Environmental Health
Qualifications
Overview
The Environmental Health major provides grounding in the fundamental sciences that underpin an understanding of the environmental risk factors that affect health and well-being and the methods used to assess them. This encompasses:
- the geographical distribution of disease
- exposure to key risk factors and methods used to minimise exposure
- the context of government legislation aimed at creating and maintaining healthy environments.
You will develop an understanding of risk factors in the natural and built environment, underlying biological processes, and the scientific methods used to investigate, monitor, and assess the effects of environmental hazards – such as pollution, unsafe food, and infectious diseases – on people's health and well-being.
The Bachelor of Health Sciences requires 360 points of courses in total, including compulsory Health Sciences courses (135 points), courses towards your major (90 points), and the remaining courses in Health Sciences or from other degrees at UC.
You can also choose to do a double major in Environmental Health and another major subject in the BHSc. Contact a Student Advisor for help planning your study.
100-level courses
The following compulsory courses are taken by all BHSc students:
- HLTH 101 Introduction to Health Studies
- HLTH 106 Ngā Take, Te Wero: Māori Health Issues and Opportunities
- HLTH 110 Epidemiology
- BIOL 116 Human Biology
Plus these courses specific to Environmental Health:
- BIOL 111 Cellular Biology and Biochemistry
- BCHM 112 or CHEM 112 Structure and Reactivity in Chemistry and Biochemistry
Plus another two 15-point courses at 100-level from Health Sciences or other degrees.
200-level courses
The following compulsory courses are taken by all BHSc students:
- HLTH 201 Health Promotion
- HLTH 202 Health and Society: Applied research for Aotearoa/New Zealand
- MAOR 270 Te Ao Hauora Tangata: Māori Health Perspectives
Plus these courses specific to Environmental Health:
- BCHM 281 or CHEM 281 Practical Chemistry
- BIOL 213 Microbiology and Genetics
- BIOL 231 Foundations in Molecular Biology
- BIOL 250 Principles of Animal Physiology
Plus another 15-point course at 100-level (or above) from Health Sciences or other degrees.
300-level courses
The following compulsory course is taken by all BHSc students:
Plus these courses specific to Environmental Health:
- BIOL 313 Advanced Microbiology
- BIOL 333 Molecular Genetics
- GEOG 323 Geospatial Analysis in the Social and Environmental Sciences
- GEOG 325 Health, Well-being and Environment
Plus another two 15-point courses at 200-level (or above) from Health Sciences or other degrees.
Graduates of the Bachelor of Health Sciences majoring in Environmental Health will potentially find employment as environmental health officers (requires additional qualification), laboratory roles in health laboratories, in local and national environmental health roles, or progress to postgraduate research in environmental health science.
Find out more about what you can do with a degree in Health Sciences.
Contact us
School of Health Sciences | Te Kura Mātai Hauora
Phone +64 3 369 3333
Email education@canterbury.ac.nz
Location
Rehua building – see the School's website for up-to-date location details.
Postal address
College of Education, Health and Human Development | Te Rāngai Ako me te Hauora
University of Canterbury | Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha
Private Bag 4800
Christchurch 8140
New Zealand
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