Toxicology

Air pollution. Water pollution. Hazardous waste. Contaminated food and consumer goods. Regardless of the precautions that individuals take, exposures to environmental toxins are inevitable. And the daily introduction of new chemicals into our environment only adds to the challenges that face environmental health scientists in their pursuit of understanding the long-term impact of environmental exposures on population health. In fact, researchers have estimated that a new chemical is introduced for industrial and consumer use every 9 seconds.

The Toxicology Certificate will educate students on the biological mechanisms of toxic exposure, on recognizing and evaluating associated risks, and applying this knowledge to developing environmental health policy that will better protect the health of individuals. The breadth of knowledge demanded by this complex field requires an interdisciplinary grounding in chemistry, biochemistry, biology, molecular biology, toxicology, environmental sciences, and medicine.

The training offered by this program is called for by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which declared environmental health to be a focus area for the next decade. Graduates will fill professional shortages and knowledge gaps in environmental remediation, policy development, and research. They will be well positioned to become leaders in academia, chemical and pharmaceutical companies, and both government and non-governmental agencies whose goal is to protect individuals from adverse environmental exposures. They will not only understand the mechanisms of environmental toxins but can also propose strategies to prevent their adverse effects.

Admissions Eligibility

Toxicology is open to Columbia MPH students in:

Environmental Health Sciences

The program requires applicants to have one year of biology or a relevant life sciences course (Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Environmental Science, etc). Applicants must also have one year of college Math or one semester of Calculus or evidence of mathematical proficiency based on their GRE Quantitative score.