There is a general understanding that many medical conditions are caused by factors present in the natural or artificial environment. Environmental health programs intend to prepare students to investigate these correlations and provide insights based on these systematic investigations.

The United Arab Emirates is a federation of seven emirates on the eastern side of the Arabian peninsula, at the entrance to the Persian Gulf. Much of the work force in the UAE are foreign expatriates - hence the country's population makeup being so diverse, with Emirati citizens being a minority in their own country.