemists, engineers, epidemiologists, applied mathematicians, physicians, occupational health nurses, physiologists, cell biologists, molecular biologists, and microbiologists, as well as faculty in adjacent departments. The Department's teaching and research activities are carried out through five concentrations: environmental epidemiology, environmental science and engineering, occupational health, physiology, and population genetics.
The Cyprus International Institute will provide an important means to recruit and educate students and scholars from Cyprus and from other countries in Europe, the Middle East, and Northern Africa. Those considered to be most promising may apply to HSPH to become part of the Harvard-Cyprus Program at HSPH. If accepted, they would become eligible for consideration for scholarships and stipend aid created through grants and the HSPH-Cyprus endowment established by the Cypriot government as part of the initiative. Enrolled students will spend 50% of their time at CII in Cyprus engaged in regional research activities
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Harvard School of Public Health Online Application
HSPH Department of Environmental Health Website
Harvard School of Public Health Website
