Program Information | Degree Requirements | Career Outlook

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN SAFETY SCIENCE

Robertson Safety Center and Crash Investigation Lab site

Embry-Riddle's Safety Science Degree Program Helps Make the World a Safer Place

In the Safety Science program, you will learn to give companies safety management expertise, leadership, and guidance about compliance with federal safety regulations and state health, hygiene, and workplace standards. You will be prepared to serve government agencies, the military, aircraft manufacturers, air carriers, insurance companies, and other aviation-related organizations for which safety and accident prevention is essential.

Graduates of our Safety Science degree are qualified to work as directors of safety for airlines, operational and maintenance safety personnel, aviation industry ground and industrial safety personnel, flight safety personnel, aircraft accident investigators, designers, and manufacturing advisers.

Students who enter the program have completed undergraduate course work in mathematics, computer applications, behavioral science, and statistics.

The degree allows students maximum flexibility and the opportunity to choose courses that help them meet their individual professional goals.

Back to the top

PROGRAM INFORMATION

Our Program Prepares You For Occupational Safety/Health Fields

Students who enter the program have completed undergraduate course work in mathematics, computer applications, behavioral science, and statistics.

The degree allows students maximum flexibility and the opportunity to choose courses that help them meet their individual professional goals.

A well-defined process will be used to determine whether or not a student is fully qualified for admission to a specific graduate program. Criteria for making this judgment will include: academic record, work experience, professional activities, publications, recommendations, written statements, and interviews, as appropriate.

Back to the top

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

Our Program Produces Safety Professionals

The Master of Science in Safety Science (MSSS) degree program is designed to provide the safety and aviation professional with an experiential and practical educational experience to enhance the practice of occupational health and safety. The degree will produce safety professionals who are (1) skilled in providing safety management expertise, and (2) who can provide leadership and guidance in compliance issues involving EPA, OSHA, DOD, FAA, DOE and state health, hygiene, and workplace standards. These safety professionals will be prepared for service in either the aviation/aerospace industry or other industries and organizations.

The MSSS degree prepares graduates for several professional job settings such as: director of safety in industry and in government, operational and maintenance safety personnel, aviation or industrial safety personnel, flight safety personnel, aircraft accident investigators, designers, and manufacturers in technological industries including aerospace. It offers an opportunity to explore not only the theoretical, but the hands-on and pragmatic discipline that occupational health and safety has become. Particularly in light of the public and government interest in safety within the aerospace and technical industries, this degree offers occupational health and safety professionals the advanced education and credentials necessary to succeed in the practice of safety.

The MSSS is a 36 credit hour program of study composed of a General Safety Science Core (12 credit hours), a Research Core (6 to 9 credit hours), and electives (15 to 18 hours).

Entry into the MSSS program requires possession of an undergraduate foundation in the areas of college-level mathematics, physical and natural science, introduction to computer applications, behavioral science, and statistics. Students who lack prerequisite knowledge in one of the following areas may be asked to register for deficiency coursework: algebra and trigonometry, basic calculus, statistics, physics, chemistry and/or biological science. The prerequisite knowledge for any graduate course must be satisfied before enrollment in the course is permitted.

Degree Requirements

Courses and Credits

Safety Science General Core
MSF 580 Industrial Hygiene and Environmental Protection 3
MSF 601 Ergonomics 3
MSF 602 Human Factors 3
MSF 603 Occupational Safety 3
Total Credits 12

Safety Science Research Core
MSF 604 Quantitative Methods in Occupational Safety and Health - and - 3
Option 1
MSF 700 Thesis - or - 6
Option 2
MSF 690 Graduate Research Project 3
Total Credits 6-9

Electives 15 - 18
MSA 602 The Air Transportation System 3
MSA 608 Aviation/Aerospace Accident Investigation and Safety Systems 3
MSA 611 Aviation/Aerospace System Safety 3
MSA 613 Airport Operations Safety 3
MSF 530 Aircraft Accident Investigation 3
MSF 605 Industrial Hygiene Measurement 3
MSF 606 Control Methods in Occupational Safety and Health 3
MSF 607 Epidemiology 3
MSF 608 Toxicology 3
MSF 609 System Safety 3
MSF 610 Industrial Security 3
MSF 630 Aircraft Accident Analysis 3
MSF 635 Advanced Aircraft Survivability Analysis and Design 3
MSF 655 Airline and Operations Safety Management 3
MSF 675 Aviation Maintenance Safety 3
MSF 685 Aviation Security 3
MSF 696 Graduate Internship in Safety Science 1-3
MSF 699 Special Topics in Safety Science 1-3
TM 621 Regulations, Ethics, and the Legal System 3

CAREER OUTLOOK

"The Embry-Riddle Connection Gives You Best Shot At Jobs in Safety and Health"

MSSS program graduate students and graduates have a number of opportunities for internships, co-ops, and permanent jobs. Jobs may be in the area of safety specialists (ground or flight safety), industrial hygienists, and ergonomists.

The Embry-Riddle Advantage: The Career Services Office

One of the most valuable benefits of being a student or alumnus of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is access to the resources of the Career Services Office.

The Career Services Office provides career development assistance to all students and alumni of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, regardless of campus affiliation. The Daytona Beach office serves Daytona Beach, Worldwide Campus, and Worldwide Online students. Prescott campus students are served by the Prescott office.

The Career Services Web site offers students and alumni:

A virtual library of job search aids including interview tips
An alumni network which enables students to contact alumni throughout the United States and abroad to learn more about their careers and employers.
Sample résumés and cover letters
Company profiles and employment hotlines
Cooperative education opportunities
Current job listings; and
A Web-based résumé referral service

A career fair is hosted at the Daytona Beach and Prescott campuses each fall. Throughout each year, dozens of companies visit the campuses to recruit students and to provide information about their industry. On-campus interviews are also scheduled year-round.

The Career Services Office employs a staff of program managers to provide one-on-one career advisement, mock interviews, and résumé critique services. The Career Services Office encourages students to make contact early in their Embry-Riddle educations to explore career options and develop a successful job search strategy.

More From the Career Services Office

Career Advisement
Several degree-specific program managers are available for assistance with career choice/change, exploration of career opportunities, and development of job search techniques.

Career Resource Center
The Career Resource Center is a library of information that includes addresses and information on potential employers, as well as information on hiring trends, salaries, and other career references. The Career Resource Center is continuously updated and expanded to meet student needs. The Career Services Web site also serves as a virtual resource center with links to job listings, salary information, sample résumés, interview preparation, and company Web sites.

EagleHire Network
The EagleHire Network allows students and alumni to submit résumés directly to employers seeking full-time and co-op/internship candidates. EagleHire is a free service and is available to all students and alumni of the University.

Cooperative Education/Internship Program
Cooperative education positions provide an opportunity for students to gain valuable work experience while earning college credit, learn about their chosen field, and establish contacts in the industry. Co-ops and internships are opportunities to earn college credit while gaining career-related work experience for undergraduate and graduate students.