Department of Occupational and Environmental Safety and Health

Health and safety professionals help protect America's workforce, the public and the natural environment.

Graduates from the Department of Occupational and Environmental Safety and Health at UW-Whitewater are concerned with the interaction between people and the physical, chemical, biological and psychological factors which affect safety, health and productivity. Students are provided with essential skills that enable them to recognize hazards, and to devise and implement methods to control those risks. The Department offers a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Safety, as well as an online Master of Science in Environmental Safety and Health. The MBA with Environmental Safety and Health emphasis is ideal for individuals that are working or interested in safety but desire a breadth degree in business.

More Information About Occupational and Environmental Safety and Health

There is a growing demand for health and safety professionals as businesses and organizations respond to heightened market and societal expectations. The Department of Occupational and Environmental Safety and Health at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is committed to providing high quality, interdisciplinary curriculum that integrates previous and new learning experiences to enhance the student's intellect, scientific expertise and professional integrity.

Students develop an understanding of occupational and environmental safety issues, and the need for businesses and organizations to effectively manage them. In addition to learning regulatory, financial and social rationales that support initiatives in the workplace, they also strengthen their ability to influence risk perception with appropriate communication strategies.

Within a few years after graduation, the program graduates working as Occupational Safety professionals will demonstrate abilities to:

  1. Apply knowledge and principles of mathematics, science, technology in the anticipation, recognition, and evaluation of conditions and practices in the work environment, and for the development of hazard prevention and control strategies.
  2. Employ knowledge and principles of management, business, and behavioral sciences in the selection, implementation and administration of programs and procedures for hazard prevention and control.
  3. Identify and apply relevant safety and health standards, laws, regulations, and best industry practices to occupational safety functions in the local, national or global context, as applicable.
  4. Effectively communicate with diverse stakeholders, including management, workers, consumers, neighbors, and the public, to support occupational safety and health initiatives.
  5. Continue their professional growth and the integration of new knowledge into their profession, and demonstrate ethical, societal, and professional responsibility.

Students graduating from the UW-Whitewater Bachelor of Science in Occupational Safety program will demonstrate:

  1. An 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.
  2. An ability to formulate or design a system, process, procedure or program to meet desired needs.
  3. An ability to develop and conduct experiments or test hypotheses, analyze and interpret data and use scientific judgment to draw conclusions.
  4. An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
  5. An ability to understand ethical and professional responsibilities and the impact of technical and/or scientific solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.
  6. An ability to function effectively on teams that establish goals, plan tasks, meet deadlines, and analyze risk and uncertainty.

Furthermore, students graduating from the Bachelor of Science in Occupational Safety Program will have curriculum that covers the following:

  1. Anticipation recognition, evaluation, and control of hazards and exposures impacting people, property and the environment.
  2. Principles and practices of risk management and business justification
  3. Development of policies, procedures, and systems using research and evidence- based data.
  4. Legal principles relevant to safety profession
  5. Root cause analysis, incident investigation, and acceptable risk causation and relative risk.
  6. Safety data analysis, interpretation and utilization of statistical and epidemiological principles; and trends of injuries, illnesses and workplace incidents.
  7. Principles and practices of continuous quality improvement and sustainable safety programs and management systems.
  8. Applications of adult learning theory and behavior change to safety and health training methodology
  9. Leadership and organizational behavior.
  10. Culminating senior project/capstone

UW-Whitewater safety students earn national scholarship

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Student Development

Along with experiential learning through student organizations and paid internships, and through a number of practical worksite activities and a required semester-long internship, undergraduate students apply their coursework and classroom experiences to real-world occupational or environmental safety and health problems before they graduate. Learn more ways to get involved.

Connect With Us

Department Email: safety@uww.edu

Phone: (262) 472-1117

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