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Environmental Health and Safety Degree (BS)

About the Degree

This is a robust science-based degree that sets our graduates up for career success.

The Environmental Health and Safety Program has been accredited by the National Environmental Health Science and Protection Accreditation Council (EHAC) since 1996. We are one of ONLY 28 EH degrees in the United States with this accreditation. This accreditation is considered the gold standard in the EHS industry.

We are the ONLY EHAC-accredited undergraduate degree to offer both on campus and online degree completion routes.


Benefits of the Degree

Our EHAC accreditation provides our BS students and graduates with internship, scholarship and job opportunities that would not be available to them through a nonaccredited program.

  • Some agencies such as the U.S. Public Health Service will hire only graduates of accredited schools for positions in environmental health.
  • EHAC accreditation allows EHS majors to apply for premier internships with the U.S. Public Health Service. This often leads to very successful careers with the federal government and top job placement.
  • Accreditation is recognized by the military and the public health sector as a means of entry into the Environmental Health Officer position.

Our Environmental Health and Safety Program is also recognized as a Qualified Academic Program (QAP) by the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP). All graduating students earn the Graduate Safety Practitioner (GSP) designation.

  • The GSP designation denotes participation in a path leading to the Certified Safety Professional (CSP) credential. The CSP may be attained after 4 years of safety experience.

We are an Institute of Hazardous Materials Management (IHMM) approved school. This qualifies our BS in EHS students to apply for their ST/ASHM credential while working on their degree.

IHMM Student ASHM logo

IHMM’s Student Associate Safety & Health Manager (ST/ASHM™) credential recognizes students who wish to demonstrate their development of knowledge and skills in safety and health management in the workplace while pursuing their undergraduate or graduate degree. Student ASHMs are also eligible for the IHMM Dr. John H. Frick Memorial Scholarship, a $32,000 program to assist our student certificates with the costs of their education.

After Your Student ASHM designation, You Earn Your Associate Safety & Health Manager [ASHM] designation along with your degree.

IHMM ASHM Logo

IHMM’s Associate Safety and Health Manager (ASHM™) credential recognizes professionals who are recent Bachelor’s degree graduates with a focus in health and safety-related fields. This credential puts the holder on the fast-track to the Certified Safety and Health Manager (CSHM®) credential.


Students additionally have the opportunity, through their course work, to earn their:

  • OSHA-10 Certification (on campus only)
  • OSHA-30 Certification (on campus only)

What You'll Learn

  • Aspects of Public Health: Food Safety, Water Quality Management, Epidemiology, Soils
  • Industry Specific Safety: Occupational Health and Safety, Industrial Hygiene, Hazardous Incident Management, Hazardous Materials Safety, Solid and Hazardous Waste
  • Environmental Protection: Environmental Toxicology, Environmental Regulations, Environmental Biology
  • Other Sciences: General Chemistry, Environmental Organic, Environmental Physics, Microbiology


Options/Course of Studies

Current Catalog

Bachelor of Science - Environmental Health and Safety
Bachelor of Science - Environmental Health and Safety (online)

Accreditation, recognition, and Memberships

Contact the Department

Dr. Teresa Boman
Office: Reynolds Hall 228
Telephone: 417-625-9704 
Email: boman-t@mssu.edu