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

Description of Program

The safety of communities, workplaces, and schools is a high priority in today’s society. The undergraduate major in safety prepares graduates for employment in the industrial, business, public, and non-profit sectors. Students gain skills in safety education and training, safety management, and risk assessment. Courses range from those addressing safety, environmental and health protection regulations to those focusing on safety behavior and emergency management. The IU Industrial Hygiene and Safety Laboratory provides special learning opportunities for students. The Laboratory instructs students and conducts research using a variety of equipment designed to provide data on industrial contaminants that may be harmful to workers. Student’s work to support the laboratory’s mission to contribute to a safer and healthier workplace, and community through applied research, teaching and service. The safety undergraduate degree programs on both the Indiana University Bloomington and Indiana University Southeast campuses are approved Qualified Academic Programs by the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (ASSP). This designation confers on our graduates the certification of Graduate Safety Professionals (GSP).

Degree Requirements

This is a four-year program leading to a Bachelor of Science in Applied Health Science degree with a major in safety.  A minimum of 30 successfully completed credit hours and a minimum 2.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA) are required for admission to this program.  Graduation requirements include:

• completion of general education requirements.
• completion of safety program requirements.
• a minimum of 120 successfully completed credit hours which count toward the degree program.
• a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA.
• a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA in courses used to complete the portion of this degree entitled: safety and health courses.
• No Pass/Fail except for free electives.

General Education (20 – 39 credits)

All undergraduate students must complete the IU Bloomington campus-wide general education common ground requirements. Such students must visit the 2021-2022 General Education Bulletin to view these requirements.

Major (91 cr.)

Safety and Health Courses (48 cr.)
A minimum grade of C– is required in each professional core course.
Complete each of the following courses:

• SPH-H 174 Prevention of Violence in American Society (3 cr.) +S&H or SPH-S 255 Threats, Violence, and Workplace Safety (3 cr.)
• SPH-S 101 Introduction to Safety (3 cr.)
• SPH-S 151 Legal Aspects of Safety (3 cr.)
• SPH-S 201 Introduction to Industrial Hygiene (3 cr.)
• SPH-S 210 General Industry Standards (3 cr.)
• SPH-S 214 OSHA Construction Standards (3 cr.)
• SPH-S 231 Safety Engineering and Technology (3 cr.)
• SPH-S 251 Incident Investigation and Analysis (3 cr.)
• SPH-S 332 Ergonomics and Human Factors (3 cr.)
• SPH-S 336 Emergency Management (3 cr.) or SPH-S 352 Safety System Analysis (3 cr.)
• SPH-S 345 Safety Program Management (3 cr.)
• SPH-S 410 Advanced Industrial Hygiene (3 cr.)
• SPH-S 411 Industrial Hygiene Sampling and Analysis (3 cr.)
• SPH-S 415 Safety Education and Training (3 cr.)
• SPH-S 496 Field Experience in Occupational Safety (6 cr.)

Additional Required Courses (28 cr.)
Complete one of the following 10 credit chemistry sequences:
Preferred:

• CHEM-C 103 Introduction to Chemical Principles (5 cr.) +N&M
• CHEM-C 117 Principles of Chemistry and Biochemistry I (3 cr.) +N&M
• CHEM-C 127 Chemistry and Biochemistry Laboratory I (2 cr.) +N&M

Also acceptable:

• CHEM-C 101 Elementary Chemistry I (3 cr.) +N&M
• CHEM-C 121 Elementary Chemistry Laboratory I (2 cr.) +N&M
• CHEM-C 102 Elementary Chemistry II (3 cr.) +N&M
• CHEM-C 122 Elementary Chemistry Laboratory II (2 cr.) +N&M

Complete each of the following:

• ENG-W 231 Professional Writing Skills (3 cr.) or BUS-X 204 Business Communications (3 cr.)
• PSY-P 101 Introductory Psychology I (3 cr.) +N&M
• PSY-P 102 Introductory Psychology II (P: P 101 or P 151) (3 cr.) +S&H or SOC-S 100 Introduction to Sociology (3 cr.) +S&H
• SPH-B 150 Introduction to Public Health (3 cr.) +S&H
• SPH-K 205 Structural Kinesiology (3 cr.) or ANAT-A 215 Basic Human Anatomy (5 cr.) +N&M
• SPH-Q 381 (Formerly: SPH-H 381) Introduction to Biostatistics (3 cr.) or MATH-K 300 or PSY-K 300 Statistical Techniques (3 cr.)

Professional Electives (15 cr.)
Complete 15 credits from the list of safety professional electives.  A minimum of 12 of the 15 selected credits must be at the 300/400 level. A minimum grade of C- is required in each professional elective course.

+ Courses followed by a N&M notation apply toward completion of both the major requirement and the general education, natural and mathematic sciences requirement.

+ Courses followed by a S&H notation apply toward completion of both the major requirment and the general education, social and historical studies requirement.

Suggested Courses for the First-Year Safety Student
Fall Semester
ENG-W 131 Elementary Composition 1 (3 cr.) or equivalent
PSY-P 101 Introduction to Psychology I (3 cr.)
SPH-S 101 Introduction to Safety (3 cr.)
Arts and Humanities Elective (3 cr.)
Free Elective (3 cr.)

Spring Semester
MATH-M 118 Finite Mathematics (3 cr.)
PSY-P 102 Introduction to Psychology II (3 cr.)
SPH-H 174 Prevention of Violence in American Society (3 cr.)
SPH-S 151 Legal Aspects of Safety (3 cr.)
World Languages and Cultures Elective (3 cr.)

Special Opportunities

Students have the opportunity to participate in professional safety and health protection organizations including student chapters of Eta Sigma Gamma and the American Society of Safety Engineers. Safety management or emergency management public or private sector internships may be pursued by students as part of their educational experience.

Careers

Our American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) certified graduates protect the health and safety of people and communities from injuries, illness, or unexpected death arising from hazardous conditions, materials, and practices. Careers vary widely in manufacturing, construction, insurance, aviation, and healthcare industries, and include safety specialists, managers, directors, and consultants. Fields closely associated with safety management include industrial hygiene, ergonomics, fire protection, security, environmental science and engineering. The demand for safety professionals remains strong, and new opportunities in healthcare and community public health continue to expand.