Since COEH’s establishment in the 1970s, there have been significant changes to the landscape of environmental and occupational impacts as the workforce has changed dramatically. One of the most important changes in occupational health has been the recognition of the integral relationship between environmental and occupational health problems, which led the centers to expand the scope of their activities to incorporate environmental health and broader health disciplines in the 1990s. Today faculty are contributing to research, training, and service in diverse areas such as Community Health Sciences, Epidemiology, Environmental Health Sciences, Occupational Nursing, Health Policy and Management, Biostatistics and Occupational-Environmental Medicine.
The primary mandate of COEH is to prepare highly-qualified occupational and environmental health professionals through graduate-level education and research. The multidisciplinary composition of COEH faculty provides students with unique opportunities to collaborate with and study under faculty with diverse expertise, such as medicine, nursing, analytical chemistry, industrial hygiene, and public health. The location of COEH in the Los Angeles region also offers access to a variety of real-world settings where students and faculty may apply their skills, such as the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, Malibu beach, Hollywood, or wide-ranging occupational, industrial and community settings.
COEH itself does not offer degrees, but employs faculty in various departments with unique degrees and programs. Our Degrees and Programs page lists departments and degree programs represented by COEH members.