Safety, Health, and Industrial Hygiene

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Mission

The mission of the Montana Tech Safety, Health and Industrial Hygiene Department is to serve students by supplying knowledge and research opportunities that provide high quality, accessible, science and technology curricula with program educational objectives focused on preparing students for successful safety and health careers.

Degrees

The Safety, Health, & Industrial Hygiene Department offers three degree programs and all are accredited by the Applied and Natural Sciences Accreditation Commission of ABET (http://www.abet.org) and receive funding from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

• Bachelor of Science in Occupational Safety and Health
• Master of Science in Industrial Hygiene
• Master of Science in Industrial Hygiene Professional Track

Information related to the degree is provided below.  *For information regarding the two master’s programs, please see the Graduate School  .

Occupational Safety and Health Degree (OSH)

Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) graduates apply science and technology to anticipate, recognize, evaluate, and control safety and health hazards in the workplace. It is not uncommon for OSH students to complete three or more summer internships around the country. Our graduates enjoy a 95-100% placement rate in virtually every industrial sector, and the need for highly skilled OSH professionals continues to outpace demand. Some students continue their studies by pursuing a master’s degree in industrial hygiene.

The curriculum provides students a sound technical foundation with courses in mathematics, biology, chemistry, and physics. Communication skills are strengthened through courses in writing and oral presentation. Of the 121/122 total required credit hours, 43 are in OSH. Most of these include experiences working in small groups, writing assignments, presentations, and problem solving. Students and their faculty advisor track progress using curriculum worksheet that provides a suggested course sequence for completing a B.S. in OSH degree in four years.

Program Educational Objectives

Program Educational Objectives (PEOs) are broad statements that describe what graduates are expected to attain within a few years after graduation. The B.S. in Occupational Safety and Health degree program has adopted the following three PEOs:

           1.  Graduates of the program will establish their OSH-related careers within a few years after

                graduating.

           2.  Graduates of the program will use their education to competently apply OSH-related knowledge,

                skills and abilities to benefit workers and employers.

           3.  Graduates of the program will become stewards of the profession by engaging in career

                development, adhering to ethical standards, and supporting their professional community.

Outcomes

Students outcomes are statements of what each graduate of the program is expected to achieve at the time of graduation. The B.S. Occupational Safety and Health curriculum is structured so each student will have obtained the knowledge, understanding and skills in all of the following student outcomes.

           1.  An ability to identify, formulate, and solve broadly defined technical or scientifc problems by applying

                knowledge of mathematics and science and/or technical topics to areas relevant to the discipline.

           2.  An ability to formulate or design a system, process, procedure or program to meet desired needs.

           3.  An ability to develop and conduct experiments or test hypotheses, analyze and interpret data and

                use scientific judgment to draw conclusions.

           4.  An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.

           5.  An ability to understand ethical and professional responsibilities and the impact of technical and/or

                scientific solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts .

           6.  An ability to function effectively on teams that establish goals, plan tasks, meet deadlines, and

                analyze risk and uncertainty.

Programs

• Occupational Safety and Health, B.S.

• Occupational Safety and Health Minor

Return to: Lance College of Mines and Engineering