MS in Industrial Hygiene & Environmental Health Sciences

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The 49-credit hour Master of Science in Industrial Hygiene and Environmental Health Sciences program prepares professional practitioners to apply scientific knowledge to the anticipation, recognition, evaluation, and control of environmental hazards or stresses affecting human health.

The Department of Occupational and Environmental Health has been recognized as a national leader in industrial hygiene education. The Master of Science (MS) program in Industrial Hygiene and Environmental Health Sciences is accredited by the Applied and Natural Science Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org, under the General Criteria and the Industrial Hygiene Program Criteria. ABET accreditation is the hallmark of excellence for industrial hygiene education. Completion of an ABET-accredited graduate industrial hygiene degree meets the academic requirements for the Certified Industrial Hygienist credential and is credited as one year of experience toward the experience requirement of four years’ professional industrial hygiene practice. The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center is one of only nineteen universities nationwide with an accredited graduate industrial hygiene program.

MS Program Educational Objectives

1. Graduates of the Master of Science program in Industrial Hygiene and Environmental Health Sciences at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center will be professional practitioners who apply scientific knowledge to the anticipation, recognition, evaluation, and control of environmental hazards or stresses affecting human health.  Competencies demonstrated by graduates will include the ability:
   • To identify overt and potential health hazards in the workplace and to apply analytical skills in the evaluation of those health risks;
   • To effect control of workplace hazards through application of the hierarchy of controls;
   • To educate workers and management concerning occupational hazards and the prevention of occupational health problems;
   • To apply knowledge of the regulations of various agencies having occupational health and safety functions; and
   • To function on multidisciplinary teams to protect and enhance worker health.                                                                                                                                                            

Additionally, graduates will work effectively in positions with responsibility for elements of environmental management, such as compliance with environmental regulations or planning and budgeting of environmental projects.

      2. Graduates will aspire to and achieve professional certification, such as the Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) credential, appropriate to their employment history and circumstances.

      3. Graduates will communicate technical and business information accurately and effectively.

Click here to view the types of jobs our alumni have.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• The applicant must be in good standing with the college or university where currently enrolled or last attended.
• Bachelor’s or entry-level first professional degree from an accredited institution.
• Grade point average of 3.0 or above using the upper-division coursework of the bachelor's degree.
• Minimum of 36 semester hours of undergraduate and/or graduate-level courses in basic sciences, mathematics, engineering and technology, with at least 9 of these credit hours at the upper level (junior, senior, or graduate):
  • Basic science includes physics, chemistry, and the life and earth sciences. At least 12 semester hours credit in chemistry, including organic chemistry; one semester of physics; and one semester of biology, physiology, biochemistry, or other appropriate life science is required.
  • Mathematics coursework at least through College Algebra is required. Differential and Integral Calculus is not required at the master's degree level but is required at the Doctoral level. Some computer science and statistics courses may be considered applied mathematics and included in this category.
  • Engineering and Technology courses are those that apply mathematics and basic sciences to creative application and viable solutions.
• Minimum of 21 semester hours in communications, humanities, and social sciences.
• Submission of the SOPHAS application and the supplemental OUHSC Hudson College of Public Health application.
• Career goal statement uploaded through SOPHAS.
• Current CV/Resume uploaded through SOPHAS.
• Three letters of academic or professional recommendation uploaded through SOPHAS by the recommender. Applicants must list recommenders’ contact information on the application and then upon submission, SOPHAS will send instructions to each recommender on how to submit their letter electronically through the online portal.
• Transcripts:
  • U.S. Applicants: SOPHAS requires a separate official transcript from every U.S. and Canadian institution attended be submitted by utilizing the instructions here. Applicants will enter the information in coursework section of the application utilizing the data from their transcript(s). Do not enter foreign courses taken at Universities outside the U.S. or Canada into the coursework section of the application.
  • International Applicants: There are two options for transcript and degree certificate evaluation:     
    1. Submit transcripts and degree certificates to the World Education Services (www.wes.org) for a course-by-course evaluation, and designate SOPHAS to receive the evaluation; or 
    2. Submit transcripts and degree certificates to the Educational Credential Evaluators (www.ece.org) for a course-by-course evaluation, and designate results to be sent from ECE to admissions@ouhsc.edu or to the following address:
            OUHSC Office of Admissions and Records
            1105 N. Stonewall Avenue, LIB 121
            Oklahoma City, OK  73117
• International applicants are required to demonstrate English proficiency by submitting TOEFL (score of 90 or above) or IELTS (score of 6.5 or above) that meet the minimum required score. TOEFL scores must be submitted to SOPHAS using the designation code #5688.

APPLICATION DEADLINES

MS in Industrial Hygiene and Environmental Health Sciences:

• Spring: October 15
• Summer: April 15
• Fall: June 15

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

CURRENT OU STUDENTS OR ALUMNI APPLICATION PROCESS

Application Instructions for Current OU Students and OU Alumni can be found here.

NON-OU STUDENTS OR ALUMNI APPLICATION PROCESS

Submit a SOPHAS application and required fee (click here to review information regarding SOPHAS fees and fee waivers). The documentation identified in the ‘Admission Requirements’ section must be submitted in SOPHAS.

Applicants to the OU Hudson College of Public Health are required to submit a FREE supplemental application. The supplemental application is available via the OU Health Sciences Center website at: apps.ouhsc.edu/admissions/. Please note that the MS in Industrial Hygiene and Environmental Health Sciences program will be listed under "Graduate College" in the online application (MS & PhD programs are listed under "Graduate College' but are taught by the Hudson College of Public Health). Applicants must select the same program(s) in the supplemental application as they did in the SOPHAS application.

COST & FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Student support opportunities to offset costs include graduate research assistantships and public health scholarships. Students may expect additional costs that include, but are not limited to, a personal computer, textbooks, insurance, and supplies. For financial aid information, contact the Financial Aid Office at (405) 271-2118.

Financial support opportunities for students:

• graduate research assistantships - may be eligible for waiver of non-resident tuition
• Hudson College of Public Health scholarships
• fellowships such as the Hudson Fellowship
• NIOSH traineeships

Estimated Costs

Bursar’s Office – Tuition and Fees

Financial Assistance

Scholarship Opportunities

CURRICULUM

ADDITIONAL DEGREE REQUIREMENTS:

• Quantitative Skills Examination
• Industrial Hygiene Knowledge Survey
• Oral Thesis Defense
• Master's Thesis

CLICK HERE FOR A PDF PRINTABLE VERSION OF THE CURRICULUM.

This degree program is subject to the policies and procedures printed in Hudson College of Public Health Bulletin.

STEM DESIGNATION

The MS in Industrial Hygiene and Environmental Health Sciences program is considered a STEM-designated degree program.

A STEM-designated program is an academic program that falls under at least one of the approved categories from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). These categories are recognized by the government for their focus on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) topics. DHS's updated STEM-designated degree list can be found here: https://www.ice.gov/doclib/sevis/pdf/stemList2022.pdf. 

PROGRAM BROCHURE

MS Programs Brochure

Department of Occupational and Environmental Health
Hudson College of Public Health
The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
801 NE 13th Street, Suite 165
Oklahoma City, OK  73104

Office of Student Services
Phone:  (405) 271-2308
Email:  hcoph@ouhsc.edu

OUHSC Office of Admissions and Records: (405) 271-2359
OUHSC Office of Financial Aid: (405) 271-2118

Click here to schedule a virtual, phone, or in-person prospective student appointment with one of our Advisors.