Montana Tech conducts two NIOSH-supported training programs under a single grant. An undergraduate program leads to a B.S. degree in Occupational Safety and Health (OSH). A graduate program leads to an M.S. degree in Industrial Hygiene (IH). Both programs are housed in the Safety, Health, and Industrial Hygiene Department. Six faculty members in the Department are substantially involved in teaching and research in safety, health, and industrial hygiene. The undergraduate OSH curriculum provides a comprehensive education to develop graduates with capability for serving as exceptional safety and health professionals as well as contributing to society in general. The firsts two years of the program focus on foundation disciplines including general chemistry, college physics, calculus, organic chemistry, statistics and English composition. Humanities and social sciences are distributed throughout the four year curriculum. OSH courses are in the second through fourth years of the program. Of the 128 hours in the curriculum, at least 35 credits are OSH courses. The graduate program aims to develop exceptional IH professionals. The curriculum provides a full range of IH courses, supporting electives, and a research experience. The ABET accreditation curriculum requires 37 credit hours consisting of 28 hours of lecture courses, two hours of IH seminar, six hours of thesis research, and a one-credit technical writing seminar. A thesis is required and defended at an oral examination. Graduates of both degree programs are in high demand by private industries and governmental agencies. Graduates typically take professional positions in occupational safety or industrial hygiene. The graduates tend to stay in the field and spend their entire career preventing occupational injuries and diseases.
