Safety Management (B.S.)
Description
The University offers an online bachelor of science (B.S.) in safety management that provides the classroom knowledge and experience needed to be a safety specialist who is qualified to design, develop, and implement safety programs in business, industry, and government. Graduates are eligible for the Graduate Safety Practitioner (GSP®) designation through the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP). The GSP program is an alternate path to the Certified Safety Professional (CSP®) certification. The Institute of Hazardous Materials Management (IHMM) allows graduates to apply for the Associate Safety and Health Manager (ASHM®) credential which recognizes recent Bachelor’s degree graduates with a focus in health and safety-related fields. This credential puts the holder on the fast-track to the Certified Safety and Health Manager (CSHM®) credential.
Coursework in the major includes studies in the management, evaluation, and control of safety and health hazards associated with the workplace environment, including courses in the following areas:
- Accident prevention
- Administration of industrial health and safety programs
- Fire protection
- Hazardous substances and waste disposal
- Human factors and economics
- Industrial health and safety legislation
- Industrial hygiene
- System safety analysis
Coursework is offered online. However, students are required to complete a one-week residency on the Indiana State University campus during the summer of their junior or senior year. The program can be completed in four years (full time) if the student follows the degree map. Students also have the option of part-time study. Previously earned college credit can be applied toward completion of the program per these transfer guidelines.
Optional minors are offered in construction management (available online or on campus), insurance and risk management (available online or on campus), and environmental science (only available on campus).
In addition to coursework, students complete an internship. The internship usually offers paid experiences at manufacturing, health care, power and energy, or refinery facilities, with insurance (loss control) companies, or with the government. Companies where students have interned include: Eli Lilly and Company; Pfizer, Inc.; Cargill; Alcoa; General Electric; Marathon Petroleum; and Toyota Motor Corporation, USA.
Relatively small class sizes allow students to receive individualized attention. Students may join the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) student section. This involvement enables students to qualify for scholarships worth thousands of dollars. In addition, ASSP and the National Safety Council (NSC) offer discounts on conference registration.
The Safety Management Program is open to eligible students in the U.S. (including the District of Columbia and all U.S. territories). The program also is open to students in Canada (all provinces). The program is closed to students residing in countries other than the U.S. and Canada except for U.S. military and State Department personnel and their family members with APO/FPO addresses.
Required Courses
Careers
Changes in manufacturing technologies, behavioral approaches to safety, risk management, and new federal regulations make safety management an exciting career choice. Graduates enter careers in safety as mid-level managers. The placement rate is well above 90%.
Opportunities include (but are not limited to) positions as safety managers/directors, environmental health managers/directors, industrial hygienists, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) compliance officers, and risk assessors. Employment in these areas may require completing an appropriate minor.
Students interested in working for an insurance company as a loss control specialist should complete the insurance and risk management minor (available online or on campus), which is offered by the University's Scott College of Business. Those interested in management-level positions in the construction industry should complete the construction management minor (available online or on campus), which is offered by the University's Bailey College of Engineering and Technology. Employment opportunities are excellent in both the construction and insurance industries.
Many of the program's alumni return to the Safety Management Program to look for interns and full-time employees, knowing that our students are well prepared to be successful in the profession.
Accreditation
The University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
The Safety Management Program at Indiana State University is one of the first to offer a bachelor degree in the United States. The Safety Management undergraduate program is accredited by the Applied and Natural Science Accreditation Commission (ANSAC) of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET)*, http://www.abet.org.
* 415 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, (410) 347-7700
Financial Aid & Scholarships
Students have many sources of financial support for their studies, including financial aid, work-study programs, veterans' benefits, and special scholarships for entering freshmen and transfer students.
In addition, multiple scholarships are available through the American Society of Safety Professionals Foundation (ASSP).
Further Information
For further information and assistance, contact:
Indiana State Online
(812) 237-2345
IndianaStateOnline@casabo.net
The Graduate Catalog and Undergraduate Catalog of Indiana State University are the documents of authority for all students. The requirements given in the catalogs supersede information issued by any academic department, program, college, or school. The University reserves the right to change the requirements at any time.