HLTH 662 Environmental Health Agencies and Policy

This course provides an overview of the agencies that administer various health and environmental programs to prevent or control hazards in communities, and how the legal and regulatory frameworks are developed to protect public health. Students will examine the history, politics, economics, roles of scientific evidence, and the ethics of environmental health policy; and strategies and influences that shape environmental health laws and regulations.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

Course Guide

View this course’s outcomes, policies, schedule, and more.*

*The information contained in our Course Guides is provided as a sample. Specific course curriculum and requirements for each course are provided by individual instructors each semester. Students should not use Course Guides to find and complete assignments, class prerequisites, or order books.


The student will be exposed to the interrelatedness of the environment and human health issues, as well as the environmental policies created to help improve overall environmental health. This course will be helpful for those wishing to serve in the environmental health context, as well as those interested in increasing their awareness of global and local environmental health and policy challenges. Proper management of the environment is essential, both in densely populated urban areas and in lesser economically developed countries. This course will give the student the basic knowledge and tools to address these fundamental principles of environmental health policies.


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After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student is required to provide a thread in response to the provided prompt for each discussion. Each thread must be at least 400 words. In addition to the thread, the student is required to reply to the threads of at least 2 classmates. Each reply must be at least 200 words. Each initial thread must utilize at least 1 scholarly citation cited in current AMA format. Any sources used must have been published within the last 5 years. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E & F)

Research Paper: Topic Submission Assignment

The student will select a specific topic for the Research Paper Assignments. The topic selection will be submitted to the instructor for approval. The student will write a 1-sentence topic statement regarding an environmental mishap that occurred in the United States. The topic statement must include a description of the underlying environmental resources harmed by the environmental mishap, an evaluation of the existing U.S. environmental laws, regulations, or policies, a critique of the underlying agency responsibility associated with the environmental protection goals, and recommendations on how to prevent the environmental mishap from occurring in the future. A main supporting scholarly reference in current AMA format must also be included.

Research Paper: Outline Assignment

The student will create a detailed outline for the final submission of the Research Paper: Final Assignment. The student will create a 400-500-word outline that must be arranged in alphanumeric format. The outline must include an abstract, an introduction with the statement of the problem, a body with at least 3 main points and 3 sub-points, and a conclusion. The outline should include any challenges or limitations U.S. agencies face when administering environmental protection programs. The outline must be double-spaced and each major line must begin with a heading and a short statement.

Research Paper: References Assignment

The student will research and provide at least 10 scholarly resources that are no more than 5 years old to support their research topic. These resources will be utilized for the Research Paper: Finall Assignment along with the course textbooks and the Bible. The student will cite the resources in current AMA format.

Research Paper: Final Assignment

The student will write a 10–12-page research-based paper (excluding the abstract, reference, and cover page) in current AMA format that focuses on an approved topic. The paper must address a major environmental problem, describe at least 3 existing laws, policies, or regulations in the U.S., evaluate whether the challenge is a result of insufficient environmental protection laws or implementation of those laws, analyze the cultural, social, behavioral, biological, and environmental factors that contribute to the challenge presenting at least 4 contributing factors, discuss environmental agency challenges or limitations, and utilize at least 2 peer-reviewed references to provide critique and recommendations. The paper must include at least 10 references in addition to the course textbooks and the Bible. References must be published within the last 5 years. The paper should follow the outline from the Research Paper: Outline Assignment. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E & F)

This is an individual assignment involving the review of the major points of a case study or article. The student will review and summarize the major points of an article, focusing on at least 3 key aspects and addressing at least 3 issues from the article. The student will describe at least 2 strengths and at least 2 weaknesses in the review of the study. The student is expected to provide at least 2 suggestions to address the problem in the case study or article. Each article review must be between 450-600 words (excluding the title and reference page), utilize at least 1 peer-reviewed article in addition to the provided case study, and utilize current AMA format. (CLO: A, B, C & F)

The student is required to respond to a topic provided by the course instructor. The essay should be 200–250 words in current AMA format. The student should engage with relevant learn material from the modules to describe at least 3 points related to the topic. The student must cite the  peer-reviewed article from the assignment module along with 1 of the course textbooks. (CLO: A, B, & C)

This quiz covers information from Module 1 – Module 4. It will be open-book/open-notes, contain 10 short answer questions each requiring a response of 150-200 words, will allow for 1 attempt, and have a 1-hour time limit. (CLO: B, C, D, E & F)

This quiz covers information from Module 5 – Module 8. It will be open-book/open-notes, contain 10 short answer questions each requiring a response of 150-200 words, will allow for 1 attempt, and have a 1-hour time limit. (CLO: B, C, D, E & F)


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