Environmental and Occupational Health focuses on assessing the public health risks associated with biological, chemical, physical, biomechanical and psychosocial hazards in natural and built environments. Environmental health specialists focus on the effect of environmental pollution on the health of human beings. The Programme aims at various concepts related to general environment, environment at the work place, related hazards and evaluation of health risk assessment by providing solutions to various aspects of environmental health occupational hazard management, epidemiology, health policy and management, and environmental health promotion. The successful learners will be able to work with health practitioners, researchers and policy makers to develop, evaluate and monitor health policies, programmes and practices related to healthy environments. The program was designed with an exit option with PG Diploma after a study of 36 credits in Masters in Environmental and Occupational Health programme. This program mainly focuses on environmental hazard exposure measurement, exposure control, and assessment of health effects of occupational and environmental exposures. The proposed programme is in consonance with the mission of Environmental and Occupational Health which is to prevent adverse health effects related to chemical and biological contaminants in the environmental and occupational exposures through education, research, and service. The central theme is prevention, focusing on initiatives for the society to decrease, the burden of occupational hazards and environmental health.

Programme Objectives:

 

After completion of this Masters in Environmental and Occupational health programme the learner will be able to: • Describe how the environment and human health interact at different levels.

• List the types of occupations and discuss how they can cause risk to human health

• Describe pathways of human exposure to hazardous agents and stressors in the environment and workplace and their impact on human health

• Investigate how individual and population factors affect vulnerability and evaluate epidemiologic methods used in occupational and environmental research and interpret findings.

• Identify and measure environmental and occupational hazards and develop strategies to prevent these hazards affecting workers, property, environment and the general public.

• Develop mitigation strategies to contain and manage environmental and occupational hazards for positive health

• Exhibit the knowledge and skills needed to improve the environmental sustainability of human health systems

 

 

Applicants must possess graduation from any discipline and a strong inclination and desire to build a career in Environmental and Occupational health and should also have an interest in issues related to public health and the environment. The admission criteria will be followed as per IGNOU norms.

• Professionals working in environmental and occupational sector and NGOs.

• Doctors, nurses, paramedical graduates & employees

• Employees from CPCB, Civil servants of State and Central Governments.

• Faculty, researchers and students in universities, research organizations and colleges.

• Graduates wanting to pursue a career in environmental management, occupational health & safety.

• Graduates wanting to pursue a career in industrial health & safety.

 

The programme has a blended approach. The package consists of self-instructional material in the form of booklets/blocks and audio video materials. Web support will be available consisting of interactive content, quiz, synchronous and asynchronous modes of communication like chat sessions, discussion forums, web resources etc.
 

The programme is implemented through a network of Learner’s Study Centres (LSCs). A team of trained teachers called counselors have been identified and trained for organizing and conducting counseling sessions, assignment and project evaluation in the Programme Study Centres. The administrative control is through the Regional Centres (RCs) of IGNOU located usually at state capitals in India and the School of Interdisciplinary and Trans-Disciplinary Studies located at the IGNOU Headquarters, Delhi, India.

EVALUATION

Evaluation is done through the assessment of various courses. Evaluation in the form of assignments (continuous assessments) and term end examination of the various courses. A minimum of 40 per cent marks in each component separately is required for successful completion of the programme. The learner has to complete 12 core courses and 6 electives in total 18 courses with 74 credits to get the Post-Graduation certificate. After successful completion of the I year the learner can get Post Graduate diploma with an exit option. Term-end examination of theory is held twice in a year i.e. June and December. After successful completion of the programme the learners are awarded a certificate.

Qualifications for Academic counsellors/Project Supervisors

A. Faculty at the Headquarters/regional Centers/Study Centers.

B. Teachers /faculty/ Researchers in the area of Ph.D. with 2 years of experience or M.Sc./MA with 5 years of experience / MD in relevant discipline/areas/ MBBS with 2yrs of experience.

Contact Details:

Name of the School: SOITS

Name of the Programme Coordinators: Dr. B. Rupini, Dr. Sushmitha Baskar & Prof. Ruchika Kuba

Contact No. 9911223373, 29571122, 29572813 Email ID – brupini@ignou.ac.in, sushmithab@ignou.ac.in, rkuba@ignou.ac.in