Environment, Health, Safety, and Sustainability Major Offered at Findlay

Reflecting a commitment to preparing professionals for the environment, health and safety (EHS) industry and a shift in focus to sustainability practices, the University of Findlay is changing the name of the Environmental, Safety and Occupational Health (ESOH) bachelor’s degree to Environment, Health, Safety, and Sustainability. Beginning in the fall semester of 2019, students new to the program will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Environment, Health, Safety, and Sustainability. The goal of the program is to prepare professionals who will protect human and environmental health.

Within the degree, students are able to choose from four areas of focus: emergency management, environmental compliance, sustainability, or occupational health and safety. “The variety of the program emphasis appeals to students interested in any area of science,” said Timothy Murphy, Ph.D., associate professor and ESOH department chair. “Findlay creates problem solvers who can go out and make a difference in the workplace.” The program has a 100% job placement rate in the field within a year of graduating with students receiving, on average, five job offers within two months of graduating.

The EHS and Sustainability Program is the only degree offered in the country with accreditation from both the American Board of Engineering Technology, Applied and Natural Science Accreditation Commission (ABET – ANSAC) and the National Environmental Health Science and Protection Accreditation Council (EHAC). These accreditations give Findlay students the unique opportunity to intern with the United States Public Health Service and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and allows them to network with major leaders in the industry. Additionally, the program is a certified Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP) Quality Academic Program which makes graduates eligible for a Graduate Safety Practitioner (GSP) credential without taking a test and allows them to sit for the Certified Safety Professional (CSP) exam after practicing for only four years.

As the first program in the country to develop a bachelor’s degree in hazardous materials management, the University of Findlay Department of Environmental, Safety, and Occupational Health Management has a history of developing leaders in the field. In addition to offering the Bachelor of Science in Environment, Health, Safety, and Sustainability, the department also offers a minor in environmental, safety, and occupational health management; a minor in sustainability concepts and practice; and a Master of Science in Environmental, Safety and Health Management. The department utilizes Findlay’s All Hazards Training Center (AHTC), the nation’s leader in the development and delivery of customized environmental, health and safety training programs.