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Healthcare Administration (MHA
Environmental Science and Engineering (ESE)
Program Director: Hwidong Kim, Ph.D., PE
The program in Environmental Science and Management is diverse and dynamic, focusing on challenges in both the outdoor and built environment. The Department of Environmental Science & Engineering draws upon established relationships with local industries and environmental agencies making Gannon University a regional leader in environmental quality, environmental health, and environmental management.
Two options are offered within the M.S. program: 1.) Environmental Health & Safety and 2.) Environmental Management. Graduates of the Environmental Health & Safety option have the ability to develop and implement technologies to improve and protect both environmental and human health. Many graduates are employed in areas of environmental compliance in the industry, consulting firms or the government. Students whose career plans are management and administrative in nature may pursue the Environmental Management option. This option combines environmental science courses with business courses in order to prepare students for environmental leadership roles.
PROGRAM OBJECTIVES AND LEARNING OUTCOMES
The department has developed the following learning outcomes and an assessment process, to provide feedback for continuous improvement in the program. Graduates of the Environmental Science and Management program should demonstrate: 1. knowledge of environmental health, science, and engineering fundamentals relevant to the areas of air, water, land, and soil; 2. capability to design an environmental research study, collect and analyze data, and communicate the results; 3. understanding of environmental regulations and the roles of public and private organizations in environmental regulatory compliance; 4. the ability to communicate effectively and function as a member on multi-disciplinary teams; 5. knowledge of contemporary environmental issues on a local and global scale; and 6. contributions, such as service, to the profession and/or community.
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK
The application of environmental science is felt in essentially every walk of life, including agriculture, manufacturing, mining, water/wastewater treatment, land reclamation, and recreation. Opportunities for employment include not only government and non-profit agencies but private corporations need professionals to manage their in-house programs.
ADMISSIONS CRITERIA
Students should have a Bachelor’s degree in science or engineering from an accredited college or university, with courses in math, biology (preferably including ecology and microbiology), chemistry, physics, and earth sciences. If an applicant’s undergraduate science and math preparation are not adequate, appropriate undergraduate courses may be required in addition to the graduate program. If the applicant’s undergraduate grade point average is less than 3.0 (4 point scale), the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is required as part of the application package.
A minimum of 30 credits are required for the M.S. degree; number of credits per course is indicated. The student and advisor determine each student’s program to meet the student’s individual career needs.
Requirements for the Option in Environmental Health & Safety
GENV 500 Environmental Research Methods 3 GENV 536 Environmental Chemistry 3 GENV 537 Environmental Chemistry Lab 1 GENV 542 Environmental Toxicology 3 GENV 544 Environmental Law & Regulations 3 GENV 643 Principles of Environmental Science & Engineering 3 GENV 694 Thesis 6 or GENV 695 Research Paper or Project 3
Additional electives approved by the program director to satisfy the program requirements of 30 credits.
Option in Environmental Management
The role of the environmental manager has evolved rapidly since the enactment of sweeping environmental legislation of the early 1970s and the need for environmental professionals continues to this day. Proper environmental stewardship can lead to greater competitiveness and profitability and is required under numerous federal regulations. The need for individuals who understand business and management principles, and who also have a thorough understanding of environmental science and technology is in high demand.
Objectives
• an understanding of current concepts in the science and technology of pollution management and the remediation of contaminated sites, and of the role of pollution prevention and minimization in the manufacturing and service sectors; • knowledge of the health effects of pollution, and the strategies employed to promote a safe and healthy workplace; • an understanding of business and management issues and strategies; • the ability to apply scientific methods to define problems, gather relevant information and analyze research results.
Requirements for the option in Environmental Management
(30 credits)
Environmental Science Courses (18 credits)
GENV 542 Environmental Toxicology GENV 544 Environmental Law and Regulations GENV 540/549 Industrial Health I or Industrial Safety GENV 643 Principles of Environmental Science & Engineering GENV 695 Research Paper or Project GENV Elective 3 credits
Management Courses (12 credits)
GMBA 531 Management and Marketing Concepts GMBA 561 Fundamentals of Financial Management GMBA 615 Technological Environment of Business GMBA 635 Financial Management & Modeling (PR: GMBA 561) GMBA 655 Globally Responsible Leadership GMBA 675 Managing Organizational Behavior & Dynamics
Five-Year Accelerated B.S./M.S.
The Five-Year Program offered through the department is designed to allow environmental engineering and environmental science majors to graduate with both a B.S. and M.S. degree in five years. Eligibility for the program is competitive and admission is based on overall academic performance and scientific/math aptitude. Students must apply for the combined B.S/M.S. program during their junior year. In addition to the B.S. requirements, students complete six credits at the graduate level during their senior year. In order to receive graduate credit for courses taken during the fourth year, students must have applied and been accepted into the B.S./M.S. program.
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
Senior undergraduate students may be admitted to 500-level courses only if formally enrolled in the Combined 5 Year BS/MS program.
GENV 500 Environmental Research Methods
3 credits Students will become familiar with the scientific method and the scientific literature, and will be prepared to plan a scientific research study, including a statement of experimental goals, a review of the scientific literature, and a presentation of methods. Offered: Fall Semester
GENV 517 Limnology of the Great Lakes with Lab
4 credits Prerequisite: a course in Hydrology is preferred but not required A study of the physical, chemical and biological aspects of the Great Lakes. Advanced limnological concepts will be incorporated into understanding the past, present and future condition of the Lakes. Field and laboratory experiences will include the analysis of Lake Erie water samples for chemical, biological and physical interpretation using standard procedures. Field experiences will include trips on the R/V Environaut, Gannon’s research vessel. Offered: Summer
GENV 520 Environmental Site Assessment
2 credits This course covers the background and techniques required of an environmental professional in performing Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessments. These assessments are commonly required when there is a transfer of ownership of commercial or industrial property. Topics include site characterization, fate and transport, and application of the three attainment standards associated with Act II, Pennsylvania Land Recycling Program. Hands-on field experience included in the course activities. Offered: Varies
GENV 522 Wetlands Science and Engineering
2 credits Wetlands Science and Engineering is a comprehensive course in wetland identification, function & value assessments, and management. The course will cover the fundamentals of identifying and delineating jurisdictional wetlands utilizing the current methods described in the 1987 US Army Corps of Engineers Manual. Comparative reference will be made to the 1989 EPA Joint Manual. Wetland design and construction methods will be presented as applicable to water quality enhancement, wildlife habitat improvement, storm water management, and riparian environments. Offered: Fall
GENV 535 Water Quality Modeling
4 credits Pre/Corequisites: (ENV 403 or GENV 536) and GENV 643, or permission of the Instructor. An overview of fundamental processes and models developed to simulate and predict changes in water quality in natural settings. This course will be restricted to freshwater surface waters, particularly streams and rivers, but there will be some discussion of lakes and reservoirs. Students will become familiar with USEPA’s BASINS (a GIS software for the presentation and analysis of water quality data) and the models associated with it.
GENV 536 Environmental Chemistry
3 credits Prerequisite: two semesters of undergraduate chemistry This course will cover various chemistry topics that are applicable to environmental science. Emphasis is placed upon principles of water chemistry and quantitative chemical analysis. Course will discuss basic principles of thermodynamics, adsorption isotherm, chemical equilibrium, redox, organic water pollutants and various analytical instruments such as atomic absorption spectroscopy and chromatography. Offered: Fall semester
GENV 537 Environmental Chemistry Lab
1 credit Pre/Corequisite: GENV 536 Laboratory to accompany Environmental Chemistry. Lab exercises in applied, environmental aspects of physical, organic, and inorganic chemistry, including instrumental analysis. Offered: Fall semester
GENV 540 Industrial Health I
3 credits Prerequisite: GENV 542 This course will review the basic principles and knowledge required to recognize, evaluate and control hazardous agents within the workplace environment. The topics to be covered include: an overview of occupational health and safety regulations, workplace exposure limits and standards, air sampling principles and techniques, chemical hazard identification and control, ventilation and biohazards. Offered: Spring semester
GENV 541 Industrial Health II
3 credits This is the second part of a two-semester course that covers the basic principles and knowledge required to recognize, evaluate and control hazardous agents within the workplace. Topics covered include: ergonomics, radiation hazards, heat stress, noise and noise control, respiratory protection, risk assessment, and health & safety programs. Offered: Varies
GENV 542 Environmental Toxicology
3 credits Prerequisites: Organic Chemistry This course provides an overview of the theory, basic concepts and application of environmental toxicology. A public health approach is used in applying these concepts to protect human health. Topics covered include: dose-response relationships, toxicokinetics, biotransformation and elimination of toxicants, target organ toxicity, carcinogenesis, risk assessment and the standard-setting process. Offered: Fall Semester
GENV 544 Environmental Law and Regulations
3 credits The course introduces students to the major concepts of environmental law. Because environmental law is grounded in both federal and state statutes, the course will expose students to major components of statutory law at both levels, and will also explore the federal/state relationship using Pennsylvania as a model. Although a basic understanding of the American legal system and administrative law would be of great benefit, it is not a prerequisite to the course. Offered: Spring semester
GENV 546 Industrial Hygiene Sampling Techniques
2 credits Pre/Co-requisite: GENV 540 Develop an understanding of practices and procedures of environmental/occupational sampling and interpretation of collected data. Emphasis is applied to air sampling techniques and methods, and industrial hygiene sampling. Offered: Varies
GENV 547 Epidemiology
3 credits This course will review the basic principles related to the design and implementation of epidemiologic studies. The topics to be covered include: application of epidemiologic studies, study designs, statistical issues, exposure and health outcome measurements, measurement error and data interpretation. Examples and applications are specific to occupational and environmental epidemiology. Offered: Varies
GENV 549 Industrial Safety
3 credits This course provides students with an introduction to the major facets of effective safety and health management programs and the associated regulatory environments, using both OSHA and ISO (international) guidelines. The course offers practical approaches to managing risk to people and property, focusing on industrial workplaces. Students will develop technical skills by studying ergonomic, equipment design, machine guarding, chemical safety and fire suppression principles. Students will also be exposed to basic project management principles and will be afforded opportunities to enhance their critical thinking and communication skills via industrial safety case studies and project planning exercises. Offered: Varies
GENV 551 Water and Wastewater Treatment Design Engineering
3 credits Prerequisites: ENV 403 or GENV 643; Co-requisite: GENV 553 The course covers the fundamental processes and operations commonly used at typical drinking water treatment plants and municipal wastewater treatment plants. The student will learn how to specify the sequence of operations and size the important elements in treatment plant operations. Offered: Fall semester
GENV 553 Water-Wastewater Treatment Lab
1 credit Co/Prerequisite: GENV 551 This course will support GENV 551, Water/Wastewater Treatment Engineering, by providing laboratory experiences which complement the principles and engineering practices presented in the lecture sessions. Topics covered will include those operations
