Master of Science in Environmental, Health and Safety Management
Dr. Abi Aghayere, Acting Department Chair
(585) 475-6664, aoaite@rit.edu
Joseph Rosenbeck, Graduate EHS Management Program Chair
(585) 475-6469, jmrcem@rit.edu
The last decade has seen significant changes in how organizations view and manage environmental, health and safety issues. Increasingly, companies are capitalizing on the synergies among these three areas by managing them together—necessitating that professionals be cross-trained in all three functions. The emergence of voluntary standards and codes of conduct, including international standards, coupled with the need to manage costs, has resulted in a trend to go beyond regulatory compliance through the use of environmental, health and safety management systems, as well as integration of these systems into key business processes.
RIT’s master of science degree in environmental, health and safety management was developed by experienced professionals and designed to provide students with a solid foundation in both the technical and managerial aspects of developing, designing and implementing environmental, health and safety programs. The program utilizes an integrated systems focus to ensure that students can:
- identify and leverage the regulatory, voluntary and business drivers for environmental, health and safety programs;
- design and implement effective management systems and programs;
- design and implement performance measurement processes to verify effectiveness; and
- demonstrate how an effective environmental, health and safety program adds value to the organization.
Distance learning option
The program is designed to be completed on campus or through distance learning in 15 months by full-time students, or in two years of part-time study while working full time. Students can tailor an individual program of study by complementing core and foundation courses with professional electives that match their academic and career interests.
Admission requirements
Unconditional admission to the MS degree program in environmental, health and safety management requires:
- a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or college;
- a minimum undergraduate grade-point average of 3.0 (B) over the junior- and senior-level years;
- at least 20 quarter credit hours (or 15 semester credit hours) of college-level science course work, with at least 4 credit hours (or 3 semester credit hours) in each of the following categories: general or organic chemistry; biology, microbiology, ecology or biochemistry; and physics, geology, hydrology or geochemistry;
- at least one college-level course in statistics; and
- at least one college-level course (or equivalent experience) in computer science.
Graduate Record Examination scores are not required. Applicants who do not meet the above requirements, however, may be required to submit test scores to support their candidacy.
International students are required to submit scores from the Test of English as Foreign Language. Applicants should have minimum scores of 570 (paper-based), 230 (computer-based) or 88 (Internet-based). In addition to the RIT graduate application, applicants must submit two writing samples to demonstrate written communication skills and a current résumé or CV with sufficient detail to identify specific tasks and level of responsibilities.
Generally, applicants are expected to have formal academic training or documented experience in the areas of environmental management (air, water, solid and hazardous waste), occupational health and occupational safety. Academic and experiential gaps in these areas may be addressed through the program’s foundation courses/electives.
The program is designed for professionals in the environmental, health and safety industry that have some work experience. Applicants with less than one year of relevant work experience may be expected to complete one or more quarters of graduate-level cooperative education experience during their program of study. Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the graduate program coordinator at (585) 475-6469 for additional information about the program.
Transfer credit
Up to 12 quarter credit hours of graduate course work may be accepted and applied toward the program if the course work is appropriate. The student’s major professor or the admissions committee must review all courses.
Curriculum
The MS program in environmental, health and safety management consists of 48 quarter credit hours of graduate study. The program is available in both classroom and distance-learning formats, with some courses only available as online courses. The curriculum consists of a sequence of core courses (24 credits), professional electives chosen from the program or other departments (18 credits) and a graduate thesis or project (6 credits).
Core courses include:
0630-720 Environmental, Health and Safety Management
0102-740 Organizational Behavior and Leadership
0630-725 EHS Accounting and Finance
0630-740 EHS Management System Design
0630-760 Integrating EHS Into Business Management
0630-790 EHS Internal Auditing
For applicants who have limited academic or work experience in the environmental, health and safety field but wish to pursue the MS degree to broaden their knowledge, foundation courses may be necessary to bridge any gaps and prepare the student for success in the program. Foundation courses are intensive survey courses designed to provide an overview of the field and establish a strong groundwork for additional study. Any necessary foundation course work will be determined at the time of admission to the program. Up to 18 credits of foundation course work may be counted toward the degree as professional electives.