Environmental Health, SCM

ScM in Environmental Health

The Master of Science (ScM) in Environmental Health is intended for individuals with a strong interest in pursuing research in one of the various areas within environmental health. Typically, students have prior hands-on experience in laboratory, field, or population-based investigations upon which they would like to build. ScM students write a thesis that is based on original research carried out by the student under the direction of a faculty adviser, which the student finds in their first year.

Graduates of the program are well-prepared to transition directly into opportunities for further training and research through doctoral degree programs in their primary areas of interest. For those wishing to apply their knowledge and research skills in the field of environmental health, the ScM positions graduates to compete for research positions in the private sector, federal agencies, and non-governmental organizations.

Program Requirements

Coursework

Students complete a core curriculum that comprises less than 40 of the 64 credits required for graduation. Required core courses include environmental health, toxicology, epidemiology, risk sciences, and statistics. Students have flexibility to customize the remaining elective credits of their curriculum to their area of interest to achieve an appropriate balance between depth and breadth.

Students should consult the student resources page which lists all core requirements as well as departmental electives and get formal approval from their faculty adviser prior to registration. Students should discuss options for meeting the biostatistics and epidemiology course requirements with their adviser. There are several options ranging from introductory to advanced; choosing between them involves a discussion of student goals, background in these areas, schedule, and area of interest. 

To substitute a required course with something not listed, approval must be granted by the program director. One elective every 16 credits can be chosen that is not on the course list; any more than that needs approval by the program director. Three terms prior to finishing the first 64 credits, students should enroll in one credit of Special Studies and Research to indicate time spent choosing their proposal topic and creating an outline. Two terms prior, students should take two credits demonstrating they will be spending about six hours a week drafting their proposal. One term before completing the 64 credits, a single credit indicates that they will be polishing the proposal and preparing for their Research Committee meeting, which should be held about a month after finishing their 64th credit and which needs to be held before August 15th to ensure receipt of the Master’s Tuition Scholarship. 

The EHE Student Resource page has planning templates that help students plan out each of their terms to ensure they take all the required courses and credits. This is especially helpful if students decide to earn a certificate while earning the ScM. Course location and modality is found on the BSPH website.

Course location and modality is found on the BSPH website.

Required Courses

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
PH.550.860	Academic & Research Ethics at BSPH	0
PH.180.609	Principles of Environmental Health	4
PH.180.610	Applied Environmental Health Practice	4
PH.187.610	Public Health Toxicology	4
PH.317.600	Introduction to the Risk Sciences and Public Policy	4
PH.552.601	Foundational Principles of Public Health	0.5
PH.552.603	The Role of Qualitative Methods and Science in Describing and Assessing a Population's Health	0.5
PH.183.840	EHE Scm Special Studies and Research	1 - 22
PH.183.825	EHE ScM Thesis Research	1 - 22
Biostatistics (two terms)		varies
Epidemiology		varies
Electives (see below)

Electives

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
PH.180.611	The Global Environment, Climate Change, and Public Health	4
PH.180.634	Public Health Emergencies: Risk Communication and Decision Science	3
PH.188.680	Fundamentals of Occupational Health	3
PH.188.694	Health of Vulnerable Worker Populations	3
PH.317.610	Risk Policy, Management and Communication	3
PH.180.620	Introduction to Food Systems and Public Health	4
PH.180.621	Protecting the Environment and Safeguarding Worker Health: A Problem-Based Approach	3
PH.120.601	Biochemistry II: Major Metabolic Pathways	5
PH.180.647	The Health Effects of Indoor and Outdoor Air Pollution	3
PH.180.644	Food System Resilience	2
PH.187.632	Molecular Toxicology	4
PH.188.688	Global Sustainability & Health Seminar	1
PH.183.631	Fundamentals of Human Physiology	4
PH.187.640	Toxicology 21: Scientific Foundations	1
PH.180.650	Fundamentals of Clinical Oncology for Public Health Practitioners	3
PH.180.623	Infectious Disease Threats to Global Health Security	3
PH.180.624	Biotechnology and Health Security	3
PH.182.640	Food- and Water- Borne Diseases	3
PH.180.655	Baltimore Food Systems: A Case Study of Urban Food Environments	4
PH.180.625	Community-Driven Epidemiology and Environmental Justice	3
PH.180.651	Energy, Environment, and Public Health	2
PH.182.626	Water and Sanitation in Low-Income Communities	2
PH.180.640	Molecular Epidemiology and Biomarkers in Public Health	4
PH.182.637	Noise and Other Physical Agents in the Environment	4
PH.317.605	Methods in Quantitative Risk Assessment	4
PH.182.613	Exposure Assessment Techniques for Health Risk Management	3
PH.183.638	Mechanisms of Cardiopulmonary Control	2
PH.340.607	Introduction to Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology	4
PH.340.701	Epidemiologic Applications of Gis	2
PH.187.645	Toxicology 21: Scientific Applications	3
EN.575.711	Climate Change and Global Environmental Sustainability	3
PH.317.610	Risk Policy, Management and Communication	3
PH.180.606	Food, Farming, and Protein Futures	3
PH.180.653	Climate Change: Avoiding Conflict and Improving Public Health	3
PH.188.682	A Built Environment for A Healthy and Sustainable Future	3
PH.180.628	Introduction To Environmental and Occupational Health Law	4
PH.182.638	Environmental and Health Concerns in Water Use and Reuse	4
PH.187.625	Animals in Research: Law, Policy, and Humane Sciences	3
PH.180.627	Lessons Learned in 1918 Pandemic Flu	1
PH.180.630	Chemical and Biological Weapons Threats: Science, Public Health, Policy	4
PH.180.633	The Sociocultural Dimensions of Disasters	3
PH.180.636	Human Rights and Health Seminar	3
PH.185.600	One Health Tools to Promote and Evaluate Healthy and Sustainable Communities	3
PH.180.670	Introduction to Public Health Emergency Preparedness	3
PH.317.615	Topics in Risk Assessment	2
PH.120.604	Introduction to Molecular Biology	3
PH.120.610	Biochemistry I: Protein Structure and Enzyme Catalysis	3
PH.180.632	Introduction to Molecular Toxicology	3
PH.187.661	Environmental Health in Neurological and Mental Disorders	3
PH.187.650	Alternative Methods in Animal Testing	3
PH.187.655	Evidence-Based Toxicology	3
PH.183.642	The Cardiopulmonary System Under Stress	2
PH.340.651	Emerging Infections	2
PH.340.680	Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology	4
PH.140.664	Causal Inference in Medicine and Public Health I	4
PH.140.665	Causal Inference in Medicine and Public Health II	3
PH.180.615	Total Worker Health	3
PH.180.602	Climate, Environment, and One Health: Epidemiology and Interventions	2

Written Proposal and Research Committee

Once a thesis adviser is chosen, the student should immediately begin working on the written proposal, which serves as the written comprehensive examination and requires the student to demonstrate their knowledge of the proposed research – its rationale, approaches and methodologies – as well as its relevance and potential contributions within the broader perspective of environmental health. Such a broader perspective should draw upon courses the student took in their first year. The research must represent an original hypothesis-driven investigation.

The student will need to convene a research committee with a minimum of two people, consisting of the research adviser and one to two other faculty members. These members should include at least one other member from the department and may include someone from outside the department, whose expertise is valuable to the student’s project. All ScM students must hold two committee meetings during the degree program. 

The first Committee meeting typically occurs in late May or early June, as the student finishes their first-year coursework and the adviser has approved a first draft of their proposal. At least two weeks before the first meeting, students must submit a completed ScM Research Committee Form to the academic team. The student’s adviser serves as chair of the Committee and will get the student’s file from the academic team prior to the first meeting.

Typically, the student presentation lasts 15-20 minutes, followed by 45-minutes of comments and questions. In private, the Committee members discuss suggestions for what the student should explore with their adviser as it pertains to their research project. The adviser returns the file to the academic team who then notifies the Registrar and CAS (the Committee on Academic Standards) of the outcome.

If the Committee provides specific recommendations, these must be presented in detail to the student, along with the plan for confirming their fulfillment. The conditions must be fulfilled prior to the start of full-time research, unless otherwise decided by the committee. The Master's Tuition Scholarship will not be applied if students haven't completed these steps before the beginning of the 1st term in their second year (August 15th).

In the second meeting, held between November and January of the second year, the student will present plans for wrapping up thesis work and writing the thesis.

Second Year

After completing 64 credits of coursework and a successful first meeting with their committee, the student begins a year-long research project under the direction of their adviser. Ideally, ScM students start officially working with their research team on June 1st. Deviations from this start date are allowable under special circumstances and must be discussed with and approved by a student's advisor and communicated with EHE administration. It is very important to take into consideration the time it will take to complete the degree. It typically takes ~12-13 months to accumulate enough data to write up the 2nd year ScM thesis and have it approved by a student's readers. Delaying the research start will delay completion of the degree.

ScM students do not have to register for the first summer (the summer between the first and second year of the ScM program). During the second year, full-time enrollment must be maintained by taking a minimum of 16 credits of 183.825 ScM Thesis Research in each of the four terms. Students are required to participate in all journal clubs, seminars, and meetings deemed necessary by the faculty research adviser. Students must complete the program at the end of their second year's fourth term and graduate in May.

If students take any coursework (as in regular classes), then students need to adjust the 120.820 credits accordingly, so that the total credits remain 16 per term. However, it is unusual and not recommended for a ScM student to take a significant number of classes in the research year. The main mission of the research year is completing the ScM research project and writing the ScM thesis. Research is a full-time commitment, meaning students will be spending about 48 hours per week on their research. Students need permission from their ScM advisor to take time off from research for coursework. Students are responsible for managing their time around class time and study time to make sure their research continues to make progress.

Students must remain registered until their final thesis is submitted and until all their committee members' letters are on file in Records and Registration. Students also must be registered for at least two consecutive terms leading up to submission of the thesis and completion of the ScM degree.

Non-US citizens/permanent residents: must ensure that their student visa will be current throughout their completion of the degree. If students will not be completing the program in 9 months and their visa status is ending, please follow the instructions on the OIS website for the “change of degree level” process. It is crucial to be in contact with the Office of International Services (OIS) to stay on top of any impending deadlines, regarding student visas, potential application for Optional Practical Training (OPT), etc. It is essential that students keep their supervisor and BMB administration informed.

If at any point after the first year, the student is unable to successfully complete their research project and thesis, the student will be transferred back to the MHS program and be eligible for graduation with that degree. The completed research document will be considered as fulfilling the MHS essay requirement.

Deadlines for the second year can be found on the master’s candidate page; these dates are subject to change each year so the dates in the table at the end of this section are meant to give a general idea for planning purposes. Students should use the master’s candidate page for official deadlines and make sure advisers approve of their timeline.

Calendar

Date	Event
Early February	Students verify with the senior academic team that they are on track to graduate
Early March	Students submit their first draft of thesis to adviser for feedback, submit thesis form to BSPHExams@jhu.edu
Mid March	Submit thesis reader appointment form to the Office of Records & Registration (BSPHExams@jhu.edu)
Early April	Students submit final draft of their thesis to their adviser and thesis reader
Late April	Submit thesis to JHU Electronic Thesis or Dissertation (ETD) system
Early May	Submit thesis acceptance letters to the Office of Records & Registration and approval of electronic copy of thesis from Sheridan Library.
Early May	MHS/ScM Presentations

Research and Thesis Requirements

The ScM degree requires successful completion of a research project and the writing of a master’s thesis based on that work. Example sections include: Abstract, Background, Methods, Publishable Paper, Conclusions, Appendix (Raw Analysis Results). The format must adhere to University guidelines which can be found on the Sheridan Libraries website.

A thesis form must be submitted to BSPHExams@jhu.edu approximately six months after completing the written comprehensive exam. This form can be found on the student resource page. 

As noted above, the majority of ScM students who start their research in June will finish their degree work in May of the next year. This is because it takes about 12 months to accumulate enough data for the ScM thesis, and then to write the thesis and have it approved by a student's adviser and thesis reader (see details on deadlines below).

ScM students work closely with their advisor to write the ScM thesis. The ScM advisor will read drafts, and ultimately, the ScM adviser must approve the version that is distributed to the other thesis reader.

ScM Thesis Advisers

It is the responsibility of the student to find a thesis research adviser. The department cannot guarantee that a student will be able to work with a specific research adviser, but in the case that a student is unable to find a laboratory rotation, the ScM Program Director will work with the student to identify teams that are taking ScM students. If students are unable to find a thesis adviser, the student will be transferred to the MHS program and be eligible for graduation with that degree.

The student should submit a completed Thesis Adviser Form (available in the CARE online library on Courseplus or from the Academic Coordinator), signed by the prospective adviser, to the departmental Academic Coordinator for approval by the Department Chair. Requests for extra time to identify a thesis adviser must be submitted to the ScM Program Director and Academic Coordinators.

With the specific approval of the ScM Program Director, ScM students may conduct thesis research on teams from outside of EHE (for example, in BSPH departments other than EHE or in the School of Medicine). For faculty outside EHE who have never taken an EHE ScM student, this requires a meeting between the prospective thesis advisor and the ScM Program Director prior to the rotation period. Field work conducted off-campus under an EHE faculty member's direction does not need approval by the Program Director. Requests to conduct thesis research outside the department will be noted on the Thesis Adviser Form that includes acknowledgement from the proposed extra-departmental thesis adviser that EHE will provide no financial support for the student, and an agreement by a faculty member with a primary appointment in EHE to act as co-adviser. When appointed, a thesis adviser becomes the student’s Primary Adviser. For advisers outside of EHE, the EHE co-adviser will serve as the primary Adviser.

Once a research team is chosen, ScM students should register for thesis research credits (260.820) in subsequent terms, with the adviser listed as the instructor. Every three hours spent working on the research would be the equivalent of one credit.

Appointment of the Committee of Thesis Readers

The thesis committee comprises the student’s research adviser and at least one other faculty member from any department within Johns Hopkins University. Only one committee member may be an adjunct; the other(s) must be full-time (professor, scientist, lecturer, instructor of any rank). Emeriti faculty may serve on the committee; however, visiting faculty may not. The student and research adviser should identify a second thesis reader and obtain their agreement to serve on the committee. Ideally, the Research Committee will serve as the Thesis Committee.

Once a thesis reader has agreed to serve on the committee, the student must submit a thesis reader appointment form to the academic team by the deadline proposed by the registrar.  Also, students must submit a Thesis Research Documentation Form to Records and Registration either before or at the same time as the Thesis Reader Form.

Students can find thesis deadlines on the student resources page.

If students are completing their degree in time for spring degree conferral, then this will be covered by deadlines defined for Academic Year 2026-2027. If students are completing their degree in summer or fall of 2027, this will be covered by the deadlines defined for Academic Year 2027-2028, which will be released sometime in early 2027; students will also need to register for the summer.

Approximate deadlines for the Appointment of Thesis Readers Form for Different Conferral Dates:

• Spring Conferral (participation in Convocation ceremonies)
  • Mid-February
• Summer Conferral
  • Mid-June*
• Fall Conferral
  • Mid-October*

*The exact date changes from year to year; be sure to check the Master's Candidate Information page Records and Registration site on my.publichealth.edu for the dates. (BSPH login required). Once the thesis is acceptable to the advisor and approved by the advisor for distribution, the student then provides a copy of the ScM thesis to the Thesis Committee at least four weeks before the date they need to submit the final copy.

The adviser and thesis reader should review the thesis in a timely manner and send a letter to the student listing any recommended changes. The thesis reader will also send the adviser a copy of the letter.

The student must incorporate recommended thesis revisions from the thesis readers. It is the responsibility of the adviser to adjudicate suggested revisions and approve the final version of the thesis. The adviser will then submit a letter to that effect to the registrar.

Approximate deadlines for submission + verification of final thesis and acceptance letters from advisor and thesis reader:

Milestones

• Spring Conferral (and marching in Convocation ceremonies)
  • Submission + Verification by the third Friday in April
• For US citizens and permanent residents only - To have thesis submission covered by 4th term tuition
  • Last working day in June.
• For Summer Conferral (requires paying Summer tuition)
  • Mid-August*
• For Fall Conferral (requires paying 1st term and if necessary 2nd term tuition)
  • Mid-December*

Completion of the degree is not finalized until the registrar receives letters from the adviser and thesis reader approving the thesis, and the student submits an electronic version of the dissertation to the JHU Electronic Theses & Dissertations (ETD) system. The final thesis must be submitted and verified by the indicated deadlines for degree conferral. Sometimes verification can take a couple days.

The Department requests one bound copy of the thesis; all copies are placed in W7023. The School recommends using Thesis on Demand. The binding should be black and include the student's name, degree, and year on the spine, the thesis title and name on the front.

Presentation

Cumulative GPA

The School requires master’s students to maintain a minimum 2.75 cumulative grade point average. Students with a GPA falling below 2.75 will be placed on academic warning and will have one term of registration in which to raise their GPA above the threshold for their degree. The academic coordinator will notify students placed on academic warning and their performance will be reviewed by the Educational Programs Committee (EPC). All recommendations about academic standing will be then presented to the Department’s Executive Committee for final disposition. Students not meeting the minimum GPA after one term may be granted additional term(s) on academic warning if academic progress has been shown in the cumulative GPA; that approval beyond one term must be reported to the School’s Committee on Academic Standards. Students on academic warning must meet with their academic advisor and program director (or academic coordinator) each term to review their academic plan and receive approval for their course schedule prior to registering for courses. Students with a cumulative GPA below the minimum may not register for more than 18 credits per term. Any repeated courses count towards this 18-credit limit.

Grades in Core Courses

Students must earn a minimum grade on a set of required program-specific core courses: “Pass” for courses offered only on a pass/fail basis and “C” or higher for master’s students' courses offered for letter grading. A student who earns a grade below that threshold in a course that meets a core requirement must, at the next opportunity, make a second attempt to complete the core course by repeating the same course or by completing another course that has been approved by the program director. A grade below the threshold on the second attempt may be grounds for dismissal and must be reported to the School’s Committee on Academic Standards.

Course Waivers

Waivers and substitutions for students are only approved by the student matters subcommittee, not the adviser. The Senior Academic Program Coordinator will notify the student of the outcome, and a copy of the form will be kept in the students’ academic file.

In some exceptional circumstances, students may be granted a modification of some core requirements if they can demonstrate and document that they have previously acquired the associated core competencies. Even if a modification is granted of a core course, a minimum of 64 credits are still required for graduation.

See below for more information on subject, modifications, and requirements contacts.

• Biostatistics / Requires taking an examination / Dr. Marie Diener-West, mdiener@jhu.edu
• Epidemiology / Requires taking an examination / Allyn Arnold aarnold2@jhu.edu

research

Human Subjects

The Johns Hopkins University is committed to protecting the rights and welfare of all individuals participating as subjects in research. To meet this obligation, the Bloomberg School has two on- site Institutional Review Boards and an external IRB (the Western IRB) that review studies on the School’s behalf. All faculty and students who are involved in human subject research must meet the compliance training requirements of the Bloomberg School IRB. It is the responsibility of students and faculty to make certain that approval is obtained from the IRB before beginning any research involving human subjects. The IRB is also responsible for determining whether certain research activities qualify for exempt status under the regulations and institution policy.

For IRB announcements and updates, and for additional information and requirements on conducting human research, please contact either the:

• Bloomberg School’s IRB Office, Room E1100, Wolfe Street Building (410-955-3193); email at jhsph.irboffice@jhu.edu or Homewood IRB Office
• Homewood IRB Office (410-516-4820); email at levans22@jhu.edu; https://homewoodirb.jhu.edu/participants/

Animal Research

The Johns Hopkins University is committed to protecting the rights and welfare of animals used in research. All students involved in animal research must first complete an online training module, Animal Care and Use, available through myLearning in the JHU Portal, before beginning work with animals. Additional training may also be required. Students must also be listed as student investigators on projects they are working on that involve animals.

The care and use of animal subjects are regulated by the Animal Welfare Act, which is implemented by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The University has one assurance with the federal government (the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare [OLAW]) and, therefore, the University has one animal care and use committee (IACUC). Faculty from the Bloomberg School, the School of Medicine, and the Homewood campus serve on this committee. An approved protocol MUST be obtained before animals can be purchased. Questions regarding submission of animal research protocols should be addressed to the IACUC Office at 443-287-3738. Animal care and procurement are under the purview of Johns Hopkins Research Animal Resources.

For those exposed to animals either directly or indirectly, their bedding, waste products, fresh animal tissues, or equipment involved in animal use and care, Johns Hopkins requires the following to reduce health risks associated with animal exposures. The full animal research policy can be viewed here.

CODE OF CONDUCT

The fundamental purpose of the Johns Hopkins University’s (the “University” or “JHU”) regulation of student conduct is to promote and to protect the health, safety, welfare, property, and rights of all members of the University community as well as to promote the orderly operation of the University and to safeguard its property and facilities. As members of the University community, students accept certain responsibilities which support the educational mission and create an environment in which all students are afforded the same opportunity to succeed academically.

Allegations of sexual misconduct are covered by JHU’s Sexual Misconduct Policy and Procedures for faculty, staff, and students. The University encourages individuals to report incidents of sexual misconduct and provides a variety of avenues, both formal and informal, by which individuals can report complaints of sexual harassment. Allegations of sexual harassment by students are covered under the JHU program and under the Student Conduct Code.

Personal Relationships

The Johns Hopkins University is committed to the personal, academic, and professional well-being and development of its students, trainees, faculty, staff, postdoctoral fellows, clinical residents, and all other members of the University community. The University seeks to maintain an atmosphere of mutual respect, collegiality, fairness, and trust. The Personal Relationships Policy implements the University’s commitment to maintaining the integrity of its educational and working environment. This policy focuses on the conflict of interest that may exist when individuals simultaneously engage in both personal and professional relationships in which one individual has the potential to exert substantial academic or professional influence over the other.

ETHICS POLICIES

All members of the Johns Hopkins community are responsible for immediately informing the Academic Ethics Board of the Bloomberg School of Public Health of any suspected violations of its Constitution. The Ethics Board, composed of six students and four faculty members, is responsible for implementing its Constitution according to the procedures set forth therein. This includes formal hearings of suspected violations.

Allegations of fraud in research by students will be handled and resolved according to the policies and procedures specified in Faculty PPM 7 – Research Misconduct. Penalties for students who are found responsible for engaging in fraud in research under Faculty PPM 7 may be selected from among the penalties specified in the Student Academic Ethics Code (Student PPM 1) as appropriate.

Allegations of violations of academic integrity by students in the School are covered under the policies and procedures contained in PPM for Students - 1 (Academic Ethics) and the School’s Academic Ethics Code. Allegations of unsatisfactory performance or unacceptable behavior by faculty are covered by PPM Faculty - 8 (Procedure for Handling Allegations of Unsatisfactory Performance or Unacceptable Behavior), and allegations of fraud or misconduct during the conduct of research by faculty are covered by PPM Faculty - 7 (Fraud in Research).

Allegations of misconduct by staff are covered by policies and procedures established by the University Office of Human Resources as stated in the Personnel Policy Manual. (This information is taken from the School’s POLICY AND PROCEDURE MEMORANDUM STUDENTS – 1, SUBJECT: Academic Ethics).

Limitations on use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the ScM Thesis

The ScM thesis must be written by the student and be representative of the student’s own words and understanding of their thesis topic. Students are prohibited from using AI to generate text/writing/figures or modify other people’s writing/figures for any part of the ScM thesis.

Appropriate use of AI during the thesis writing process is to polish text originally written by the student to improve readability and sentence structure. The standard spelling and grammar tools within Microsoft Word, and the Draft Coach incorporated into CoursePlus, do not count as AI for the purposes of this policy. In the case that a student uses AI to improve sentence structure and readability, they must save a “before” version to demonstrate their own wording prior to the AI changes. In addition, if generative AI is used, the student must include a statement about how it was used and a citation of the program used.

Students who are found to have inappropriately used generative AI to write their thesis or cannot explain to their thesis mentor/readers parts of their written thesis will be required to rewrite their thesis using their own words and understanding. A student who submits a thesis for grading that contains parts written by AI may be referred to the School’s academic integrity committee. Possible outcomes may include delayed graduation or being dismissed from the ScM program.

parental accommodations

Please see the university page on parental accommodations for full-time graduate students and post-doctoral fellows.

LEAVE OF ABSENCE

If it becomes necessary to take a break from studies, students should contact their advisor and academic program manager to determine if a formal leave of absence (LOA) is necessary. Any request for change of status must be discussed with the program or track director(s) and academic program manager and approved by the department and school. For more information, please visit the University Policy.

Travel resources

While BSPH encourages participation in opportunities to supplement students' education or research in other countries, international tensions can be high and the resources on the U.S. International Travel website may assist students in making an informed decision.

Students are not obligated to travel internationally, and each student has the right to decline to travel abroad. If the student is supported by a research project that requires such travel and the student chooses not to travel, the student may be removed from that project following discussions with the principal investigator and the EHE program or track directors.

Graduate students who decide to travel abroad must demonstrate that they understand and voluntarily accept the risks inherent in international travel. To do so, students must first receive the appropriate departmental approvals for the trip through their advisor and program or track director(s). Students should also evaluate options for registering travel and obtaining pre-travel immunizations through the school or health care system.

Immunizations

If students are traveling to a less-developed part of the world, they should be certain to contact their health care provider or the Johns Hopkins International Travel clinic to learn about recommended immunizations and other matters to guard their health. Located on the East Baltimore campus, students can reach the International Travel Clinic by telephone at 410-955-8931.

Stay Informed

Students are encouraged to vigilantly monitor consular and press reports regarding the country (or countries) where they plan to travel. Students may also check the consular reports of countries friendly to the U.S. (e.g. Australia, Canada, United Kingdom) as well as reports from other international agencies (e.g. United Nations). Students should participate in the security briefings offered by other organizations with whom they may be working.

Maintain Communication

When traveling in an area where regular communication is difficult, students are encouraged to maintain contact with their advisor and/or the academic program manager.

State Department Registration

For students who are likely to stay for a prolonged period in a high-risk area of the world, registration at the U.S. embassy or consulate is essential.

International Students

OIS may be contacted at 410-955-3371. International students must contact the Office of International Services (OIS) well in advance of any travel to avoid compliance issues with their visa status.

Healix International

Johns Hopkins has implemented a comprehensive travel assistance program supported by Healix International. For more information visit the International Travel for the University & Health System page.

According to the requirements of the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), all BSPH degree students must be grounded in foundational public health knowledge. Please view the list of specific CEPH requirements by degree type.

Students in the ScM program can expect to obtain the following learning objectives upon completing the program: