Occupational Safety Management M.A. or M.S.

(33 credits minimum)

The master’s degree program in Occupational Safety Management requires a minimum of 33 credit hours of which at least one-half must be at the 600 level. A minimum of 18 to 24 credits (depending on the area of specialization) must be taken within the department, and a minimum of six credit hours must be taken outside the department. Two degrees are offered: the M.A., requiring a six-credit thesis; and the M.S., which entails a three-credit individual field research project. The minimum time to complete the course of study on a full-time basis is normally one full calendar year. It would be realistic, however, to plan for more than one year of study if the thesis option is selected.

The Occupational Safety Management program is intended for persons interested in achieving managerial positions in industrial safety. The curriculum provides a broad foundation of theoretical and practical knowledge of safety administration. It emphasizes the skills and methodologies of problem solving and analysis so critical for sophisticated planners and managers in the private and public sectors of occupational safety and health. Content areas include systems safety, human factors engineering, program management and evaluation, safety law, and policy analysis. Employment opportunities are usually found in industry; federal, state, and local government agencies; insurance companies; the military; labor unions; consulting firms; and health care facilities.