October 06, 2011

PASSHE Board of Governors approves new program in safety sciences

Contact: Kevin Hensil, khensil@passhe.edu

Harrisburg – The Board of Governors of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education today approved a new doctoral program in safety sciences to be offered by Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
The program, which will be unique in the Commonwealth and the nation, will help address a critical shortage of safety professionals with advanced skills. It will be offered via both distance education and through on-site experiential learning to meet the needs of working adult learners.
Graduates of the program will have advanced skills in the anticipation, recognition, evaluation, control and prevention of safety, health and environmental hazards in the workplace. They also will be able to conduct independent research, understand state and federal policy in the safety sciences field and teach in both collegiate and industry settings.
The American Society of Safety Engineers has pointed to a lack of a doctoral program in the field as the number one reason for safety programs not being able to fill faculty positions nationwide.
IUP has offered an undergraduate degree in safety sciences for more than 40 years and a master’s degree for 25 years. According to alumni surveys, more than 90 percent of program graduates have been employed in the field.

IUP’s Safety Sciences Department has a variety of partnerships with area industries such as PPG and Alcoa, as well as governmental agencies such as the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health that will assist students in the new Ph.D. program in obtaining advanced research skills and provide them access to specialized equipment.
For more information, please go to: www.iup.edu/safetysciences/default.aspx.
The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth, with nearly 120,000 students. The 14 PASSHE universities offer degree and certificate programs in more than 120 areas of study. About 500,000 PASSHE alumni live and work in Pennsylvania.
The state-owned universities are Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock and West Chester Universities of Pennsylvania. PASSHE also operates branch campuses in Clearfield, Freeport, Oil City and Punxsutawney and several regional centers, including the Dixon University Center in Harrisburg.