• Description of Program
• Degree Requirements
• Special Opportunities
• Careers

Description of Program

Protecting America's work force, the general public, and the environment from injury and illness in today's age of technological and scientific advancement has become one of the most challenging and rewarding career fields available. The Safety and Safety Management Graduate and Undergraduate Programs in School of Public Health prepare students to respond to the needs of employees and the public, analyze hazardous situations, and research government regulations to determine which problems pose significant hazards. Safety managers recognize and devise methods to control hazards with management skills and techniques needed to administer a department or facility.

Degree Requirements

A minimum of 35 graduate credit hours is required for the safety management program. A minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA) is required for graduation. A minimum grade of C– is required in each course. A minimum of 20 credits must be in the Department of Applied Health Science. All electives for completing the degree must be approved by the advisor.

Complete the following requirements to reach a minimum total of 35 graduate credits:

Required Safety Management Courses

Complete the following public health core course (3 cr.):

• SPH-X 505 Principles and Foundations of Public Health (3 cr.)

Complete one of the following research/statistics courses (3 cr.):

• SPH-Q 501 (Formerly: HPER-T 591) Introduction to Statistics in Public Health (3 cr.)
• SPH-X 590 Introduction to Research in Health, Kinesiology, and Recreation (3 cr.)

Complete each of the following safety core courses (12 cr.):

• SPH-S 502 Safety Education and Training Strategies (3 cr.)
• SPH-S 513 Safety Management in Business and Industry (3 cr.)
• SPH-S 535 Crisis and Emergency Management (3 cr.)
• SPH-S 552 Principles and Concepts of Workplace Safety Behavior (3 cr.)

Selective Safety Courses (6 cr. minimum required in this area)

Complete at least one of the following six-credit tracks. Students may complete more than one track, thereby reducing the number of elective credits needed to reach the required total of 35 credit hours.

Safety Track (6 cr.)

• SPH-S 514 Safety Standards for Industry and Construction (3 cr.)
• SPH-S 515 Safety Performance Measures and Leadership (3 cr.)

Health Track (6 cr.)

• SPH-S 610 Risk Assessment and Compliance (3 cr.)
• SPH-S 632 Safety and Health Program Design (3 cr.)

Emergency Management Track (6 cr.)

• SPH-S 536 Facility Emergency Planning (3 cr.) (p:S535 or permission of instructor)
• SPH-S 537 Threat Assessment, Mitigation and Security Planning (3 cr.) (p: S535 or permission of instructor)

Elective Coursework

To complete the 35 credits required for this degree program, students may complete extra tracks from above, or with advisor approval, electives may be selected from the following courses, or from other courses as prescribed by the student's advisor.

• SPH-Q 502 (Formerly: HPER-T 592) Intermediate Statistics in Public Health (3 cr.)
• SPH-S 550 (Formerly: HPER-S 517) Workshop in Safety Education (1-3 cr.)
• SPH-S 650 (Formerly: HPER-S 617) Seminar in Safety Education (1-6 cr.)
• SPH-S 691 (Formerly: HPER-S 641) Readings in Safety Education (1-3 cr.)
• SPH-S 692 (Formerly: HPER-S 640) Research in Safety Education (1-3 cr.)
• SPH-S 697 (Formerly: HPER-S 642) Internship in Safety Education (1-6 cr.)

Special Opportunities

Students have access to an emergency care program and first aid labs located in the SPH Building. Students also have access to research opportunities in the area of first aid and emergency care. Students who are new to the safety field are expected to serve an internship in safety as a part of their coursework. Students are encouraged to participate in clubs such as the American Society of Safety Engineers and Eta Sigma Gamma.

Careers

Safety professionals frequently have responsibility for a variety of functions; they must have a broad knowledge of various fields. Some of the major functions performed include safety training, accident investigation, audits and inspections, hazard analysis, fire protection, compliance, machine guarding, and emergency preparedness. According to a recent survey of American Society of Safety Engineers members, the largest employer groups are manufacturing, construction, consulting firms, insurance, service industries, health care, transportation, utilities, and nonprofit and government organizations. Typical job titles include safety manager, safety director, safety specialist, and safety & health coordinator.