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Occupational Safety and Health Technology

Overview

Occupational safety and health technology programs prepare people to help safety engineers maintain health and safety standards in the work place.

Occupational safety and health technology programs prepare people to inspect and monitor worksites to help safety engineers. Students learn principles of engineering. They learn to test samples in labs.

Occupational safety and health technology programs include topics such as:

Schools

Many community colleges and technical schools offer certificate and associate degree programs in occupational safety and health technology. A certificate program usually takes a year of full-time study. An associate degree program at a community college usually takes two years of full-time study to complete.

Several colleges and universities offer bachelor’s degrees in occupational safety and health technology. A bachelor's degree usually takes about four years of full-time study.

A few universities offer graduate degrees in occupational safety and health technology. A master’s degree typically requires two years of study beyond a bachelor’s degree. Doctoral (PhD) degree programs usually require two or more years of study beyond the master’s degree.

See schools that offer this program.

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Program Admission

You can prepare for this program by taking courses in high school that prepare you for college. This typically includes four years of English, three years of math, three years of social studies, and two years of science. Some colleges also require two years of a second language.

Below is a list of high school courses that will help prepare you for this program of study:

Graduate Admissions

Admission to graduate programs is competitive. You need a bachelor's degree in a relevant field (science, math, or engineering), good grades, and good test scores. Your math skills should include calculus, and you should have some background in statistics.

Additional requirements at some schools include:

Typical Course Work

Program Courses

An associate degree program in this field typically includes courses in the following subjects:

A bachelor's degree program often assumes that you have taken most of the math courses listed above while in high school. It typically includes the other courses listed above, plus the following:

Graduate Program Courses

A master's degree program includes courses similar to those listed for the bachelor's, but you are more likely to specialize in one of those subjects. It typically includes the following:

Things to Know

Many jobs in this field require a lot of writing and clear communication. Taking writing and speaking courses will develop your communication skills.

If you want a license, you usually need a bachelor's degree from an engineering technology program recognized by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. You also need several years of work experience and must pass an exam.

Schools

East Side Area

Central Washington University

King-Snohomish Area

Edmonds Community College

Tacoma Area

Pierce College Fort Steilacoom

Pierce College Puyallup

Tri-Cities Area

Columbia Basin College