The doctoral concentration in Environmental Analysis and Design (EAD) prepares students to conduct research on questions of vital importance to professionals in environmental analysis and evaluation and on related questions on the formulation of environmental and health policy. These questions reflect an overarching concern with the effects of the natural and built environments on the health and social well-being of humans.
This doctoral concentration particularly focuses on insights from a social ecological perspective. One of the concentration's strengths is its research sequence which spans the disciplines within Environmental Health and the Department of Planning, Policy, and Design. Students typically choose the majority of their graduate classes from these areas, although students are encouraged to take classes across the campus to improve their knowledge of related fields as well. Students conduct analyses of sociocultural, behavioral, biological, chemical, and physical factors that influence health and well-being of humans, including public and private sector policy as well as the environment as a whole. They are also trained to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions designed to enhance the health of individuals and the community as a whole. The curriculum and diversity of faculty within the concentration afford unique opportunities for multidisciplinary research and training.
Potential employment sources for graduates include academic and research institutions; state and federal agencies; policy-making organizations; national, community, and workplace health-promotion programs; and a diverse range of consulting firms ranging from engineering to design.
Each incoming student takes the five core courses required of most Ph.D. students, noted earlier, and eight elective courses drawn from the focal areas within this concentration: Environmental Analysis, Environmental Policy, Earthquake Geology and Environmental Hazard, Social Epidemiology, and Environmental Health. The elective courses cover topics such as environmental health risks, behavioral epidemiology, demography, and technological hazards and change.