Safety, Health, and Industrial Hygiene

Department Head:	Dr. Julie Hart
	496-4792
	SE 326

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

Department FAX:	(406) 496-4650

Mission

The mission of the Safety, Health and Industrial Hygiene Department is to serve students by supplying knowledge and providing high quality, accessible, science-based programs with educational objectives aimed at preparing them for success in a safety and/or health-related career.

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 objectives 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.

Occupational Safety and Health Degree (OSH)

The B.S. in 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, oil and gas, construction and utility industries, government bodies, insurance companies and consulting firms. Opportunities for graduate study are also excellent. At the graduate level, the OSH graduate usually specializes in industrial hygiene.

The OSH graduate is educated to anticipate, 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.

In addition, the OSH degree program is accredited by the Applied Science Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org.

Program Educational Objectives

During the first few years after graduating, OSH graduates are expected to attain the following.

Graduates will establish a firm foundation for an OSH-related career during their first four years after graduating;
Graduates who follow an OSH-related career path will use their education to competently provide OSH services appropriate to their employment;
Graduates will act professionally by engaging in career development, recognizing ethical responsibilities, supporting the profession, and being an informed and involved member of their community.

Student Outcomes

The OSH degree is structured to produce graduates with the following capabilities.

Apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and applied science;
Design and conduct common experiments, and analyze and interpret data;
Formulate or design a system or program to meet desired needs;
Function effectively on multidisciplinary teams;
Identify and solve applied science problems;
Know ethical standards applicable to the practice of occupational safety and health;
Communicate effectively;
Understand the impact of solutions in a global and societal context;
Recognize the need for and have the ability to engage in life-long learning;
Know and understand contemporary issues;
Use the techniques, skills, and modern scientific and technical tools necessary for the professional practice of OSH;
Anticipate, recognize, evaluate, and control hazardous conditions and work practices;
Apply business and risk management concepts;
Understand industrial hygiene, environmental science, and hazardous materials management;
Understand fundamentals of industrial safety, fire science, and emergency management;
Understand occupational ergonomics;
Design and evaluate programs applicable to industrial safety, health, and environment;
Develop applicable employee training programs using adult learning theory and understanding of training methodology;
Identify and apply applicable standards, regulations, and codes;
Conduct investigations of harmful incidents, analyze causation, and identify appropriate system improvements;
Apply principles of OSH in a non-academic setting through an internship or supervised experience.

Applied Health & Safety Science

The AHSS 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 AHSS 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 AHSS degree 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 AHSS 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 AHSS program is a degree under the Occupational Safety and Health department, the AHSS graduate will be able to assist a corporate employer with worker safety and health programs. The AHSS 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.

Educational Objectives (Applied Health & Safety Sciences)

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 an understnading of the following:

Exercise physiology, anatomical kinesiology, laboratory testing techniques, health/fitness specialist certification, electrocardiography, and exercise testing and preparation;
Movement science, athletic injury,fitness programs, and strength & conditioning;
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 AHSS graduate should be prepared for an entry-level positions and be able to do the following:

Evaluate current health behaviors, evaluate fitness, and prescribe health and exercise programs to reduce risk of lifestyle related diseases;
Apply principles of health and fitness management;
Develop applicable client training programs to improve health and reduce risk of lifestyle related diseases through understanding of training methodology;
Identify and apply applicable standards of practice for fitness, lifestyles, and exercise programs;
Design and evaluate programs applicable to improving health and fitness;
Know ethical standards applicable to the practice of applied health science;
Demonstrate the 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:

Each AHSS graduate should have the following knowledge base and capabilities:

Demonstrated ability to apply mathematics and sciences to the practice of applied health science;
Successfully completed at least two humanities and two social science courses;
Successfully completed communication courses appropriate for career success.

Programs

Bachelor of Science

Non-Degree

Occupational Safety and Health Minor