Safety, Health and Industrial Hygiene

Department Head:	Dr. Terry Spear
	496-4445
	SE 325

Administrative Associate:	Shelley Reed
	(406) 496-4115
	SE 316A

Department FAX:	(406) 496-4650

Occupational Safety and Health Degree (OSH)

The Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) degree is designed for the science-oriented student who likes to work with people, and who is concerned about employee safety and health.

The OSH professional may work wherever health or safety hazards exist. Past graduates work for a diversity of employers, including manufacturing, mining, construction and utility industries, government bodies, insurance companies and consulting firms. Opportunities for graduate study are also excellent. At the graduate level, the OSH student usually specializes in either industrial hygiene or industrial safety related areas.

The OSH graduate is educated to recognize, evaluate and control workplace hazards. As such, this person is a valuable asset to the employer because the OSH professional helps prevent lost working time caused by either workplace health hazards or traumatic events. Present-day managers realize that good worker health is vital to their operations. Also, OSH professionals understand safety and health regulations and therefore often assist their employers in complying with government regulations.

The Montana Tech OSH program is interdisciplinary and gives the student a background in the sciences and pertinent engineering areas. Emphasis is placed on hands-on work in the laboratory and/or relating the subject matter to real world situations.

The quality of the program has been recognized by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health through annual training grants for student travel and scholarships.

Scholarships are available to OSH majors on a competitive basis. Many companies visit the campus to recruit OSH students for both internships and career positions.

Applied Health Science (AHS) Option

The AHS degree option within the Occupational Safety and Health degree program is designed for the science-oriented student who wishes to work with people, and who is concerned about their health and physical well being. The AHS student will be trained to appraise an individual’s life-style, health habits, and fitness level. The student will learn how to complete a personal fitness assessment and utilize the information gathered to recommend a personalized fitness program that will help the participant improve or maintain their overall health and their physical working capacity. The AHS option is able to take full advantage of many of the other college departments and provides the student, through the Career Services office, with actual on-the-job training.

Upon graduation the AHS student major is qualified to accept a job in a private health club, corporation, hospital, YMCA, or educational institution where he or she will perform health related fitness testing, and prescribe an individualized exercise program that will help individuals maintain or improve their fitness level. The graduate is able to help the participant maintain an active lifestyle well into his or her senior years, thereby improving the overall quality of life. Furthermore, since the AHS program is a degree option under the Occupational Safety and Health degree program, the AHS graduate will be able to assist a corporate employer with worker safety and health programs. The AHS graduate will also be qualified for immediate enrollment in a variety of graduate programs dealing with industrial hygiene or other applied health fields.

The majority of our graduates attend graduate school, pursuing a variety of master’s degrees. They have pursued and graduated from physical therapy, physicians’ assistant, cardiac rehabilitation, industrial hygiene, and other health science programs.

Mission

The mission of the Safety, Health and Industrial Hygiene Department is to provide a formal practical program which prepares science-oriented students to assess and control occupational and public health and safety risks through the development and maintenance of policies and programs and to prepare students for graduate work in industrial hygiene, safety or health related areas such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, cardiac rehabilitation.

Assessment

The goal of the Department assessment activities is to insure the achievement of our mission and continuously improve our curriculum to allow our graduates to achieve the goals of the programs. The Safety, Health and Industrial Hygiene Department believes that the quality of its academic programs is reflected in the long-term success of its graduates.

Educational Objectives (No Option)

Objective I. Graduates will be prepared to for a successful career in occupational safety and health by having demonstrated through academic courses an understanding of the fundamental aspects of the field.

Outcomes:

Upon graduation, the student should demonstrate the following:

An understanding of industrial hygiene, environmental science, and hazardous materials management.
An understanding of industrial safety, fire science, and emergency management.
An understanding of occupational ergonomics.
An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and applied science.
An ability to design and conduct experiments, and analyze and interpret data.
An ability to formulate or design a system or program to meet desired needs.
An ability to function on multidisciplinary teams.
An ability to identify and solve applied science problems.
The abilities to use the techniques, skills, and modern scientific and technical tools necessary for professional practice.

Objective 2. Graduates will be prepared to perform the major duties of typical professional positions in the field of occupational safety and health.

Outcomes:

Each OSH graduate should be prepared for an entry-level OSH position as follows:

Be able to anticipate, recognize, evaluate, and develop strategies for hazardous conditions and work practices.
Be able to apply business and risk management concepts.
Be able to develop applicable employee training programs using adult learning theory and understanding of training methodology.
Be able to conduct investigations of harmful incidents, analyze causation, and identify appropriate system improvements.
Be able to identify and apply applicable standards, regulations, and codes.
Be able to design and evaluate programs applicable to industrial safety, health, and environment.
Possess knowledge of ethical standards applicable to the practice of occupational safety and health.
By having demonstrated ability to apply principles of safety and health in a multidisciplinary, non-academic setting through an internship or supervised experience.

Objective 3. Graduates will be familiar with the diverse knowledge and skills needed to become a lifelong learner and a contributor to society.

Outcomes:

Each graduate should have demonstrated knowledge and skills as follows:

Achieved the broad education necessary to understand the impact of solutions in a global and societal context.
Demonstrated an ability to communicate effectively by having successfully completed communication courses appropriate for career success.
By having demonstrated familiarity with professional societites, professional development conferences, and the need to engage in life-long learning.
An understanding of professional and ethical responsibilities.
Knowledge of contemporary issues in society.

Educational Objectives (Applied Health Sciences Option)

Objective 1. Graduates will have demonstrated through academic courses an understanding of the fundamental aspects of applied health science.

Outcomes:

Upon graduation, the student should have demonstrated the following:

An understanding of exercise physiology, anatomical kinesiology, laboratory testing techniques, health/fitness specialist certification, electrocardiography, and exercise
An understanding of movement science, athletic injury,fitness programs, and strength & conditioning.
An understanding of the subject matter required for admission to graduate schools programs in health care professions.

Objective 2. Graduates will be prepared to assume professional positions in the field of applied health science.

Outcomes:

Each OSH graduate should be prepared for an entry-level positions as follows:

Be able to evaluate current health behaviors, evaluate fitness, and prescribe health and exercise programs to reduce risk of lifestyle related diseases.
Be able to apply principles of health and fitness management.
Be able to develop applicable client training programs to improve health and reduce risk of lifestyle related diseases through understanding of training methodology.
Be able to identify and apply applicable standards of practice for fitness, lifestyles, and exercise programs.
Be able to design and evaluate programs applicable to improving health and fitness.
Possess knowledge of ethical standards applicable to the practice of applied health science.
By having demonstrated ability to apply principles of applied health science in a non-academic setting through an internship or supervised experience.

Objective 3. Graduates will be familiar with the diverse knowledge and skills needed to become a lifelong learner and a contributor to society.

Outcomes:

By having demonstrated ability to apply mathematics and sciences to the practice of applied health science.
By having successfully completed at least two humanities and two social science courses.
By having successfully completed communication courses appropriate for career success.

Programs

Bachelor of Science

Non-Degree

Occupational Safety and Health Minor