Master of Science in
Occupational Safety Management

Students benefit from course work delivered on campus with access to real-world aviation safety operations, plus the added flexibility of completing some courses online. The program is made up of nine courses and students can choose a thesis option, graduate capstone option, or participation in an internship. Thirty-six credits are required for students completing a thesis, and thirty-three credits are required for those completing the capstone. Courses include safety-related topics, research and statistics coursework.

The Master of Science in Occupational Safety Management is designated as a BCSP Qualified Academic Program, and graduates are eligible to apply for the BCSP Graduate Safety Practitioner® (GSP) designation. The GSP designation is an alternate path to the Certified Safety Professional® (CSP), waiving the requirement to sit for the ASP exam. For information on the GSP go to https://www.bcsp.org/GSP.

The Master of Science in Occupational Safety Management (MSOSM) at Embry-Riddle Worldwide prepares its graduates to effectively manage workplace safety and occupational health hazards in diverse environments. Through rigorous academic experience, students acquire the knowledge, skills, and abilities to succeed as a safety professional or in a leadership position in the safety, health, and environmental fields. Professionals who hold graduate degrees in safety are in high demand and will be for some time. A master's degree in Occupational Safety Management prepares graduates for occupational safety, health, and environmental managerial positions in various industries — from manufacturing, healthcare, and construction to military and government.

Worldwide students are a part of the Embry-Riddle family, which means they learn from distinguished faculty members whose professional experience complements their academic backgrounds. The Master of Science in Occupational Safety Management degree program, in particular, is led by faculty members who have proven expertise in safety or related fields, including industrial hygiene, environmental science/engineering, ergonomics/human factors, and systems safety. And some are also highly credentialed in their specific fields — Certified Safety Professionals, Professional Engineers, and Certified Industrial Hygienists. The MSOSM coursework also helps prepare students for certification by the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP).

The Master of Science in Occupational Safety Management is a BCSP Qualified Academic Program (QAP). A QAP is an academic degree program in safety, health and/or environmental practices meeting BCSP standards for participation and whose curriculum matches the Associate Safety Professional® (ASP) blueprint.

As a BCSP QAP, graduates of the Occupational Safety Management program can apply for and receive the Graduate Safety Practitioner® (GSP) designation. The GSP designation is an alternate path to the Certified Safety Professional® (CSP), waiving the requirement to sit for the Associate Safety Professional® (ASP) exam. The GSP is not a certification, and graduates must apply at the link provided below.

Benefits of GSP designation are:

• Recognition for being on a path toward the CSP certification
• Recognition for the level of preparation for professional safety practice
• No GSP application fee
• A waiver of the ASP examination requirement for CSP eligibility
• A certificate awarding the GSP designation

BCSP and GSP details provided by http://www.bcsp.org/GSP

The MSOSM degree program has also been approved by the Institute of Hazardous Materials Management (IHMM) as an Associate Safety and Health Manager (ASHM) Program. Graduates from the MSOSM program may now apply for the ASHM credential upon graduation. The ASHM designation is an important stepping stone to the accredited Certified Safety and Health Manager (CSHM) certification. Students achieving a degree from an approved ASHM institution only have to demonstrate two years of experience instead of four to sit for the CSHM exam. MSOSM graduates can submit to IHMM to add the ASHM designation behind their name, signifying to employers their level of preparation for the safety and health profession.

Program Student Outcomes

Upon graduation, students in the Master of Science in Occupational Safety Management program will have the ability to:

• Identify, formulate, and solve broadly-defined technical or scientific problems by applying knowledge of mathematics and science and/or technical topics to areas relevant to the discipline.
• Formulate or design a system, process, procedure, or program to meet desired needs.
• Function effectively on teams that establish goals, plan tasks, meet deadlines, and analyze risk and uncertainty.
• Anticipate, recognize, evaluate, prevent, and control workplace safety and occupational health hazards within numerous industries to protect people, property, the environment, and organizational operations.
• Effectively manage occupational safety and health function within a variety of industries.
• Justify occupational safety and health programs, initiatives, and control efforts through the use of business and risk management metrics, by maintaining compliance with applicable standards and regulations or through scientific evaluation of outcomes.
• Effectively communicate and interact with persons at all levels within an organization and externally about occupational safety, health, and environmental management.
• Practice and perform in an ethical, moral, responsible, and accountable manner in all aspects, but especially in the practice of safety, understanding the impact of technical and/or scientific solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.
• Identify an occupational safety and health research problem; complete a thorough review of the scholarly literature; formulate and test hypotheses or research questions; collect and appropriately analyze qualitative or quantitative data; and interpret and report research findings using scientific judgment to improve the field of occupational safety and health or to provide solutions to occupational safety and health problem.

Upon completing the program, these focused skills and specialized degrees will distinguish graduates as astute and knowledgeable safety management professionals. With this distinction, graduates will be ready to take on occupational safety and health leadership positions – including director of safety, safety manager, safety consultant, compliance officer, and loss-control manager – in virtually every professional setting.

Educational Objectives

Program Educational Objectives are "broad statements that describe the career and professional accomplishments that the program is preparing graduates to achieve." Graduates from the Master of Science in Occupational Safety Management program can:

• Apply a broad educational background combined with strong critical thinking, analytical, and time management skills to lead, influence, and achieve the OSH goals and objectives of their employers.
• Effectively communicate, collaborate, and manage a diverse work environment.
• Manage and lead OSH organizations ethically and professionally. 
• Engage in professional development and mentor others to demonstrate competency; ensure relevancy in knowledge, skills, and new technologies; and maintain currency in changing industry trends. 
• Anticipate, recognize, evaluate, prevent, and control hazards to better ensure safe workplaces and develop best practices.