What you will study
In the Occupational Safety Management program you will take advanced courses in occupational
hazard management, safety program management, risk management and financing, sustainability,
industrial hygiene, and gain your practical and research skills necessary for your
career success in the environmental health and safety (EHS) management and leadership
roles
Our ABET-accredited M.S. in Occupational Safety Management also allows you to customize
your study plan and choose from over 20 electives based on your career focus, interests
and goals. For example, our graduate safety and health lab course provides a thorough
introduction to a variety of instruments used by professionals in occupational safety
and health jobs.You can also advance your knowledge and practical skills by taking
our advanced elective courses such as EHS legislation & standard, emergency planning
and operations, environmental compliance and remediation, EHS Risk assessment, loss
control, fire risk management, ergonomics, noise control, industrial ventilation,
etc.
Based upon your education and work experience at the time of application, you will
be admitted into one of our three OSM areas:
- Professional Certification concentration: Applicants have possession of GSP, ASP, or CSP certification from BCSP. Students complete
30 graduate credit hours for M.S. Occupational Safety Management degree.
- Work Experience concentration: Applicants have certificates (such as SMS, OHST, CHST, STS or STSC), or ASP exam eligibility letter
approved by BCSP (you can apply ASP exam eligibility https://www.bcsp.org/associate-safety-professional-asp/).
Students complete 33 graduate credit hours for M.S. Occupational Safety Management
degree.
- Foundation concentration: Applicants need to have possession of a bachelor’s degree from any discipline with GPA 2.5 or above,
and four background course requirements (one semester each of chemistry, physics,
college level mathematics, and statistics). Students complete 36 graduate credit hours
for M.S. Occupational Safety Management degree, including an internship to gain their
occupational safety management field and practical experience.
Excellence in Occupational Safety Management
- UCM offers the only ABET-accredited MS program titled with Occupational Safety Management.
Our program is accredited by the Applied and Natural Sciences Accreditation Commission
(ANSAC) of ABET.
- Our MS in Occupational Safety Management also carries a distinction as a Qualified Academic Program (QAP) through the Board
of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP), setting your degree apart in the field.
BCSP offers our OSM program a $5,000 scholarship annually.
- Most Focused College for Occupational Safety & Health Technology (College Factual, 2022)
Unique learning opportunities in occupational safety management
No matter how you pursue your advanced occupational safety degree from the University
of Central Missouri, take advantage of everything our one-of-a-kind graduate program
offers:
- State-of-the-art facilities: Learn best practices and occupational safety and health jobs skills using the latest
safety and industrial hygiene equipment.
- Industry connections: Network with other industry professionals in Kansas City’s active chapters of the
American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) and American Industrial Hygiene Association
(AIHA). Both chapters work closely with our program.
- Applied projects: Our Occupational Safety Management degree program provides hands-on experience you
need to advance your career in the industry. Gain exposure to new occupational safety
and health jobs through applied projects, as well as internship opportunities.
Earn your GSP designation
All Occupational Safety Management graduates are eligible for the Graduate Safety
Practitioner (GSP) designation awarded by the BCSP. GSP is an alternate path toward the professional certification of Certified Safety Professional (CSP). Only students who graduate from an ABET-accreditied saftey program or a Qualified
Academic Program (QAP) meeting the BCSP standards are eligible for the GSP designation, making it highly respected. Our Occupational
Safety Management M.S. degree are both ABET-accredited and BCSP QAP.
What can you do with a master’s degree in Occupational Safety Management from UCM?
Our OSM graduates find occupational safety and health jobs in a variety of industries, including but
not limited to, construction, insurance, manufacturing and oil and gas. Our graduates are also employed by government agencies and non-profit organizations.
Use our interactive tool below to learn more about how your Master of Occupational
Safety Management degree from the University of Central Missouri will help you achieve
your future career goals.
Check out UCM’s first destination success and salary statistics
Financial assistance options for your Occupational Safety Management master’s degree
The University of Central Missouri offers a variety of ways to help you finance your Occupational Safety Management M.S. degree.
In addition, several scholarships specifically for safety science students are available,
including:
- A $5,000 annual scholarship through the Board of Certified Safety Professionals will
be awarded to an OSM student
- Missouri Employers Mutual full tuition scholarship offered through the UCM Foundation
- A $1,000 to $1,500 scholarship from the Construction Safety Group of Kansas City
- ASSP Foundation Scholarships
- AIH Foundation Scholarships
- International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) Daniel K. Shipp Scholarship ($2,500)
- Don B. Daily Safety Steel Intern Scholarship, which includes a paid summer internship
at a North American steel manufacturing facility or industry supplier
You can learn more about program-specific scholarships at the UCM Scholarship Finder.
What Employers Say
Fred Manuele, PE, SMS, CSP - President, Hazards Limited
“It is to the credit of all who have been involved with the Occupational Safety Management
and Industrial Hygiene programs at UCM that they are accredited by ABET. Only a few
such programs are accredited.”
What Safety Science Students Say
Find out from graduate students in our Occupational Safety Management MS program.
Watch Students in Action
Meet Dr. Miaozong Wu
Distinguished industry leader
Dr. Miaozong Wu is the program coordinator of M.S. Occupational Safety Management
and will answer your questions regarding your application, study plan and career opportunity.
Dr. Wu holds CSP and ARM professional certifications, and his multiple research projects
in occupational safety and health have been funded by OSHA and NASA.
Learn More About Dr. Miaozong Wu
Meet More Faculty
Award-winning, experienced and published professionals
UCM’s Safety Science faculty boast a Certified Safety Professional certification holder,
Outstanding Safety Educator of the Year recipients from the American Society of Safety
Professionals and a fellow of the American Industrial Hygiene Association. Our faculty
are also published authors who are featured in prestigious journals and write industry-leading
textbooks.
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What are the admissions requirements?
Students are admitted into one of three concentrations based upon their education,
work experience and professional credentials at the time of application. Students
must specify which concentration they are seeking admission into. Once admitted into
a concentration, students may not change concentrations without applying for a change
of degree program through the Graduate School and being approved by our program.
All Applicants must meet the following admission requirement:
Possession of a bachelor’s degree of any discipline from a Regionally Accredited University
with a GPA of 2.5 or higher
Additional requirements by concentration are as follows (only need to meet the requirements
of the concentration applying for and admitted into):
- Professional Certification Area – Admission into this Area requires current possession of any of the following designations
or certifications in good standing: Graduate Safety Practitioner (GSP), Associate
Safety Professional (ASP), or Certified Safety Professional (CSP). Other safety professional
credentials will be evaluated by OSA program coordinator on a case by case basis.
- Work Experience Area – A minimum of 1 year of full-time work experience with at least 50% job duties related
to safety. Work experience must be documented from one of the following:
- Eligibility to sit for the ASP exam; An ASP exam eligibility letter from BCSP must
be submitted with application to the program. OR
- Possession of current certification in good standing of any of the following certifications
through the BCSP:
- Safety Management Specialist (SMS)
- Occupational Hygiene and Safety Technician (OHST)
- Construction Health and Safety Technician (CHST)
- Safety Trained Supervisor (STS)
- Safety Trained Supervisor Construction (STSC)
- Foundation Area –
- One semester each of chemistry, physics, college level mathematics (e.g., algebra,
geometry, mathematical analysis), and statistics at the undergraduate or postgraduate
level.
How do I apply?
Complete your application and be sure to provide the Graduate and International Student Services with official transcripts.
Those transcripts can be sent to:
University of Central Missouri
Graduate and International Student Services
Ward Edwards Building, Room 1800
Warrensburg, MO 64093
If you have any questions about applying, contact the Graduate and International Student Services at
660-543-4621 or 660-543-4092
FAX: 660-543-4778
Website: https://www.ucmo.edu/offices/graduate-and-international-student-services/index.php
Program Student Outcomes
At the time of graduation, the student with a Master of Science degree in Occupational
Safety Management will have:
- 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
- An ability to formulate or design a system, process, procedure or program to meet
desired needs
- An ability to develop and conduct experiments or test hypotheses, analyze and interpret
data and use scientific judgment to draw conclusions.
- An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
- An ability to understand ethical and professional responsibilities and the impact
of technical and/or scientific solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal
contexts.
- An ability to function effectively on teams that establish goals, plan tasks, meet
deadlines, and analyze risk and uncertainty.
- An ability to develop a project or research activity resulting in a report that demonstrates
both the mastery of the subject matter and a high level of communication skills
Program Educational Objectives
Within a few years after graduation, the graduates with a Master of Science degree
in Occupational Safety Management are expected to:
- Demonstrate the ability to communicate professionally, both verbally and in writing.
- Demonstrate knowledge of professional integrity and ethical standards.
- Recognize the importance of contemporary, global and societal issues as they relate
to the practice of occupational safety and health.
- Develop, coordinate, and/or participate on multidisciplinary teams to protect people,
property, and the environment.
- Recognize the importance of life-long learning for the purpose of enhancing technical
competencies in safety, health and environmental fields.
Where can I find enrollment and graduation data?
The UCM Campus Data Hub allows you to access enrollment and graduation data for the
University and individual programs at: https://www.ucmo.edu/offices/university-analytics-and-institutional-research/campus-data/index.php
