COURSE CURRICULUM

The Public Health Inspector/Environmental Health Officer program includes a comprehensive curriculum spanning Levels 5 through 8, totaling 123.5 credits. In Level 5, students take foundational courses such as Introduction to Environmental Health Microbiology (3.0 credits), Toxicology for Environmental Health (3.0), Professional and Intercultural Communication (4.0), Introduction to Environmental Public Health (4.0), Hydrogeology and Water Sources (4.0), Liquid and Solid Wastes (5.0), and Environmental Assessment (4.0). Level 6 courses focus on advanced topics including Communicable Disease Control (5.5 credits), Food Hygiene (8.0), Water Systems and Management (5.5), Applied Law (5.5), Human Relations (2.0), Indoor Air Quality (3.5), Outdoor Air Quality (2.5), and Applied Ethics (3.0). A strong recommendation is made to complete biostatistics or statistics before Level 7. Level 7 builds expertise with Pools and Recreational Water (5.0 credits), Environmental Health Applications (5.0), Food Equipment and Processing (3.0), Epidemiology (5.0), Health Education and Promotion (3.0), and Research Methods (3.0). Level 8 includes specialized courses such as Environmental Chemistry (2.5 credits), Pest Management (2.5), Environmental Health Risk Assessment (2.5), Healthy Communities (2.5), and a major Applied Research Project (4.0). The program culminates in a 17.0-credit Practicum lasting 12 weeks, offering practical field experience. Additionally, students must complete 9.0 credits of Liberal Studies, including a core course in Applied Ethics during Level 6 and 6.0 elective credits as per BCIT policy. This structured and diverse course matrix equips students with the scientific knowledge, practical skills, and professional competencies necessary to address complex environmental health challenges effectively.