Bachelor of Science in Safety Science

Overview

The Applied Aviation Sciences Department offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Safety Science which is based on the needs of the marketplace. It combines a solid core designed to meet the Aviation Accreditation Board International (AABI) standards and the University’s General Education requirements. With a complete offering of Safety Science courses through two areas of concentration (AOCs), students can prepare to work in the aerospace industry as well as in non-aerospace industries.

The Safety Science degree is designed for students interested in obtaining a strong safety foundation. The goal of the degree is to produce graduates who are skilled in providing safety expertise in a variety of aviation, aerospace and other occupational settings. This program will produce safety professionals who are skilled in providing safety management expertise and who can provide technical guidance in compliance issues involving FAA, EPA, OSHA, DOT and state health, hygiene and workplace standards.

Advantages

Safety science is a stimulating, cutting-edge discipline which has the potential to benefit all areas of life, work and recreation. Embry-Riddle offers a major in Safety Science- an academic field that is gaining momentum. Safety science is the field which industry, government and business will turn to for the experts who will set safety policy in the 21st century. There is increased interest in more sophisticated analyses of safety, along with safety's impact on operations in all industries, populations and the commerce in our global economy. Embry-Riddle's Safety Science program will prepare you for a leadership role in this field.

The field of safety science includes everything that goes into the analysis and prevention of accidents, illnesses, fires, explosions and other events which can harm people, property and the environment. Working as a safety professional can be pleasantly challenging, extremely gratifying and monetarily very rewarding. Few other fields offer the opportunity to protect people from harmful accidents while getting paid well to do so. Since the focus of the safety profession is to identify, evaluate and control hazards, safety professionals work anywhere where humans might be exposed to hazards.

The automotive, petrochemical, aviation/aerospace and marine transport industries are just a few of the fields whose leaders recognize that safety science is fast becoming an integral element in their operations.

With a long history focused on safety, Embry-Riddle is well-qualified to prepare you as one of tomorrow's leaders in the growing field of safety science.

Requirements

The Bachelor of Science degree in Safety Science requires successful completion of a minimum of 120 credit hours and is normally completed in eight semesters.

Students are required to complete 36 hours of General Education courses as well as 46 hours of a Safety Science core curriculum. The Transportation AOC and Occupational Safety AOC each require 24 hours of AOC-related safety courses with the final 14 hours available as open electives. There are numerous minor fields of study for the student to choose from in order to meet specific desires.

Students enrolled in the Air Force, Army or Naval ROTC programs may substitute AF, MY or NSC courses for open elective courses.

Careers

No matter what a company’s business is (manufacturing, transportation, chemical, fuels production, teaching and research, construction, regulatory, service or insurance), hazards will be present in some or all of its operations. In addition, its employees will face hazards either at work, getting to and from work, off work (at home) or during leisure activities.

Salaries in the field range from about $30,000 for entry-level positions to about $150000 for well-qualified people in senior positions. Many graduates, however, have been receiving starting salaries in the $40,000+ range. The average mid-career safety professional with a bachelor’s or master's degree earns between $60,000-$75,000 annually. Keep in mind the field of safety offers individuals a broader spectrum of careers than many other fields of study. In addition, the safety professional can take pride and satisfaction in the fact that the profession’s fundamental objective is to protect people, property and the environment from harm.

Our program will prepare you to provide safety management expertise in aviation, aerospace and other industries. You will learn how to give companies technical guidance involving federal standards from EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), OSHA (Occupational Safety and Heath Administration), DOD (Department of Defense), DOT (Department of Transportation) and DOE (Department of Energy), as well as state environment, health, hygiene and workplace standards. With a degree in Safety Science, you'll be in high demand and poised to assume challenging and gratifying positions in industry, government, and research.