- Joined
- Dec 31, 2013
- Messages
- 1
- Reaction score
- 0
Hello all. I am strongly considering the MPH program at the University of Arizona (because I live in Tucson) and am very interested in their industrial hygiene emphasis. I have been a dental hygienist with a BSDH for the last 10 years (yes, I know the two are wholly unrelated) and am looking to further my education since RSIs are rampant in my profession and job security becomes less likely as the market for dental hygienists becomes saturated. An MPH program appears to be the best prospect for me to build on my existing academic background without necessitating a second bachelor degree (although I would love to do that if my resources weren't limited!). I am most interested in industrial hygiene and environmental health but don't know much about the employment prospects in either field. The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) website states that industrial hygienists have an existing bachelor degree in chemistry, engineering or physics as well as three years of industrial hygiene experience. This information is at direct odds with the information I am getting from graduate admissions at the University of Arizona concerning their industrial hygiene MPH. The U of A graduate admissions advisor seems to think that both my academic and professional backgrounds would be well suited for the program and employment soon after. I specifically asked about not having an engineering/physics background and was assured this wasn't necessary. I am concerned now that I do not have the proper background for gainful employment in industrial hygiene even if I complete the MPH in that area, after reading the AIHA website. Any thoughts or advice from anyone familiar with this field?
