Montana Tech’s Safety, Health and Industrial Hygiene Department prepares students for successful safety and health careers. At Montana Tech, the Occupational Safety & Health degree (OSH) is an interdisciplinary major in health sciences and engineering that gives students an advantage of being highly skilled in a unique major that supports a variety of businesses. OSH students mimic real-world situations in the lab. An intern or graduate in the field might oversee an employer’s safety and health program, or train employees on safe practices, conduct audits of worksites, keep records, or learn how to communicate effectively across all levels of an organization. Nearly all graduates have rewarding careers as OSH professionals working in positions aimed at helping employees perform their work safely in a workplace free from recognized hazards.
Montana Tech’s program in Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) leads to a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree. Nearly all graduates have rewarding careers as OSH professionals working in positions aimed at helping employees perform their work safely in a workplace free from recognized hazards. Core functions for OSH professionals include developing, implementing, and evaluating health and safety programs.
Three national organizations recognize the quality of this degree program:
Many employers visit the campus to recruit students for internships and career positions. More than half of the graduates start their career in one of three industrial sectors: construction, mining, or oil and gas. Nearly all large industrial companies and governmental agencies have OSH programs with career ladders providing opportunities for promotions and increased salary.
The curriculum provides students a sound technical foundation with courses in mathematics, biology, chemistry, and physics. Communication skills are strengthened through courses in writing and oral presentation. Of the 128 total required credit hours, 48 are in OSH. Most of these include experiences working in small groups, writing assignments, presentations, and problem solving. Students and their faculty advisor track progress using a curriculum form found in the applicable Montana Tech annual catalog. The catalog provides a suggested course sequence for completing a B.S. in OSH degree in four years.
For information on enrollment levels and graduations during the past few years, visit the Montana Tech Institutional Research Office web page.
During the first few years after graduating, OSH graduates are expected to attain the following:
Program Educational Objectives (PEOs) are broad statements that describe what graduates are expected to attain within a few years after graduation. The B.S. in Occupational Safety and Health degree program has adopted the following three PEOs:
Student outcomes are statements of what each graduate of the program is expected to achieve at the time of graduation. The curriculum and the OSH course are structured so each student will have built the knowledge, understanding and skills in all 21 Student Outcomes.
The OSH degree is structured to produce graduates with the abilities to do the following: