Nov 21, 2024  
2019-2021 Graduate Catalog 
    
2019-2021 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Master of Science in Safety Management


Department of Public and Environmental Wellness
433 Meadow Brook Rd • (248) 370-3562 • Fax (248) 364-8657 (map)
https://www.oakland.edu/shs/public-and-environmental-wellness/mssm/

Coordinator:
Thomas W. Schenk
3146 Human Health Building
(248) 364-8657
schenk2@oakland.edu

► Apply Online

► Class Schedule Search

Graduate Catalog Addendum  

Program delivery

The Master of Science in Safety Management degree program is delivered fully online at in-state rates for both residents of Michigan and non-resident students. 

Program description

The Master of Science in Safety Management degree was developed through a cooperative effort between the School of Health Sciences and the School of Business Administration at Oakland University. This master’s degree program focuses on the business aspects of safety management in the workplace and combines an effective balance of core MBA coursework with application of these business skills to safety-related case studies in risk assessment, loss control, risk management, and safety program planning, administration and management.

This master’s degree is intended to benefit college graduates and in-service safety professionals with a safety-related bachelor’s degree or other bachelor’s degree coupled with safety-related work experience or required prerequisite safety courses. The goal of the MSSM degree program is to provide the business analytical tools and skills necessary for making sound management decisions in business and industry as they relate to occupational safety, health, and environmental issues in the workplace. Upon completion of this program of study, the graduate should be able to:

  • Communicate effectively with top management and cost justify interventions necessary to protect employees, property, and the environment.
  • Enhance management commitment to workplace improvements through development of better management understanding of the safety and health.
  • Develop increased employee involvement and interventions through better understanding of the business ramifications and needs for safety and health.
  • Implement safety and health programs/interventions that optimize business and safety performance in unison.
  • Develop return of investment evaluations that demonstrate understanding for the financial and operational impacts of safety.
  • Effectively integrate occupational safety and health programs that play a significant role in business total quality management efforts and that enhance operational efficiency and productivity.
  • Translate ethical, legal, and operational needs for safety and health program/interventions into terms that enable corporate manager to recognize a valid business need.
  • Identify strategies that align safety and health improvements with organizational priorities.
  • Demonstrate that safety in the workplace makes good business sense.
  • Contribute as a key member of an organizational management team.
  • Apply strategies and tools to integrate Safety & Health into business management to drive an organization towards sustainability.

Admission terms and application deadlines

Before an applicant’s file can be reviewed for full program admission, all application documents must be received in Oakland University Graduate School by the semester deadlines listed below. Incomplete applications will not be sent to departments for admission review.

  • February 15 (early) April 15 (regular) and July 15 (late) for fall semester
  • October 1 (early) and November 15 (regular) for winter semester
  • March 1 (regular) for summer semester
  • International applicants  

Application requirements

To be considered for graduate admission, applicants must submit all Graduate Application Requirements and additional department requirements by the published application deadlines:

  1.    
     
  2. Additional department application requirements
  • Applicants must have earned a bachelor’s degree in occupational safety and health or earned a bachelor’s degree and have four years of safety-related work experience or earned a bachelor’s degree and completed 22 credit hours of undergraduate prerequisite Oakland University OSH or EHS course work.

  • Earned bachelor’s degrees considered for admission must be from regionally-accredited institutions of higher education.
  • Additional Recommendation for Graduate Admission form 
    In addition to the two recommendations listed above, a third recommendation is required by the program.
    Requirements for recommendations
    The third recommendation must be from an academic instructor.
  • Applicants should have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0.
  • Curriculum vitae or resume
  • Personal statement describing career experiences and professional goals
  • Applicants may be required to take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) and arrange for their official GRE scores to be submitted to Oakland University. The institution code for Oakland University is 1497.
  • Applicants with an undergraduate GPA less than 3.0 with the appropriate academic background and strong letters of recommendation may be considered for admission with limited standing. Applicants who qualify for this admission status must complete a minimum of 16 credits of graduate-level work, with a GPA of 3.0 or above within the first year of their program, to be advanced to full admission.

Admission review and assessment

Admission to graduate school at Oakland University is selective. In making admission recommendations to Oakland University Graduate School, each department assesses the potential of applicants for success in the program by examining their undergraduate records, goal statement, letters of recommendation, prerequisite courses and any other admission requirements established by the academic department. 

Related links

Degree requirements


The Master of Science in Safety Management degree is awarded upon satisfactory completion of a minimum of 35 credits in an approved program of study.

Satisfactory academic standing


Satisfactory Academic Progress is the term used to denote a student’s successful completion of coursework toward a certificate or degree. Federal regulations require the Office of Financial Aid to monitor Satisfactory Academic Progress for all financial aid recipients each semester.

Students who fall behind in their coursework, or fail to achieve minimum standards for grade point average and completion of classes, may lose their eligibility for all types of federal, state and university aid. Contact the Office of Financial Aid for additional details.

Good academic standing


All graduate students are expected to remain in good academic standing throughout the entire course of their graduate program. To be in good academic standing, a graduate student must make satisfactory progress toward fulfilling degree requirements, including the completion of critical degree milestones as set forth by the academic program. The student must also maintain a minimum semester and overall GPA of 3.0.

Good academic standing is a requirement for:

  • Holding a Graduate Assistantship
  • Receiving a fellowship or scholarship
  • Advancing to candidacy for a graduate degree
  • Going on a leave of absence
  • Obtaining a graduate certificate or degree from Oakland University.

Additionally, graduate students must meet all department academic standards which may be more stringent than the minimum set forth by the University.

Department requirements: Students must maintain a minimum graduate GPA of 3.0 or better. Credit toward the degree will not be given for courses with grades under 2.5.

Graduate students who are not in good academic standing for any reason are subject to probation and/or dismissal from further graduate study.

Related program information


Plan of study

All accepted applicants, in consultation with their assigned faculty program adviser, must develop a plan of study that details specific courses the students will use to satisfy their degree requirements. The plan of study must be approved by the faculty program adviser and submitted by the student to Oakland University Graduate School.

Master’s and graduate certificate students must submit a department-approved plan of study by the end of their first semester of graduate coursework. Doctoral students must submit an approved plan of study prior to completion of the first year of coursework. (See the Graduate Student Responsibility  section of this catalog.)

Note:  Credit granted for successful completion of a course toward an undergraduate degree program may not be repeated for a graduate degree. If a substitution is approved, the minimum number of program-approved graduate credits will be required. A Petition of Exception - OU Course Waiver/ Substitution requesting the substitution must be approved.

Academic advising

Upon acceptance into the program students are assigned a faculty adviser who will assist the student in developing a plan of study.

Time limits

If more than six years have passed since the student has been admitted to the MSSM program, and all requirements have not been completed, the student must petition the program coordinator and Oakland University Graduate School for an extension. Students who are deemed inactive may be dropped from the program, although they may petition for reinstatement.