The Doctor of Philosophy (Environmental and Occupational Health) is Australia's highest research qualification in the field of environmental and occupational health sciences. This doctoral program is designed for candidates who wish to make original, scholarly contributions to understanding how environmental and workplace exposures affect human health and wellbeing. Students undertake a substantial, independent research project — typically over three to four years full-time — investigating topics such as occupational hazard assessment, air and water quality impacts, workplace disease prevention, chemical toxicology, environmental epidemiology, and public health policy. The program integrates knowledge from public health, toxicology, epidemiology, ergonomics, industrial hygiene, and environmental science to produce researchers and practitioners capable of addressing complex, real-world health challenges. It is offered across a range of Australian universities in schools of public health, medical sciences, and environmental sciences, often with multidisciplinary supervisory teams and strong industry and government research partnerships.

This qualification is ideally suited to health professionals, scientists, engineers, and policy advisers who already hold postgraduate qualifications and wish to develop deep expertise and lead research in their field. Graduates emerge as recognised specialists capable of driving innovation in workplace safety, environmental risk management, public health regulation, and epidemiological research. Employers spanning government health departments, local councils, national research institutions (such as NHMRC-funded centres), mining and resources companies, environmental consulting firms, hospitals, and international public health agencies actively seek PhD-qualified professionals in this discipline. In Australia, the program is tightly aligned with professional accreditation standards recognised by Environmental Health Australia (EHA) and the Australian OHS Education Accreditation Board, ensuring graduates are well-positioned for both academic and applied careers.

Admission to a Doctor of Philosophy (Environmental and Occupational Health) in Australia typically requires the successful completion of an Honours degree (achieving at least a First Class or upper Second Class Honours) or a relevant Master's degree with a significant research component, such as a Master of Public Health, Master of Environmental Health, or Master of Science in a related discipline. Applicants are generally expected to demonstrate a strong academic record, and most institutions require a minimum GPA equivalent to Distinction level or higher. A well-developed research proposal outlining the intended area of investigation, research questions, and preliminary methodology is almost always required, along with evidence of a prospective supervisory match with a qualified academic staff member. Relevant professional experience in environmental health, occupational health and safety, public health, or a related field is highly regarded and may strengthen an application.

For international applicants, English language proficiency must be demonstrated, typically through IELTS (minimum overall score of 6.5–7.0, with no band below 6.0) or equivalent tests such as TOEFL or PTE Academic. Some universities may require applicants to complete a bridging or pre-candidature program before enrolling in full doctoral study. Additional requirements can include professional referee reports, a curriculum vitae demonstrating relevant research or professional experience, academic transcripts from all prior tertiary study, and evidence of ethics or research integrity training. In some cases, applicants from non-standard backgrounds (such as clinical professionals without a research master's degree) may be considered if they can demonstrate equivalent research capability through publications, conference presentations, or professional research experience.