Environmental and Public Health

Holder and provider of the study programme: Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka (public HEI) based on the license of the Ministry of Science, Education and Sport

Type of study programme: university

Level of study programme: graduate

Field of study: biomedicine and health

Type of study: full-time study

Anticipated duration of the study: 2 years, 120 ECTS credits

Language of the study conducted: Croatian

Academic/professional title awarded upon completion of the study: University Master of Environmental and Public Health (M.EPH)

Required educational level for enrolment:

Access to further levels of study: Upon completion of the University graduate study of Environmental and Public Health, studying can be continued at the University doctoral study of Health and Environmental Engineering or University doctoral study of Biomedicine.

Employment opportunities: The Master of Environmental and Public Health is independent in decision-making and selecting procedures in accordance with professional and scientific knowledge and proven methods that correspond to the standards of the profession. The list of potential employers and compliance with the requirements of professional associations includes employment in: health institutions; utility and public companies and state administration and local self-government bodies (primarily the sanitary inspection); institutions authorised to work with poisons and implementation of DDD measures; institutions for food, water and air quality control and assessment of the impact of various activities on the environment; food and pharmaceutical industry; trading companies; teaching/scientific research institutions; private practice.

Professional status: regulated in the Republic of Croatia by the Act on Regulated Professions and Recognition of Foreign Professional Qualifications (Official Gazette 124/09, 45/11, 74/14, 82/15, 70/19 and 47/20). Based on the decision of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Croatia from 2013, masters of this study are considered health professionals. Since 2016, this profession has been included in the European list of regulated professions. This standardised international professional competencies, the name of the profession (Environmental Public Health Profession) and the undergraduate education degree (Master of Environmental and Public Health).

Learning outcomes

LO1. Manage health risks based on the assessment of the impact of physical, chemical, and biological environmental factors.

LO2. Manage risks in emergencies arising from the use of drugs, environmental pollutants, industrial toxins, poisons from nature, and pesticides.

LO3. Plan and organize the microbiological, physical, physicochemical, and chemical analysis of food, objects of general use, all types of water, including sea, air, and soil, analyze and interpret the data obtained in accordance with the legislation, and prepare expert opinions.

LO4. Apply methods for determining the quantity and composition of waste, waste management procedures, waste reduction and recycling procedures, and control of emissions of hazardous environmental pollutants.

LO5. Prevent and control the adverse effects of food production on human health and the environment, and monitor activities in food production in terms of hygiene and sanitation.

LO6. Apply principles, standards, and regulations in the field of food safety management.

LO7. Explain the mechanisms of bioaccumulation and biotransformation of individual pollutants, assess their impact on ecosystems, and develop a healthcare risk management plan.

LO8. Explain the basic principles of water supply and sewerage systems, interpret and use spatial planning and project documentation in water management.

LO9. Explain the basic principles of proper nutrition and the impact of certain types of nutrition on human health.

LO10. Recognize personal areas of interest and apply previously acquired knowledge of basic natural and medical sciences to the extent that enables a scientific approach in solving professional issues in the field of environmental and public health, and develop an awareness of the need for lifelong learning.*

* Learning outcomes obtained by fulfilling individual study obligations, as well as the planned number of hours for each study obligation that ensures the acquisition of the expected learning outcomes are listed in the description of each course from the study programme.

Ažurirano 10.03.2023.

Skip to content