Master of Science in Safety Science

Overview

Safety is a critical part of aviation, manufacturing and industrial design. The Master of Science in Safety Science (MSSS) degree program qualifies you for specialized positions in a rapidly growing, highly paid and exciting field, and provides job placement assistance upon graduation. The program is designed to provide the knowledge and skills necessary for the practice of occupational health and safety in any work environment. Students can concentrate on safety in the aviation environment or in a general occupational work situation. This program trains professionals who provide safety management expertise, leadership and guidance in compliance issues involving EPA, OSHA, DOD, FAA, DOE, state health, hygiene, and workplace standards. The Master of Science in Safety Science is a 36 credit hour program of study composed of a General Safety Science Core (12 credit hours), a Research Core (6 to 9 credit hours), and electives (15 to 18 hours).

Advantages

• Jobs are available! In the past four years about 95% of those MSSS graduates looking for safety positions in industry have found jobs within a year of graduation.
• Students also find jobs through internship opportunities with companies in their areas of interest.
• Most complete general aviation accident investigation lab in the nation
• The MSSS is the only program that offers both Aviation Safety and Occupational Safety and Health in the same graduate program.
• Expert faculty with field experience
• Small classes and personal attention
• New industrial hygiene and ergonomics labs
• Scholarship and graduate assistantship opportunities are available

Careers

With a graduate degree in safety science you will be entering a job market where there are more jobs than qualified candidates. We have placed graduates in positions with employers that include the FAA, Lockheed-Martin, Boeing, Sky Harbor Airport and the Coast Guard.

Positions include:

• Occupational Safety Professional - manage programs to preserve and protect the human and the facility resources in the workplace; establish security guidelines and take precautions to protect property and workers.
• Industrial Hygienist - trained to anticipate, recognize, evaluate and control environmental stresses or occupational health hazards in or from the workplace.
• Environment Safety Specialist - Experts in safety, industrial hygiene and environmental issues. The three general areas of environmental safety include industrial/government sectors, consulting, and contracting.
• Aviation Crash Investigator - Investigates incidents and accidents occurring in the aviation environment. The major portion of accident investigation work involves on-scene investigation, assembling factual data, preparing specialized analysis, and developing conclusions based upon such data.
• Aviation Safety Analyst - The FAA has emphasized the need for these programs in the aviation industry creating a need for aviation safety analysts. The safety analyst is knowledgeable of various tools to access the risks associated with aviation activities. Flight Operations Quality Assurance (FOQA) analysts are just one of these new positions. Safety Management Systems (SMS) is a growing concept regarding the management of safety programs in all industries.

Faculty

Maxwell Fogleman

Associate Professor

Nancy Lawrence

Associate Professor

Gary Northam

Chair, Professor

Eric Savage

Assistant Professor

Bill Waldock

Professor