Tulane Master’s Programs Focus on Disaster Management and Industrial Hygiene Through a Public Health Lens

Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine (SPHTM) announces the expansion of its collaboration with Noodle, the nation’s fastest growing network of online learning, to include a Master of Public Health in Disaster Management and a Master of Science in Public Health in Industrial Hygiene.

In addition, Tulane University is offering a Master Class on Disaster Preparation that encompasses a taste of all three of the university’s disaster preparedness programs.

While the Disaster Management and Industrial Hygiene programs are not new to Tulane SPHTM, they will now benefit from the university’s partnership with Noodle, their online innovation partner since 2017. These programs join four existing online programs in the Noodle collaboration: The Master of Public Health in Community Health Sciences with SPHTM and the Master of Social Work, Doctor of Social Work, and a dual degree Master of Social Work and Disaster Resilience Leadership with the Tulane School of Social Work.

Today, every community in the world is vulnerable to disaster, from weather-related events like hurricanes and floods, to pandemics like Ebola and COVID-19, to the outcomes of war and terrorism. Even tragic personal trauma can be defined as a disaster. The MPH in Disaster Management program prepares professionals to apply scientific principles to prevent, detect, and mitigate environmental public health problems and threats associated with natural and technological disasters- locally to globally. Students in this program gain skills to implement population-based interventions to protect communities, particularly vulnerable populations, from natural, accidental, and intentional disasters.

To introduce students to various interdisciplinary approaches to disaster management and preparedness, the university has also developed a master class that outlines the strengths of programs in three Tulane schools (SPHTM, the School of Professional Advancement, and School of Social Work). This introductory class shows how the classroom experience translates to the real world and includes interviews with program directors as well as alumni who have gone on to leadership roles with organizations such as the New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and Nike. A key theme of each unit focuses on how the programs at Tulane provide students with hands-on experiences like practicums, field visits, and interaction with working professionals in disaster response and mitigation that makes them stand out in the career marketplace.

“Tulane University has a deep well of experience in disaster management,” says Dr. Thomas LaVeist, dean of the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and the host of the master class. “Some of it comes first-hand from local experiences in addressing the threat of hurricanes and flooding, but across the three schools, the professionals teaching in this area cover nearly every aspect of preparedness, response, and mitigation of disasters gained from experiences in the military, local, state, and federal governments, and non-profit agencies.”

Another aspect central to each unit is the importance of preparedness and response measures targeted at vulnerable populations. “Issues of health equity are critical across disaster management,” says LaVeist, who also serves as the Weatherhead Presidential Chair in Health Equity. “As the master class demonstrates, education in this field must take all populations into consideration. The programs at each school do just that.”

The MSPH in Industrial Hygiene provides the knowledge, expertise, and skills to identify workplace hazards, comply with government regulations, and manage occupational exposures and risk. The program is ABET-accredited, and graduates receive one year of credit towards the experience requirement for the exam to become a board-certified industrial hygienist (CIH, American Board of Industrial Hygiene).

Registration for both master’s programs is available now.

“It is a privilege to partner with Tulane’s SPHTM, a globally-recognized leader in the world-wide campaign to fight infectious diseases,” says Noodle CEO John Katzman. “Together, we can  arm Tulane graduates with state-of-the-art healthcare and medical policy training to eradicate illnesses which continue to plague humanity, and which prevent socio-economic growth and development.”

“Noodle’s agile and accessible online programs allow Tulane’s SPHTM students to complete their degree programs remotely, efficiently and safely,” says Noodle Regional General Manager Lauren Davis.

Tulane University offers both master’s degrees and certificates in both on-campus and online formats in content areas including emergency management studies, disaster management, disaster resilience, homeland security, and several other areas. Tulane University also plans to offer more short courses that will be broadly accessible. To access the master class and learn more about the programs offered at Tulane, visit https://tulane.edu/disastermanagement.