An estimated 40–50 percent of the environmental health workforce in state and local agencies are eligible to retire in the next five years, leaving major workforce gaps.
Environmental Health at UW-Stout will offer students opportunities to gain knowledge skills and abilities in specialized courses in environmental public health, such as food and water sanitation, industrial hygiene, community health services, toxicology, environmental regulations and related classes in the fields of biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics.
Environmental Health at UW-Stout will pursue accreditation through The National Environmental Health Science and Protection Accreditation Council (EHAC), which develops and applies accreditation guidelines for institutions of higher education that wish to ensure premium quality education and training of environmental health science and protection practitioners. Graduation from an accredited program is a requirement to enter the US Public Health Service. These federal jobs offer excellent benefits and exciting opportunities for students that are offered exclusively to EHAC graduates. Many states recognize graduation from an accredited program as attaining a specific standard needed to become registered environmental health specialists or sanitarians.
The coursework will provide students with an educational background that is necessary for employment in regulatory agencies or industries concerned with environmental health and quality:
- Environmental Health and Safety Manager
- Environmental Health Specialist
- Hazardous Substance Specialist
- Occupational Health Safety Officer
- Health Inspector
- Corporate Food Safety Specialist
- Environmental Health Scientist
"This program is a great addition to UW-Stout due to many problems we are facing today within the environment."
Hlee Xiong
"I have learned so much about different environmental problems. I have also learned much more math and have observed different scientific experiences."
Mark Moeller
"The program helped me realize what I want to do with my life."
Clay Gale
"This program has taught me how to be a professional through hands on research and experience in the field. This program has a great group of students and educators that are always willing to help and are always looking for ways to improve our chances of getting a job after college."
Ellyn Von Bank
"This program has helped me progress into the environmental field and to have more of an understanding what I want to do with my life."
Tyler Jerkovich
"I was provided with the resources needed to succeed. All I needed to do was take them, put in the work, and watch my future unwrap before me."
Garrett Williams
"I was told that I could be anything I wanted to be. I also was told that science was the gateway to the unimaginable and anything was possible. With great guidance, hard work, and the Environmental Science program, I have become the person I wanted to be and because of the job I've accepted I know that anything truly is possible now."
Alexander Tranmer
"UW-Stout helped me learn real world skills, and prepared me for the job market."
James Gower
"The experiences I've had were essential to my career."
Brent Deaver
"Professors know you personally, and are always willing to meet with you!"
Brennan Mehlhorn
"The program opened my eyes to new things like technologies used in classroom lab, research presentation, and knowing professors to help with recommendation and research opportunities."
Ci Moua
"The learning community has helped me so much — the best thing you can do right away is get to know people because that's been the most helpful."
Brianna Shea
"I have gotten such a variety of experience and have a very developed skill set because of all of the opportunities here!"
Anna Winfield
"The Environmental Science program has provided me with an environment that I can succeed in. The professors actually care about my success and what they can do to help me."
Jessica Kraase