Engineering Technology, Occupational Health and Safety Concentration, M.S.

Program Overview

The Occupational Health and Safety Concentration in the Engineering Technology M.S. program at MTSU prepares professionals for leadership roles in occupational health and safety. The program offers both thesis and non-thesis options, with courses covering topics such as industrial hygiene, safety psychology, and environmental laws. Graduates are employed in various industries, including manufacturing, healthcare, and government, with a median annual wage of $70,210 and a projected job growth of 7.4% in Tennessee.

Program Outline

Outline:

• The Occupational Health and Safety Concentration in the Engineering Technology M.S.
program is offered through the College of Basic and Applied Sciences.
• The program, geared toward full-time professionals with night classes, addresses dynamic changes in business and industry.
• Technically competent professionals can improve their skills to help them successfully transition into leadership positions in their field of expertise and into a general leadership role outside their area of technical expertise as their careers grow.
• Occupational health and safety specialists analyze workplaces to help prevent disease and injury to workers and damage to the environment related to biological, chemical, ergonomic, and physical factors.
• They may inspect work environments for potential hazards, design new programs and procedures, and enforce public health and safety regulations.
• MTSU's graduate degree includes both thesis and non-thesis options.
• Courses cover a range of topics such as industrial hygiene, fire safety, federal and state safety and environmental laws, safety psychology, ergonomics, toxicology, industrial safety, and safety planning.
• This program offers mostly evening classes to accommodate working adults attending school part-time.
• Faculty members have strong academic backgrounds and practical work experience in engineering, industrial management, safety, and industrial hygiene.
• Graduate assistantships are available to qualified students.
Also, there may be internships, short-term work experiences, and cooperative education experiences available.

Careers:

• The median annual wage for occupational health and safety specialists was $70,210 in May 2015, and the job outlook is expected to grow by 7.4% in Tennessee—almost double the national projection.
• The majority of graduates are employed by industry or government.
Some pursue other advanced degrees. Federal agencies include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Occupational health and safety specialists also work in management, scientific, and technical consulting services; education services; hospitals; and manufacturing.
• Some types of positions held by graduates:
• Certified industrial hygienist
• Chief safety officer
• Corporate safety director
• Director of employee safety and health
• Energy management specialist
• Environmental health and safety (EHS) officer or manager
• Environmental management specialist
• Environmental protection officers
• Environmental scientist or specialist
• Health and safety engineer
• Health and safety manager
• Occupational health and safety technician
• Risk control consultant
• Safety and health consultant
• Safety director
• Safety specialist
• Employers of MTSU alumni include:
• Amazon
• Bridgestone
• Coca-Cola
• ERS-USA
• Feintool Tennessee
• General Mills
• General Motors
• Lockheed Martin
• Middle Tennessee State University
• Murfreesboro Water and Sewer Dept.
• Nissan
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration
• Select Staffing
• State of Washington
• Tennessee Dept.
of Environment and Conservation
• United Technologies
• Vi-Jon, Inc.