| Description: | The Bachelor of Environmental Public Health (BEPH) is an innovative four-year program (including one co-op term), delivered at the honours level, that will prepare graduates for a number of progressive public and private sector careers as environmental public health professionals (EPHPs). It has been accredited by the Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors (CIPHI). EPH focuses on disease prevention and creating healthy supportive environments. EPH encompasses assessment and control of factors in the environment that target disease prevention and positively impact population and community health. The scope of practice in EPH includes but is not limited to, organization, management, education, enforcement, consultation, and health hazard identification for the purpose of prevention and control intervention of EPH hazards and the promotion and protection of the public health and the environment in: food safety, quality assurance and auditing; food security; infection prevention and control including body art safety; air quality including environmental tobacco smoke; housing; institutional health; injury prevention; recreational swimming areas and water; drinking water quality; solid, liquid and hazardous materials management; vector control; healthy built environments; and emergency preparedness and planning.
Students will obtain applied and integrated knowledge and skills in EPH sciences, emphasizing environmental epidemiology, toxicology, and risk exposure and assessment. Readiness for practice will be developed in a multidisciplinary curriculum focused around experiential learning activities that will develop knowledge of EPH theory and its application in practice. The program will be innovative in its use of technology to investigate issues, organize and manage inquiry, aid collaboration, and communicate information. Students will be challenged to consider multiple perspectives in understanding EPH practice and policy, determining professional practices that positively impact population and community health and developing leadership perspectives and confidence to contribute to the EPH professions. Conestoga's BEPH program will offer students opportunities to develop strong critical thinking, risk assessment and professional communication skills that will enable them to work successfully on an inter-professional team in the EPH field. |