Master of Environmental Health

The Master of Environmental Health is a fantastic way to gain a broad understanding of the field across two years full time or four years part. Each institution takes a slightly different approach to teaching, however. RMIT, for instance, has students undergoing a variety of sustainability projects for much of its duration, with coursework being less emphasised. QUT on the other hand takes a similar approach to its graduate diploma in that broad coursework is the focus. In this course, students can expect to learn about environmental health law, risk assessment, food safety and a great number of aspects of import to environmental health.

Employment options

The employment prospects detailed here are excellent ways to enter the field. These skills can be applied to the private sector working for firms like HighEHS all the way to the World Health Organisation. Societies like Environmental Health Australia can help aspiring environmental health officers make invaluable connections, find employment opportunities and learn more about the field along the way.

Scholarships and funding

There are some sound funding opportunities available to students of environmental health. Some are more specific to the field than others. Some of these include:

• The Asian Development Bank - Japan Scholarship worth $15,300 pa is awarded to students who hold citizenship in a select list of developing countries so long as they’ve been offered unconditional acceptance to a Master of Public Health. Aspirants are automatically considered if they meet the criteria; a letter of application isn’t even necessary. To view the complete list of eligible countries, click here.
• Fulbright Scholarships valued at roughly $40,000 allow students across all disciplines to study in the United States. Applicants must be Australian citizens and cannot hold either US citizenship or permanent residency.
• General Sir John Monash Scholarships are valued at $65,000. These are for students who’ve graduated or are about to graduate from a bachelor’s degree and are planning on studying at an overseas institution. They’re not only competitive, but require an exceptional GPA (at least second-class honours).

To browse the full selection of scholarship opportunities available to postgraduate students of environmental health, click here.

Prerequisites and selection process

Entry to these programs is generally granted to anyone with a bachelor’s degree from any discipline. It’s sometimes the case that students require a 5/7 GPA (65%) to enter, but alternate entry is available via graduate certificates or diplomas should applicants not meet this requirement. This option can also allow applicants to gain credit for their subsequent master’s degree. For instance, a six-month graduate certificate could shave six months off, leading to no total time lost.