Combined Undergraduate and Graduate Training Program

Details

• Personal Author:
  Autenrieth D ; Hart J ; Stack T
• Description:
  Throughout the period of grant support, July 2013 through June 2019, Montana Tech conducted three NIOSH-supported training programs under a single Training Project Grant (TPG): 1. BS in Occupational Safety and Health (OSH), 2. MS in Industrial Hygiene (IH), and 3. MS in IH Distance Learning/Professional Track. These programs are in the Safety, Health, and Industrial Hygiene Department. Six faculty members were substantially involved in teaching and research, while one faculty member provided a supporting role. The undergraduate OSH curriculum provided a comprehensive education to develop graduates with the skills needed to obtain initial employment and contribute to their profession. The first two years of the curriculum focused on foundation disciplines, while OSH courses were concentrated in the third and fourth years. Graduation required 128 credit hours. The aim of the graduate IH programs was to develop exceptional IH professionals. Both MS IH programs required 37 credits of IH courses, and relevant electives. The campus IH program included a research experience, while the MS IH Distance Program required a capstone exam designed to demonstrate proficiencies in core student outcomes. The BS OSH and the MS IH Campus programs primarily served students in the northwestern US. The student demographics of the MS IH Distance Program were considerably different with students who were typically working professionals residing throughout the US. These students were seeking a graduate degree to enrich their IH skills and advance professionally. All three programs are accredited by ANSAC/ABET. Additionally, the Board of Certified Safety Professionals designated all three programs as Qualified Academic Programs, which enhances graduates' professional opportunities. The primary outcome of our programs is the education of capable graduates to help meet the ever- growing demand for health and safety leadership in the U.S. A total of 310 degrees were awarded to students from our programs during the grant project period. These consisted of 156, 30, and 124 BS OSH, MS IH campus, and MS IH Distance degrees, respectively. Undergraduate placement was strongest in the construction industries. The campus MS IH Campus graduates took positions in government, consulting, manufacturing, insurance, oil & gas, and mining industries. The majority of MS IH Distance graduates were working full-time when they entered the graduate program and applied their MS degree to enhance their IH skills and advance professionally. For BS OSH graduates, initial placement into professional positions or graduate school was 83 to 100 percent, while placement was 100 percent for IH during the grant period of support. Graduate and employer surveys revealed that our graduates have made a positive impact on worker health and safety. Faculty provided students many opportunities to participate in research. The faculty and students had 25 publications on topics related to the NIOSH mission, public health, and environmental health. The NIOSH grant provided funds for valuable program enhancement, primarily through scholarships that helped sustain enrollment levels. Additional enhancements included student travel to regional conferences and support for the continuing education of faculty. NIOSH support unquestionably enhanced program quality and recognition. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Education Occupational Health Public Health Safety Staff Development
• Keywords:
  Environmental Health Industrial Hygiene Programs Occupational Health Programs Public Health Training Grants
• Series:
  Grant Final Reports
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Final Grant Report
• Place as Subject:
  Montana ; OSHA Region 8
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  OEP - Office of Extramural Programs
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-21
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20063999
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB2022-100441
• Citation:
  Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, T03-OH-008630, 2019 Sep; :1-21
• Contact Point Address:
  Julie Hart, Program Director, Montana Technological University, School Of Mines and Engineering, Safety, Health, and Industrial Hygiene Department, 1300 W. Park Stresst, Butte, MT 59701
• Email:
  jhart@mtech.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2019
• Performing Organization:
  Montana Technological University
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• End Date:
  20290630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:c02d4be90ad5c209d38155db95473df7fe896b94cd53c5ab44e95d4e723f3f02153dc5c7b77c952a91bac7d25696756890f723b3dca891daa9dbd285bdd8b1ba
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/219087/cdc_219087_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 368.88 KB ]