MSPH and MPH with emphasis in Hazardous Substance Academic Training

Vision Statement, HSAT Program, Rocky Mountain Center for Occupational and Environmental Health:
"To be the best graduate training program in industrial hygiene."

The HSAT graduate program is designed to provide broad training in public health, environmental health, biostatistics, and epidemiology. Building on this public health core, additional HSAT education and training is required including subjects such as Occupational health and safety, noise and other physical agents, ventilation, industrial hygiene chemistry, and occupational and environmental program management. Numerous other courses are available to the student as electives and each student creates an individual study plan with their academic advisor which meets their interests and long term goals.

This comprehensive program enables students to define occupational and environmental public health problems, identify and evaluate effective solutions, successfully manage appropriate intervention programs, and effectively work with stakeholders. Actual case studies are integrated throughout the curriculum and the student has ample opportunity for hands-on experience using the latest techniques and equipment to recognize and evaluate hazards. Practicing industrial hygienists in government, labor and industry provide practical and philosophical insight into divergent points of view, governing legislation, and evaluation and compliance requirements. Practicums, generally under the direction of a board-certified industrial hygienist, may be arranged with government, labor, or industry throughout the United States or the world. These experiences allow the student to apply instruction in actual practice settings. Inclusive in the student’s preparation is the emphasis on developing applied skills including the capability to think critically in reviewing technical and scientific materials and effectively communicating information both orally and through written reports.

True to our mission, the Center's HSAT education program is designed to furnish an outstanding and individualized course of instruction. Two complementary tracks exist leading to either the MPH or the MSPH degree. The MPH track is designed for individuals with extensive professional experience who desire additional technical and management skills. This program can be completed in as little as one year of full time study. The MSPH program is designed for students with limited professional HSAT experience. It is a two year program and culminates with the student designing, conducting, and publishing an individual research project.

The HSAT program and its degrees are fully accredited by the Applied Science Accreditation Commision of the Accreditation Board for Engineering Technology (ABET) under a program developed in cooperation with the American Academy of Industrial Hygiene.

The American Board for Engineering and Technology homepage:  http://www.abet.org/home.html

A list of accredited programs can be found at:  http://www.abet.org/accredited_programs/ASACWebsite.htm

A copy of ABET-ASAC evaluation criteria can be found at: http://www.abet.org/criteria_rac.html

Students entering graduate education in HSAT must have a solid background in organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, and mathematics (preferably through calculus). In-depth undergraduate preparation in other physical and biological sciences is desirable. Applicants must have a baccalaureate degree with a minimum of 120 semester hours (180 quarter hours) including 68 or more semester hours of technical courses.

Financial assistance is available for qualified students

For Information and application contact:

Rod R. Larson Ph.D., CIH
Director, Hazardous Substance Academic Training Program
Rocky Mountain Center for Occupational and Environmental Health
391 Chipeta Way Suite C
Salt Lake City, UT 84108

Phone: (801) 581- 4800
FAX: (801) 581-7224

Email: rod.larson@hsc.utah.edu

COURSES IN THE HSAT PROGRAM

Required Core Public Health Courses

• Biostatistics (3 credits)

• Epidemiology (3 credits)

• Environmental Health Problems (3 credits)

• Social Context (3 credits)

• Introduction to Public Health (3 credits)

• Occupational and Environmental Health and Safety Management (3 credits)

• Practicum (6 credits)

• Research Design (2 credits) (note: Not Required for IH or HSAT students)

HSAT Courses

• Fundamentals of Industrial Hygiene (2 credits)

• Advanced Industrial Hygiene and IH Chemistry (3 credits)

• Industrial Toxicology and Physiology (3 credits)

• Noise and Other Physical Agents (2 credits)

• Industrial Ventilation (2 credits)

• Safety  (3 credits) (elective)

• Ergonomics (3 credits) (elective)

• Hazardous Substance Management (3 credits) (elective for IH, Required for HSAT students)

• Occupational Medicine Clinic (1 credit)

• Occupational Health Field Trips (2 credits)

• Research (10 credits) - (Required for MSPH)

• Quantitative Risk Assessment (3 credits) (elective)
  
  note: at least 2 IH related cource electives required.

Examples of Possible Related Electives

Department of Family and Preventive Medicine

• Issues in Injury Control (2 credits)Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology (3 credits)Cancer Epidemiology (1 credit)Injury Epidemiology (2 credits)International Public Health Issues (2 credits)

• Seminar in Public Health (1 credit)

Mechanical Engineering

• ME7100 Adv Ergonomics/Occupational Bio-Mechanics (3 credits)

• ME 7110 System Safety (3 credits)

Arhitecture

• ARCH 6350 Environmental Controls I (3 credits)

• ARCH 6351 Environmental Controls II (3 credits)

Chemical and Fuels Engineering

• CHFEN 5305 Air Pollution Control Engineering (3 credits)

• CHFEN 5307 Law, Engineering, and the Environment (3 credits)

Civil and Environmental Engineering

• CVEEN 3610 Intro to Environmental Engineering I (3 credits)CVEEN 3620 Intro to Environmental Engineering II (3 credits)

• CVEEN 5600 Solid and Hazardous Waste Engineering (3 credits)

Communication

• COMM 5360 Environmental Communication (3 credits)

Health Promotion and Education

• HEDU 4200 Foundations of Health Education and Promotion (3 credits)

Management

• MGT 4650 Principles of Quality Management (3 credits)

• MGT 4900 International Management (3 credits)

Pharmacology and Toxicology

• PHTX 6610 Introduction to Toxicology (3 credits)

Political Science

• POL 5322 Environmental Policy (3 credits)