Undergraduate Academic Programs

Degree Programs

Bachelor of Science in Applied Health Science (B.S.A.H.S.), Safety Major

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 enables student research using a variety of equipment designed to provide data on industrial contaminants that may be harmful to workers. Students 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 (BCSP). 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 with a major in Safety. 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 General Education Common Ground Requirements. Visit gened.indiana.edu to review them.

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.  At least 12 of the 15 selected credits must be at the 300 or 400 level. A minimum grade of C- is required in each professional elective course.
  • First aid certification is a requirement for safety professionals. If you are not certified in first aid through an agency outside IU, you must include SPH-H 160 First Aid and Emergency Care in your professional electives.
  • You may structure your professional electives to earn a minor in Environmental Management (O'Neill), Business (Kelley), or Psychology (College).

Professional Elective Options (Others OK w/Advisor Approval)

  • SPH-E 311 Introduction to Epidemiology (3 cr.)
  • SPH-H 160 First Aid and Emergency Care (3 cr.)
    • Students who are not certified in first aid should take this course.
  • SPH-H 174  Prevention of Violence in American Society (3 cr.) +S&H
  • SPH-H 180 Stress Prevention and Management (3 cr.)
  • SPH-H 305 Women’s Health (3 cr.)
  • SPH-H 306 Men’s Health (3 cr.)
  • SPH-H 318 Drug Use in American Society (3 cr.)
  • SPH-H 401 Emergency Medical Technician (3 cr.) (P: SPH-H 160) (C: SPH-H 404)
  • SPH-H 404 Emergency Medical Technician Lab (1 cr.) (C: SPH-H 401)
  • SPH-H 460 Practicum in First Aid Instruction (3 cr.)
  • SPH-H 494 Research and Evaluation Methods in Public Health (3 cr.) 
  • SPH-R 142 Living Well (3 cr.) +S&H
  • SPH-R 201 Annual Giving (2 cr.)
  • SPH-R 202 Major Gifts and Planned Giving (2 cr.)
  • SPH-R 301 Capital Campaigns (2 cr.)
  • SPH-R 401 Advanced Planned Giving: Wills and Estates (2 cr.)
  • SPH-S 217 Safety: A Personal Focus (3 cr.)
  • SPH-S 302 Introduction to Homeland Security (3 cr.) (P: 9 credits of SPH-S courses)
  • SPH-S 255 Threats, Violence, and Workplace Safety (3 cr.)
  • SPH-S 350 Topical Seminar in Safety Education (1-3 cr.)
  • SPH-S 354 Hazardous Materials and Waste Control (3 cr.)
  • SPH-S 370 Principles and Strategies of Behavioral Safety (3 cr.)
  • SPH-S 430 Exploring Safety Culture (3 cr.) 
  • SPH-S 491 Readings in Safety Education (1-3 cr.) 
  • SPH-S 492 Research in Safety Education (1-3 cr.) 
  • SPH-V 241 Foundations of Environmental Health (3 cr.)

 Labor Studies:

Students may include any LSTU courses as professional electives.

  • LSTU-L 101 American Labor History +S&H (3 cr.)
  • LSTU-L 110 Introduction to Labor Studies: Labor and Society +S&H (3 cr.)
  • LSTU-L 230 Labor and the Economy +S&H (3 cr.)

 Psychology:

If two of these courses are taken, the student qualifies for a psychology minor. (PSY-P 101, PSY-P 102, and PSY-K 300)

  • PSY-P 323 Industrial/Organizational Psychology (3 cr.) (P: PSY-P 155, or PSY-P 101 and PSY-P 102)
  • PSY-P 303 Health Psychology (3 cr.) (P: PSY-P 155, or PSY-P 101 and PSY-P 102)
  • PSY-P 324 Abnormal Psychology (3 cr.) (P: PSY-P 155, or PSY-P 101 and PSY-P 102)

 Business: 

Including Business Minor (21 credits required for this minor) Students must choose BUS-A 200, BUS-K 201, and
BUS-L 201, plus four other courses in this category.

  • BUS-A 200 Foundations of Accounting For Non-Business Majors (3 cr.)
  • BUS-K 201 The Computer in Business (3 cr.)
  • BUS-L 201 Legal Environment of Business +S&H (3 cr.)
    • (P: Must have completed at least two semesters on a college campus)
  • BUS-F 300 Introductory Financial Management (3 cr.)
    • (P: BUS-A 200 or (BUS-A 201 or A 205) or (BUS-A 202 or A 207)
  • BUS-G 300 Introduction to Managerial Economics and Strategy (3 cr.)
  • BUS-M 300 Introduction to Marketing (P: Must not be a student in the Kelley School of Business)
  • BUS-P 300 Introduction to Operations Management (3 cr.)
    • (P: BUS-K 201 or BUS-K 204 with a grade of C or higher and must not be a Kelley School of Business student)
  • BUS-Z 302 Managing and Behavior in Organizations OR J306 Strategic Management and Leadership (3 cr.)

 SPEA Environmental Management Minor:

(15 credits required for this minor; required courses include: SPEA-E 272, SPEA-E 311, SPEA-E
363, plus two other courses in this category.)

  • 3 SPEA-E 272 Introduction to Environmental Sciences S&H3
  • SPEA-E 311 Introduction to Risk Assessment and Risk
    Communication
  • 3 SPEA-E 363 Environmental Management
  • 3 SPEA-E 400 Topics in Environmental Studies
  • 3 SPEA-E 410 Introduction to Environmental Toxicology
  • 3 SPEA-E 412 Risk communication
  • 3 SPEA-E431 Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment
  • 3 SPEA-E451 Air Pollution and Control
  • 3 SPEA-E 452 Solid and Hazardous Waste Mgt
  • 3 SPEA-E 475 Techniques of Environmental Science (P:
    SPEA-E 272 or SPEA-H 316)
  • 3 SPEA-H316 Environmental Health

 SPEA Environmental Science and Health Minor:

(15 credits required for minor; required courses include: SPEA-E 272, SPEA-E 410,
and SPEA-H 316, plus two other courses in this category.)

  • 3 SPEA-E 272 Introduction to Environmental Sciences
  • 3 SPEA-E 375 Techniques of Environmental Science
  • 3 SPEA-E 410 Introduction to Environmental Toxicology
  • 3 SPEA-E 431 Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment
  • 3 SPEA-E 451 Air Pollution and Control
  • 3 SPEA-E 452 Solid and Hazardous Waste Management
    or other courses in environmental science and health approved
    by a SPEA faculty advisor.
  • 3 SPEA-H 316 Environmental Health

 

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

+ Courses followed by an S&H notation apply toward completion of both the major requirement 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 Professionals Safety management or emergency management public or private sector internships may be pursued by students as part of their educational experience. 

Our graduates, protect 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. 

Careers

Our graduates, protect 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. 

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