The Safety, Health, and Environmental Applied Sciences undergraduate curriculum concentrates on the study of occupational and environmental hazards arising in or from the workplace, including product hazards.
Coursework required outside of the major includes natural sciences, mathematics, and business. Students enrolling in Safety, Health, and Environmental Applied Sciences follow a general industrial and environmental safety curriculum. All majors must complete an intensive internship, coordinated by the faculty and industrial organizations which work closely with the department.
There are over 20 faculty members in the department, nine of whom are full-time instructors. They have varied backgrounds with experience in industries such as insurance, oil, chemicals, textiles, energy, explosives, mining, steel, consulting, and manufacturing. Current enrollment in the Safety Sciences undergraduate program is approximately 275.
Career Options
The undergraduate degree program in Safety, Health, and Environmental (SHE) Applied Sciences prepares an individual for a career as a SHE professional. The entry-level SHE specialist is usually associated with hazard identification, evaluation, and control activities and occupies a staff position within an organization. The function of this specialist is to advise management on control measures needed for safety, fire, explosion, health, and environmental hazards. The SHE professional is also expected to be an expert in regulatory matters where SHE regulations are involved. Interpersonal skills are just as important as the technical background provided by the undergraduate education in Safety, Health, and Environmental Applied Sciences. The SHE profession is equally suitable for male and female graduates.
Program Educational Objectives
- During their first five years after graduation, graduates working as Safety, Health, and Environmental Professionals will demonstrate abilities to:
- anticipate, identify, and evaluate hazardous conditions and practices,
- develop hazard control methods, procedures, and programs,
- implement, administer, and advise others on hazard controls and hazard control programs, and
- measure, audit, and evaluate the effectiveness of hazard controls and hazard control programs.
- Graduates will continue their professional growth and the integration of new knowledge into their profession.
- Graduates will act in a professional and ethical manner.
Student Outcomes: B.S. in Safety, Health, and Environmental (SHE) Applied Sciences
At the time of graduation, students will:
- recognize fundamental aspects of SHE which will include the following areas: general industry and construction safety, industrial hygiene, systems safety, SHE regulations, fire safety, safety management, ergonomics, environmental sciences, emergency management, risk assessment, and hazardous materials.
- anticipate, identify, and evaluate potentially hazardous agents, conditions, and practices and to develop hazard control designs, methods, procedures, and programs both in the classroom and while completing an internship.
- identify and apply applicable SHE standards, regulations, and codes.
- recognize the physiological and/or toxicological interactions of physical, chemical, biological, and ergonomic agents, factors, and/or stressors with the human body.
- understand air and water pollution fundamentals and control technologies.
- identify and apply environmental permitting, sampling, and measurement methodologies.
- understand hazardous materials/waste recognition, management, and remediation strategies.
- apply fundamental qualitative and quantitative exposure and risk assessment techniques as well as SHE data interpretation, including statistical and epidemiological principles.
- apply business and risk management concepts as it applies to SHE program management.
- complete an accident investigation, a root cause analysis, and an incident trent analysis.
- develop or evaluate and make recommendations to improve SHE programs.
- apply adult learning theories in the completion of SHE training.
- solve applied science problems in algebra, statistics, human physiology and anatomy, physics, and chemistry, including the ability to conduct experiments in prerequisite courses and SHE applied sciences courses.
- develop a Five Year Professional Development Plan, and understand the benefits of membership in professional SHE organizations.
- communciate effectively, both oral and written.
- work in multidisciplinary teams while completing coursework and while on internship.
- understand contemporary SHE issues within a global and social context.
- understand professional and ethical responsibility, and act in a professional and ethical manner while in the classroom and on their internship.
Program of Study
Liberal Studies (outlined in catalog with the following specifications) 44 cr.
Mathematics MATH 105
Natural Science CHEM 101 - 102
Social Science PSYC 101, global and multicultural awareness/social science elective
Liberal Studies Elective MATH 217
(no course with SAFE prefix)
Major Requirements 52-58 cr.
SAFE 101 Introduction to Occupational Safety and Health (3 cr)
SAFE 111 Principles of Industrial Safety I - General Industry (3 cr)
SAFE 211 Principles of Industrial Safety II - Construction Industry (3 cr)
SAFE 212 Hazard Prevention Management I (3 cr)
SAFE 215 Safety, Heatlh and Environmental Communications (3 cr)
SAFE 220 Hazardous Materials and Emergency Management (3 cr)
SAFE 310 Environmental Safety and Health Regulations and Sustainability (3 cr)
SAFE 311 Fire Protection (3 cr)
SAFE 330 Recognition, Evaluation, and Control of Health Hazards I (4 cr)
SAFE 335 Industrial and Environmental Stressors (2 cr)
SAFE 345 Process and Systems Safety (3 cr)
SAFE 347 Ergonomics (3 cr)
SAFE 361 Air and Water Pollution (2 cr)
SAFE 412 Hazard Prevention Management II (3 cr)
SAFE 430 Recognition, Evaluation, and Control of Health Hazards II (4 cr)
SAFE 435 Ethics and Professionalism (1 cr)
SAFE 488/493 Internship (6-12 cr)
Other Requirements 18 cr.
Additional Science and Mathematics:
BIOL 155 Human Physiology and Anatomy (4 cr)
PHYS 111 Physics I Lecture (3 cr)
PHYS 121 Physics I Lab (1 cr)
PHYS 112 Physics II Lecture (3 cr)
PHYS 122 Physics II Lab (1 cr)
Business Electives (two 3 credit courses from approved list):
ACCT 200 Foundations of Accounting (3 cr)
MGMT 300 Human Resource Management (3 cr)
MGMT 310 Principles of Management (3 cr)
MGMT 311 Human Behavior and Organization (3 cr)
MGMT 434 Quality Management (3 cr)
Free Electives: 0-6 cr.
Total Degree Requirements: 120 cr.
Note: All course descriptions are available in the Undergraduate Catalog.
