Degree Offered
- Masters of Science, Safety Management (M.S.)
Masters of Science, Safety Management
The mission of the safety management program is to prepare program graduates to meet the safety mission of any enterprise. This is stated simply as: The safety mission of an organization is to protect, conserve, and improve the resources—people, property, and efficacy—of the organization. The Master's of Science with a major in Safety Management is accredited by the Applied and Natural Sciences Accreditation Commission (ANSAC) of ABET, http://www.abet.org.
Program Educational Objectives
Drawing from the university's mission, the program mission, the needs of our constituents, and the criteria of the Applied and Natural Sciences Accreditation Commission of ABET, the following educational objectives were developed for the Masters of Science program in Safety Management:
A graduate of the Safety Management program will be able to:
- Communicate effectively, orally and in writing, including the transmission of safety data to management and employees.
- Demonstrate knowledge and skills in the area of safety management.
- Demonstrate knowledge of ethical and professional responsibilities and knowledge of applicable legislation and regulations.
- Demonstrate the ability to apply various research activities through the decision-making process used in safety management.
Admissions for 2025-2026
Master Admissions
To be eligible for admission into the Master of Science in Safety Management degree program, a candidate must fulfill the following requirements:
- Official transcripts of all previous college course work
- A statement of purpose.
- ABET-ANSAC prerequisite course requirements:
- sixty-three credit hours of approved science, mathematics, and other technical courses. Of these, at least fifteen credit hours must be junior or senior level.
- twenty-one hours of social sciences, humanities, and/or communications.
- Based on application review, additional requirements may be required on a case by case basis
- Applicants must have earned a GPA of 3.0 or better (out of a possible 4.0). Applicants with a cumulative GPA of less than 3.0 may be considered for admission if they have professional or other relevant experience
- International applicants must meet the WVU requirement of English language proficiency.
Major Code: 3085
Curriculum in Masters of Science – Safety Management
A candidate for the M.S. degree with a major in safety management must comply with the rules and regulations as outlined in the WVU Graduate Catalog and the specific requirements of the Statler College and the Industrial and Management Systems Engineering Department.
Program Requirements
All M.S. degree candidates are required to perform research (thesis or problem report option) and follow a planned program of study. The student’s faculty advisor, in conjunction with the student’s Advising and Examining Committee (AEC) will be responsible for determining the plan of study appropriate to the student’s needs. The underlying principle of the planned program is to provide the students with the necessary support to complete their degree and prepare them for their career.
Students who do not hold a baccalaureate degree in safety management may be required to take a set of undergraduate courses above and beyond the minimum coursework requirements.
Curriculum Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required in all courses | ||
| Course Requirements * | ||
| A minimum of 60% of courses must be from 500 level or above | ||
| Plan of Study | ||
| SAFM 501 | Safety Management Integration | 3 |
| SAFM 502 | Controlling Environmental and Personnel Hazards | 3 |
| SAFM 505 | Safety Legislation and Compliance | 3 |
| SAFM 528 | Economic Aspects of Safety | 3 |
| SAFM 534 | Fire Safety Management | 3 |
| SAFM 550 | Loss Control and Recovery | 3 |
| SAFM 552 | Safety and Health Training | 3 |
| SAFM 640 | Instrumentation for Safety Managers | 3 |
| SAFM 689 | Professional Field Experience ** | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| Select three from the following: | 9 | |
| Managing Construction Safety | ||
| Motor Fleet Safety | ||
| Disaster Preparedness | ||
| Security Management | ||
| Fundamentals of Environmental Management | ||
| Physical Hazards Measurement and Control | ||
| Industrial Ventilation Design | ||
| Industrial Hygiene Sampling and Analysis | ||
| Industrial Hygiene Engineering | ||
| Industrial Ergonomics | ||
| Human Factors System Design | ||
| Systems Safety Engineering | ||
| Hazardous Waste Training | ||
| Hazardous Waste Training Laboratory | ||
| Environmental Sampling and Analysis | ||
| Mine and Safety Management | ||
| Foundations of Applied Geographic Information Systems | ||
| Foundations of Applied Geographic Information Systems Laboratory | ||
| Environmental Regulation | ||
| Environmental Health | ||
| Industrial Hygiene | ||
| Public Health Toxicology | ||
| Occupational Injury Prevention | ||
| Public Health Biology | ||
| Worksite Evaluation | ||
| Social and Behavioral Theory | ||
| Risk Management | ||
| Injury Prevention and Control | ||
Any BIOS, EPID, IENG (except IENG 461), IH&S, OEHS, PUBH, SAFM, SBHS course 400-795, as approved by the student's AEC | ||
| Choose 1 of the following options: *** | 0-6 | |
| Thesis Option - 6 hours | ||
| Research (6 hours) | ||
Final Oral or Written Examination | ||
Thesis | ||
| Problem Report Option - 3 hours | ||
| Research (3 hours) | ||
Final Oral or Written Examination | ||
Formal written report or professional report/paper | ||
| Coursework Option | ||
Final Oral or Written Examination | ||
| Total Hours | 36-42 | |
- *
Students who do not hold a baccalaureate degree in safety management may be required to take a set of undergraduate courses above and beyond the minimum coursework requirements.
- **
Students who have SHE work experience have the possibility to waive SAFM 689 and take an additional elective, please see your advisor for approval.
- ***
Credit hours may vary depending on option selected. The coursework option requires 36 hours.
Final Examination
M.S. students following the thesis or problem report option must prepare a written research proposal. The proposal must be approved by the student's AEC at least one semester prior to the final oral examination.
All students, regardless of option, are required to pass a final oral or written examination, administered by their AEC, covering the thesis or problem report and/or related course material.
Suggested Plan of Study
The plan below illustrates the Coursework Option. It is important for students to take courses in the order specified as much as possible; all prerequisites and concurrent requirements must be observed. A typical M.S. degree program that completes degree requirements in one and half years is as follows.
| First Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer | Hours |
| SAFM 501 | 3 | SAFM 528 | 3 | SAFM 689 | 3 |
| SAFM 502 | 3 | SAFM 640 | 3 | ||
| SAFM 505 | 3 | SAFM 550 | 3 | ||
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 | ||
| 12 | 12 | 3 | |||
| Second Year | |||||
| Fall | Hours | ||||
| SAFM 552 | 3 | ||||
| SAFM 534 | 3 | ||||
| Elective | 3 | ||||
| 9 | |||||
| Total credit hours: 36 | |||||
Student Outcomes
Safety Management
- mathematics and science and/or technical topics to areas relevant to safety management.
- An ability to formulate or design a system, process, procedure or program to meet desired needs.
- An ability to develop and conduct experiments or test hypotheses, analyze and interpret data and use scientific judgment to draw conclusions.
- An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
- An ability to understand ethical and professional responsibilities and the impact of technical and/or scientific solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.
- An ability to function effectively on teams that establish goals, plan tasks, meet deadlines, and analyze risk and uncertainty.