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Graduate/Post Graduate Programs in Environmental Health at HSPH in Boston
After three years of operation (as an independent institute) at its first home in Nicosia, in 2009-2010 the Cyprus International Institute will become a semi-autonomous institute within the Cyprus University of Technology. Starting in the 2009-2010 academic year, the graduate program in environmental health will thus be offered at the main campus of Cyprus University of Technology in Limassol. By the 2010-2011 academic year the program will expand to include additional postgraduate degrees. By the 2012-2013 academic year, masters programs in Environmental Health, Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Environmental Management, and Public Health will be offered. Qualified graduates of these programs may compete for a limited number of doctoral level training slots at Harvard University. Harvard and the Cyprus University of Technology are quite excited about these changes, the expansion of the programs, and this new collaboration
The intensive Postgraduate Program encompasses over 51 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 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 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)
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)
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)
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)
Environmental Genetics
The interaction between genes and environmental and /or occupational exposures plays a major role in disease development. This course will focus on the underlying science of gene-exposure interactions and will use examples of such interactions and their medical consequences. The course will meet for one two-hour session per week, and will be conducted in an advanced seminar-style format. The course will cover topics in inherited predisposition or genetic susceptibility, the concept of heritability, the role of genetic polymorphisms in environmental health, the relation between genes, environment and common diseases, aspects of behavioural genetics, and topics in pharmacogenetics and ecogenetics. Students will be expected to write an original review paper on a subject related to the topics listed below and give a half hour presentation on the selected topic. Student evaluations will be based on written reports, class participation and class presentation. (2.5 Credits)
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)
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)
Air Pollution
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)
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.
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)
Eco Toxicology
The course comprises introductory lectures and discussions on key aspects of industrial hygiene and occupational health covering recognition, evaluation and control of health hazards at work. Consideration is given to chemical, physical and biological hazards and the criteria for each. (2.5 Credits)
Global Climate Change
This introductory course will give students an integrated overview of the science of climate change and an analysis of the implications of this change for patterns of daily life in their own circumstance and around the world. Humankind is facing an unprecedented environmental crisis of global proportions. This course has three principal objectives. First, it will introduce students to the science of climate change, drawing attention to the latest research and evolving pattern of scientific data that has emerged on climate in recent years. Second, emphasis will be given to analyzing the social changes and adaptations that human communities have already made and those they will most likely to have to make as the Earth's climate continues to change in the coming years. Finally, specific attention will be given to the diplomatic efforts that have been launched since the creation of the Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC) during the first world-wide Earth Summit on the environment in Rio de Janeiro in June of 1992. (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)
Language:
The official language is English.
Requirements:
A Bachelor or higher degree is required. Applicants must have knowledge of calculus, chemistry and biology.
Master's Degree Program size:
To assure high quality of graduate students and instructing excellence less than twenty applicants will be accepted.
Formal acceptance to the program will be offered by the School of Health Sciences of the Cyprus University of Technology.
Tuition:
The tuition for the Master's Degree Program is 6000 Euro for citizens of the EU and 10,000 Euro for others.
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 May 4th, 2009, . 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
