Health and Safety Management & Policy Emphasis

Many occupational health and safety practitioners move into management positions during their professional career. This learning pathway is designed primarily for health and safety professionals who are returning to graduate school for additional knowledge and skill development in OH&S policy or risk management and who anticipate increasing responsibilities for O&EH program management in US regulatory agencies or transnational corporations. Students selecting this emphasis area should provide documentation of at least one year of technical or practical field experience in occupational health or a related area prior to graduate school

Learning Objectives

Students completing this emphasis area will be able to:

• Demonstrate a firm scientific basis for the recognition and identification of health hazards associated with the workplace
• Display skills to develop and implement programs to improve health and safety performances
• Describe government regulations and standards pertaining to occupational safety and health
• Identify legislative and regulatory authorities directed to manage air, water, or workplace contaminants
• Discuss how science, values, and the political process interact in the policy process
• Describe a variety of decision frameworks and how they have been used in environmental and occupational health policy-setting
• Identify role of cost-benefit analysis in occupational and environmental health
• Demonstrate and apply personal leadership skills
• Display critical thinking in the evaluation of occupational/environmental health programs
• Demonstrate the ability to communicate to labor, management, and the community, both verbally and in writing, the nature, risks, and remediation of workplace hazards

Emphasis Area Requirements (10-16 credits)

Electives (select minimum 9 credits)