Safety Technology
Safety Technology Frequently Asked Questions
1) What is the intent of the RIT Safety Technology program?
The intent of the program is to give students the skills they need to function as safety professionals in industry, government, consulting, construction, etc. Graduates should also be prepared to qualify for the Associate Safety Professional Exam upon graduation.
2) Who teaches the courses?
All RIT faculty and adjunct instructors have significant education and experience in the safety field. We emphasize real world practical application, so we have professors who have experience with the material they teach. Credentials include CSP, CIH, and PE.
3) Who are the students?
The majority of the students in the distance based program are employed already in the safety field or expect to transition into a safety related position. Many have experience in safety but need the educational credentials to support that experience.
The majority of the students in the local, on campus program are interested in entering safety as a career. Many have found this career throughthough volunteer as local emergency responders or are part of the campus ROTC program.
4) How many courses does a typical student take at a time?
On campus students are typically full time and take four courses (approx. 16 credits). Distance students tend to be part time, so they tend to take 2 classes at a time, though it is possible to be full time distance student.
5) What is RIT's schedule?
We run on a quarter system which lasts 11 weeks including finals.
- Fall: Sept-Nov
- Winter: Dec-Feb (includes 2 week holiday break)
- Spring: March-May
- Summer: June-Aug
- Courses are offered every quarter.
6) How does a distance course run?
They are typically web page based and accessible directly through most browsers on the Internet. Some need free software for some applications to run (which will be provided by RIT). Students are also encouraged to have fairly recent Microsoft Office programs (ie: Word, Excel, PowerPoint). They may also use Real Player software to run some lecture applications.
Most courses are "asynchronous" meaning that there is no specific time that a student must log in.
Coursework is loaded to the webpage by the professor on a regular basis. The student downloads materials to complete assignments by a certain due dates. Many courses have team projects; some also have scheduled chats with the professor through a toll free conference call system or Internet text chat. There is also a question and answer posting system.
In addition some courses have lectures that are provided on CD (and rarely, VHS tape) that need to be viewed.
Courses are not "self paced." They start and end based upon the quarter, an 11 weeks calendar. However, professors do realize that distance students have obligations (ie: work, travel) and arrangements can usually be made to accommodate requests for flexibility as long as they are initiated early, are of short duration, and the work can still be completed within the academic quarter.
7) I have a lot of on the job training or experience. Can I get academic credit for that?
Credit may be granted for a specific RIT course through our 'credit by experience' mechanism. It should be noted that this is not an easy process. To apply for this, the student must, once matriculated for the degree program, provide documentation specifically demonstrating their knowledge and abilities to the professor that teaches the particular course the student wishes credit for. The professor then reviews that material and can approve the student to apply for the credits, or may ask for additional information, may require the student to successfully complete the course final or project. Note that this decision is made on a course by course basis for each individual student.
Credit by experience currently costs $150 per credit hour.
8) I am transferring credits from other colleges. What is the policy for the transfer courses?
Transfer credit can be granted for course work completed at other accredited universities. The department reviews your application and determines which courses may transfer (grades must be C or better). You will receive a summary list of transferred courses and a check sheet letting you know what is left to complete the program (and also a suggested schedule of courses showing when certain courses are offered). In addition, RIT policy requires that a minimum of 45 quarter credits are completed through RIT. Department policy requires that a student complete the majority of safety related courses through RIT,in order to earn an RIT Safety Technology degree.
9) Is the Program ABET accredited?
The BS in Safety Technology at RIT has been developed to meet the Applied Science requirements for the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. We will be undergoing the review process in the fall of 2004.
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