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
- 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.
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ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
The following are required:
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The applicant must be in good standing with the college or university where currently enrolled or last attended.
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Bachelor’s or entry-level first professional degree from an accredited institution.
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Grade point average of 3.0 or above using the upper-division coursework of the bachelor's degree.
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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):
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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.
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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.
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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.
- GRE test is required. Scores should be sent to SOPHAS by using the code 4244.
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Career goal statement uploaded through
SOPHAS.
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Current CV/Resume uploaded through
SOPHAS.
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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.
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Transcripts:
- U.S. Applicants: SOPHAS requires a separate official transcript from every U.S. and Canadian institution attended. Applicants must arrange for official transcripts from all prior undergraduate, graduate, and professional study institutions to be sent to SOPHAS. Instructions for sending your transcripts to SOPHAS can be found here. You will need to have a copy of your transcripts in hand so that you will be able to complete the coursework section of the application. Do not enter foreign courses taken at Universities outside the U.S. or Canada into the coursework section of the application.
- International Applicants: Submit transcripts/mark sheets to the World Education Services (www.wes.org) for a course-by-course evaluation. Applicants must designate SOPHAS to receive the evaluation.
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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
Hudson College of Public Health applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and applications will be reviewed as they are complete. All materials must be submitted by the deadlines listed below for full consideration.
MS in Industrial Hygiene and Environmental Health Sciences:
- Spring: October 15
- Summer: May 1
- 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
STEP 1: SOPHAS APPLICATION
Submit a SOPHAS application (www.sophas.org) 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.
STEP 2: SUPPLEMENTAL APPLICATION
Applicants to the OU Hudson College of Public Health are required to submit a supplemental application and fee. The supplemental application is available via the OU Health Sciences Center website at: https://apps.ouhsc.edu/admissions/. Applicants must select the same program(s) in the supplemental application as they did in the SOPHAS application.
PLEASE NOTE: Fee waivers are not available for the supplemental application.
Fee structure for the supplemental application is as follows:
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$100 for one or two professional programs (Certificate / MPH / MHA programs). One professional program = $100. Two professional programs = $100.
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$75 for one or two graduate program(s) (MS / PhD programs).
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$175 for one professional program AND one graduate program (i.e. applicant applies to both the MPH in Biostatistics and the MS in Biostatistics).
CURRICULUM
| COURSE REQUIREMENTS (49 credit hours) |
| OEH 5013 |
Environmental Health |
| OEH 5103 |
Occupational and Environmental Health Sampling Strategies |
| OEH 5213 |
Principles of Environmental Health and Safety Management |
| OEH 5262 |
Occupational and Environmental Laws and Regulations |
| OEH 5702 |
Principles of Safety |
| OEH 5723 |
Fundamentals of Occupational and Environmental Health Science |
| OEH 5734 |
Noise and Radiation Hazards |
| OEH 5742 |
Industrial Hygiene and Environmental Measurements |
| OEH 5973 |
Communications and Ethics in Occupational and Environmental Health |
| OEH 5980 |
Research for Master's Thesis (4 credit hours) |
| OEH 5553 |
Occupational and Environmental Toxicology |
| OEH 5752 |
Occupational Hazards Control |
| OEH 5801 |
Basic Ergonomics |
| OEH 5940 |
Field Practice (160 contact hours, 1 credit hour) |
| |
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| BSE 5113 |
Principles of Epidemiology |
| BSE 5163 |
Biostatistics Methods I |
| HPS 5213 |
Social and Behavioral Science in Public Health |
| HAP 5453 |
U.S. Health Care Systems |
| HPS 5211 |
Qualitative Methods in Public Health |
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.