Occupational Safety & Environmental Health Program
Program Description
The Millersville OSEH Program will provide you with an educational environment to develop your future career. Our curriculum offers practical, hands-on training that is grounded in applied sciences. We will provide you with opportunities to network with alumni and EHS professionals, interact with industry experts, and build lasting relationships with professors and fellow students.
An exciting career as a safety professional awaits
"I am confident I will be able to tackle any safety challenge! " –graduating OSEH senior
Fellowship Opportunity Available for OSEH Students
The N.C. Adams ’73 and W.G. Adams Fellowship for students majoring and minoring in Occupational Safety & Environmental Health is available starting in Fall 2022. If you are an OSEH major interested in completing a fully funded minor in Business or Management minor or a Business/Management major interested in completing a fully funded minor in OSEH, please contact Dr. Jack Ogutu via email at: jack.ogutu@millersville.edu.
Nancy Adams is a Millersville graduate who enjoyed a distinguished career with OSHA and has been a supporter of our OSEH program. She has been very active in the OSEH Advisory Board's support and guidance as well.
Select the link below to read more about the exiting opportunity that Ms. Adams is offering to OSEH students.
Occupational Safety & Environmental Health (OSEH)
Millersville University (MU) offers an undergraduate degree in Occupational Safety & Environmental Health (OSEH). The OSEH program strives to develop well-rounded OSEH professionals uniquely capable of protecting employees and the general public from work-related injuries and illnesses, while also protecting company assets and interests. To achieve this goal, the OSEH program has established a Bachelor of Science curriculum that prepares students for responsibilities that can include injury & illness prevention, environmental protection, ergonomics, fire protection, industrial hygiene, safety engineering, system safety and safety management.
Bachelor of Science in Occupational Safety & Environmental Health Catalog Listing
View a Typical 4-year Program of Study
- OSEH students can minor in any of the concentrations offered in the Department of Applied Engineering, Safety & Technology.
Click here to view a typical 4-year program of study. This is provided for reference only. You will work closely with your advisor to determine the best way for you to complete your degree.
Program Learning Objectives
The OSEH program is designed for people interested in professions in the occupational safety and environmental health fields. Objectives of the program include:
- Prepare students to enter the occupational safety and environmental health profession as a generalist with the skills necessary to begin a successful career.
- Encourage interest in continued professional development and lifelong learning through formal graduate study and other professional development courses, programs, and opportunities.
- Foster the students’ ability to apply knowledge of math, science, and apply scientific principles to resolve safety and environmental health related issues.
- Provide the fundamental education necessary to achieve the academic eligibility requirements to qualify for professional certification exams in Occupational Safety & Health.
- Provide a solid educational foundation on which the graduate can build a career in an OSEH field, as well as pursue a multitude of broad scientific, social, and culturally based opportunities.
- Prepare students to function within multidisciplinary team environments.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
Graduates of the B.S. OSEH program will demonstrate:
- An ability to identify, formulate, and solve broadly defined technical or scientific problems by applying knowledge of mathematics and science and/or technical topics to areas relevant to the discipline.
- An ability to formulate or design a system, process, procedure or program for the intended purpose.
- 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.
Internship Opportunities
The internship requirement in the Occupational Safety & Environmental Health (OSEH) program at Millersville University has always been considered the most valuable component of our students’ academic experience. The typical OSEH Intern has completed four years of undergraduate studies, with a balance of courses in safety, environmental health, and the sciences. Through the Internship, students make a very important transition from college study about a profession to actual experience within that profession. Interns are expected to work a regular shift of approximately 40 hours per week for a full semester.
Minor in Occupational Safety
A minor in Occupational Safety is available for students from any discipline.
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Download the Info
Click on the image or click here to download the Occupational Safety & Environmental Health Information Sheet.
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OSEH Program Coordinator
Dr. Betty-Jo Bowers is the program coordinator for the Occupational Safety & Environmental Health program. Please email Dr. Bowers if you have any questions about the OSEH program, or if you would like more information. Her email address is Betty-Jo.Bowers@millersville.edu.
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Schedule a visit to Applied Engineering, Safety & Technology
University Open House Days and Personal Tours Available.
The best way to get to know us is to come and see us!Several opportunities are available throughout the year for you to come and visit the Millersville University campus to learn about the programs offered, student life, financial aid, and the application process. Please click on Admissions Department to go to their page.
We are also available to meet with interested students and their families at times other than the scheduled open house days. Please email or call us using the information below. We'll schedule a time to meet with you and connect you with a professor who specializes in your area of interest.
Email: AEST@millersville.edu
Phone: 717-871-7237 -
Alumni Spotlight
Blessing Uko, EHS Specialist
What do you do in your current role: In addition to managing the EHS for Misco Products Corporation, I am also responsible for: (1) Ensuring that the registration of our pesticide products meets the regulatory requirement of the Department of Environmental Protection Agency., (2) SDS authoring in GHS format, and (3) Working with the project team to bring the company into compliance with the 2017 California Right to Know Act on cleaning products.
What would you like a prospective OSEH major to know about the EHS profession: My advice to any prospective EHS major going down this path is to stay diligent, never get complacent and always stay ready to learn. Work on your soft skills as well as your hard skills; it would help in building relationships across the aisle. Every individual at your prospective organization will play a role in either making your job easier or more difficult. My dad always said "there are different ways to skin a cat". Never let anyone hold you back. Be the guy or girl who finds/has the solution to a problem.
Philip Overton, Corporate Environmental, Health, and Safety Specialist
What do you do in your current role: At Graham Packaging Company, I have been assisting our plants with environmental compliance and program development. The Environmental Protection Agency or EPA has programs that regulate certain emissions that are released into the environment. These programs are in place to protect the environment and they all have strict regulations that must be followed. Some of the environmental programs that affect Graham are Storm Water Management, Air Permitting, Ozone Depleting Substances, Waste Management, and Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know (EPCRA).What would you like a prospective OSEH major to know about the EHS profession: I believe that the OSEH major is for everyone and I would highly recommend it. In the EH&S profession you have the ability to directly impact peoples' lives on a daily basis. Post-grad, there are so many opportunities that all vary depending on what you are looking to do. For instance, you can work for a private company in a manufacturing or construction setting. There are also other opportunities such as consulting or insurance. Depending on your personality and what you want your career path to be, I am confident that you will find something that fits you.
Emily Seiler, EHS Associate Representative
What I do in my role: I get to do a little bit of everything because my role is preparatory. I collaborate with the safety manager at our large manufacturing site, learning about managing safety, compliance, environmental, workers compensation, and accident investigation. After about a year, I’ll be moved to a new site where I’ll step into the role of safety manager. Right now, I’m spending time on the floor, getting to know team members, and working a day in their jobs so that I can better understand how to help keep them safe.
What would you like a prospective OSEH major to know about the EHS profession: I had no idea what I wanted to do out of high school, and I still didn’t know after two years of community college. All I knew is that I liked working with people and didn’t want to sit behind a desk all day. If you like doing something different every day, learning a little about a lot of things, and making an impact in people’s lives, you might enjoy safety! It’s more than OSHA and legal paperwork, and it can be a really rewarding career if you’re looking for something where you can make a real difference.
Kelsey Kentner, Senior Occupational Health and Safety Specialist
What do you do in your current role: My role at Siegfried USA truly varies on a day to day basis, but no matter what I'm working on, I am always promoting a safe work environment. I make every effort to instill the company's health, safety and security philosophies onto our employees, contractors, customers and shareholders.What would you like a prospective OSEH major to know about the EHS profession?There are many advantages to working in the EHS field, for example, versatility and job security. You have the opportunity to pursue a variety of fields: manufacturing, construction, insurance, consulting, training, teaching, etc. All of these career paths support a wide range of businesses...including many essential businesses! In these uncertain times, companies continue to hire EHS professionals and categorize them as essential employees.
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AEST News Blog and Department Information
Keep up on the latest things happening in and around the Department of Applied Engineering, Safety & Technology. You can see what the students and staff are doing right now, and back issues of the former AEST Newsletter, Abbozzare, are available.
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OSEH Grads May Become
Some of the most in demand jobs are in fields related to Occupational Safety & Environmental Health. The Today Show recently aired a segment for people who were thinking about careers. In the segment they showed Linkedin's "Jobs on the Rise" list for 2024, and Environmental, Health, and Safety Manager came in at number three on their list.
Approximately 88% of our graduates have found employment in the Environmental Health and Safety profession. The largest employers of Safety Professionals are manufacturing, service industries, construction, insurance, consulting firms and the government. A sampling of job titles held by OSEH graduates include the following:
- Health & Safety Manager
- Risk Manager
- Safety Representative
- Safety Manager
- Safety Engineer
- Industrial Hygienist
- Safety & Health Consultant
- Ergonomist
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Top Three Reasons
Top 3 Reasons to choose OSEH at MU.
- An opportunity to protect people and the environment.
- High job satisfaction.
- Excellent employment opportunities & starting salaries.
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Laboratory Facilities
There are four separate laboratory facilities dedicated to the OSEH program:
- Safety Engineering
- Fire Prevention & Control
- Industrial Hygiene
- Ergonomics
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OSEH Advisory Committee
All of the programs within the Department of Applied Engineering, Safety & Technology rely on current professionals to help shape the future of the curriculum. Leaders from the educational and industrial communities are selected to participate on advisory committees. Usually, advisory committees meet once in the spring and once in the fall to discuss curricular issues and to assist in other activities like accreditation compliance. If you are interested in being included in an advisory committee, please contact the appropriate content area supervisor who appears at the top of this page.
Occupational Safety & Environmental Health Advisory Committee
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Accreditation
The Occupational Safety & Environmental Health (OSEH) program is accredited by the Applied and Natural Science Commission of ABET, www.abet.org.