Training Programs | Practical Training | Program Director | Admissions

“Occupational hygiene” promotes the health and safety of workers. The two-year Master of Science trains students to assess and control chemical, physical, and microbiological hazards in the workplace that may cause illness, injury, discomfort, or inefficiency among workers. Courses are structured to provide training at both the master and doctoral levels in evaluating occupational exposures, effectiveness of intervention strategies, controls, risk assessment, work processes, risk communication, leadership, and workplace environment redesign.

Video: American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA)

Academic Degree Programs

In addition to School-required basic courses in biostatistics and epidemiology, students enroll in basic environmental science courses, which include:

Exposure Assessment
Occupational Health Policy and Administration
Occupational Epidemiology
Occupational Ergonomics
Healthy Buildings
Risk Assessment

Courses are designed to address core competencies defined by the American Industrial Hygiene Association.

The doctoral program is structured to give students exposure to three crucial areas of the research process:

Study design and implementation
Exposure assessment and statistical analysis
Research presentation and translation

Normally, three to four years are required following a master’s program to complete the requirements for the award of the doctoral degree.

Students visiting the Harvard Blackstone Steam Power Plant

Behind the Scenes

Students take a tour of Harvard’s Blackstone Steam Power Plant.

Students touring the roof of the Harvard Business School building.

Environmental and Health Impacts

Students on the roof of Harvard Business School discussing renewable energy and buildings.

Healthy Buildings Assessment

Infrared camera used by students for forensic assessment of building performance.

Heather Henriksen, Managing Director of the Harvard Office for Sustainability

Guest Lectures

Heather Henriksen, Managing Director of Harvard’s Office for Sustainability, presenting on healthier materials and worker health.

Graduate Careers

Examples of what students are doing after graduating:

Life Scientists or Supervisory Industrial Hygienists at federal agencies
Director of the Occupational Health Surveillance Program at the state public health department
Environmental Health and Safety Specialist at a biomedical engineering firm
Research Associate or Professor at public health university
Research lead for architectural firm

“In the SM and PhD programs of the ERC, I learned how to identify hazards and forensically investigate ways to enhance our health in workplaces and beyond. Our work centers around how to drive solutions and real-world interventions to reduce indoor exposure and promote public health.”

Anna Young, PhD, former ERC trainee

Faculty

Program Director

Joseph Allen, D.Sc
Deputy Director, Harvard Chan Education and Research Center in Occupational Health & Safety; Director, Healthy Buildings Program; Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Health.

“We have a massive responsibility to improve occupational health in the work environment. The new way forward ensures that public health goals align with business strategies. The ERC can help launch a career where you can make a difference in the lives of millions of people through making workplaces healthy.”

Joseph Allen, Deputy Director of the Harvard Chan Education and Research Center in Occupational Health & Safety

Program Faculty

Louis DiBerardinis, MS, CIH
Instructor in Industrial Hygiene; Director of Environment, Health, and Safety at MIT.

Jack Price, PhD, CIH, CSP
Instructor in Industrial Hygiene; Retired Director of the Office of Environmental Health and Safety at Northeastern University.

Gary Adamkiewicz, PhD
Associate Professor of Environmental Health and Exposure Disparities.

Jaime Hart, SM, ScD
Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Health.

David MacIntosh, ScD, CIH
Adjunct Associate Professor of Environmental Health.

Petros Koutrakis, MS, PhD
Professor of Environmental Sciences.

Admissions

For detailed information on admissions to the master’s and doctoral degree programs please visit the School’s admissions page.