Associate of Applied Science in Occupational Safety and Health

The Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Occupational Safety and Health prepares students for employment as safety professionals in a variety of industries, including construction, petroleum, mining, tourism, and government agencies.

Program coursework includes hazardous materials, safety training methods, ergonomics, industrial hygiene, injury prevention, epidemiology, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards, and safety program management and record keeping.

Admission Requirements

• Complete the Admission Requirements for Associate Degrees.

Graduation Requirements

• Complete the General University Requirements for Associate Degrees.
• Complete the General Education Requirements for Associate of Applied Science Degrees. 
• For the Quantitative Skills requirement choose MATH A151 or higher.
• Complete the following major requirements with a minimum grade of C:  

A minimum of 60 credits is required for the degree.

Program Student Learning Outcomes

Students graduating with an Associate of Applied Science in Occupational Safety and Health will be able to:

• Recognize, evaluate and recommend control strategies for common hazardous conditions and unsafe work practices.
• Describe the fundamental aspects of occupational safety: industrial hygiene, environmental science, fire science, hazardous materials and ergonomics.
• Develop safety, health and environmental programs.
• Apply adult learning theory to safety training methodologies.
• Identify and apply applicable safety and health standards.

Sample Plan

The academic plan below is one pathway through the degree/certificate. It includes all requirements, taking into account recommendations from program faculty. Each student’s plan may vary according to their initial course placement, intended course load, additional majors and/or minors, and their placement into required prerequisite courses. Any change in the plan below can have an unforeseen impact on the rest of the plan. Therefore, it is very important to meet with your academic advisor to verify your personal academic plan.

Please review the following terms, definitions, and resources associated with the sample academic plan below.

• Each course in the far left column links to a pop-up bubble with a course description, prerequisite requirements, and associations with university requirements. For example, if a course fulfills a general education requirement, you will see that in the pop-up bubble.
• GER: indicates a General Education Requirement. GERs that also count toward degree/certificate requirements appear as a specific course in the plan. For these courses, "GER" is not indicated explicitly in the table, but if you click on the course, you will see the course's GER status in the pop-up bubble.
• Program Elective: indicates a specific course selection determined by program faculty to fulfill a degree/certificate requirement. Students should seek assistance from their academic advisor.
• Elective: indicates an open selection of 100-400 level university courses to fulfill elective credits needed to meet the minimum total credits toward the degree/certificate.
• Upper Division Program Elective: indicates a specific 300-400 level course selection determined by the program faculty to fulfill a degree/certificate requirement. Students should seek assistance from their academic advisor.
• Upper Division Elective: indicates an open selection of 300-400 level courses to fulfill elective credits needed to meet the minimum total credits toward the degree/certificate. These courses must be upper division in order to meet General University Requirements for the particular degree/certificate type.