Safety & Occupational Health Applied Sciences (B.S.)
This major prepares students for a variety of occupational safety and health program management positions in the private and public sector. Emphasis is placed on critical thinking, hazard identification and prioritization, problem solving, cost effectiveness, professional skills in programmatic management, and safety and environmental regulatory compliance. Graduates will have the capacity to pursue graduate study, participate in applied research, or transition directly into careers in loss control, risk management, organizational safety, and consulting.
Integrative Studies Requirements
40 credits minimum
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Major Requirements (56 credits) | ||
| *Must achieve a grade of "C" or higher in all courses | ||
| ISSAFE-101 | Safety Awareness | 4 |
| SAFE-110 | Applied Safety Science | 4 |
| SAFE-202 | Occupational Safety | 4 |
| SAFE-215 | Human Factors in Safety | 4 |
| SAFE-216 | Safety Standards & Regulations | 4 |
| SAFE-305 | Health Hazard Identification | 4 |
| SAFE-306 | Systems & Behavioral Sciences | 4 |
| SAFE-307 | Safety Management Systems | 4 |
| SAFE-311 | Safe and Environ Law | 4 |
| SAFE-319 | Fire & Hazmat Response | 4 |
| SAFE-329 | Safety Training Methods | 4 |
| SAFE-401 | Industrial Hygiene | 4 |
| SAFE-420 | Safety Research Methods | 4 |
| SAFE-497 | Innovative Safety Leadership | 4 |
| Internships (Highly Recommended) | ||
| Safety Internship (2-8 credits. Open Elective credit only.) | ||
| Adv Safety Internship (2-8 credits. Open Elective credit only.) | ||
| Total Credits | 56 | |
Honors Program
Motivated SOHAS students can participate in an advanced program of research through independent study projects and internship experiences, or they can advance their academic preparation by taking two (2) graduate safety courses. This program recognizes and formalizes outstanding academic achievement, culminating with graduation with Honors in SOHAS or Construction Safety Sciences (CSS). This program is open to all SOHAS and CSS majors who have completed at least 75 college credits and have at least a 3.25 GPA. Students successfully completing all facets of the Honors Program and having an average of 3.00 overall and 3.4 in their respective major will graduate with Honors in Safety and be inducted into the safety honor society, Rho Sigma Kappa.
Admission to the Safety and Honors Program is based on:
-
Support of an Honors Committee consisting of the full-time tenure-track Safety faculty members. Students accepted into the Safety Honors Program will participate in research projects sponsored by Safety faculty or complete two graduate safety courses (one per semester).
- Completion of, or enrollment in, all SOHAS OR CSS Core Courses. Final admission requires successful completion of those Safety courses enrolled in at the time of application for admission to the Honors Program, typically during the summer of their senior year.
- Qualified candidates may complete the Safety Honors Program via two separate tracks.
- Honors Research Track
- Complete eight credits of SAFE-491 Honors Research during the two semesters of the senior year. These credits may be in lieu of or in addition to Safety Elective credits used to fulfill the requirements for the Safety major.
- At the end of the senior year, to graduate with the distinction of Honors in Safety, each participant in the Honors Research Track:
- Submits a final written report (or publication-ready document) on the Honors work for approval by their Honors Committee.
- Presents the results of their work and responds to questions about the project and its relationship to the safety profession at a college-wide research event.
- Immediately following the project presentation, the student's Honors Committee votes on whether or not to accept the Honors project
- Students are encouraged to apply for applicable undergraduate research grant funding.
- Advanced Study Track
- Complete two 600-level Safety courses, one from the Fall scheduled and one from the spring schedule. Safety Honors students are limited to two Graduate level classes and may enroll in one for a semester. Undergraduate students who successfully complete two 600-level Safety courses totaling 8 credits, with a minimum grade of B, will not be required to repeat those courses if they enroll in the Graduate program.
- Honors Research Track
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Courses Available for Honors Enrollment | ||
| Select two of the following - one per semester: | 8 | |
| Current Issues in Safety | ||
| Best Practices in Safety | ||
| Applied Occupational Health | ||
| Leading Safety Change | ||
| Safety Management Systems | ||
| Risk and Safety | ||
Students successfully completing all facets of the Honors Program and having an average of 3.00 overall and 3.4 in Safety Studies will graduate with Honors in Safety.
Electives
Select additional courses of your choice to bring total number of credits earned to 120.
Degree Requirements
120 credits
40 credits at upper level
Upon completion of the Safety Occupational Health Applied Science B.S. degree, students will be able to:
- Identify contemporary safety issues and solve applied science problems through their knowledge of mathematics and science.
- Design and conduct experiments, as well as anlyze and interpret data.
- Formulate or design a system process or program to meet identified outcomes.
- Communicate well and contribute toward the goals of multi-disciplinary teams.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the impact of solutions from a global and societal context.
- Reflect on personal performance to address a range of professional and ethical responsibilites.
- Demonstrate knowledge of techniques and skills required to use technical and scientific tools.