Learn More About Our Degree

• Mission, Objectives, and Outcomes

  Mission Statement

  The Safety and Health Management program mission is to prepare students to be excellent, industry-ready safety professionals who have the confidence and leadership capabilities to navigate the complex organizational and knowledge networks necessary to succeed in contemporary safety and health management.

  SHM Core (Aspirational) Values

  The SHM program is committed to achieving the following shared values:

  • Excellence
  • Professionalism
  • Leadership

  Program Educational Objectives for the B.S.in Safety and Health Management (SHM) Program

  • Graduates will be employed in the safety and health discipline or a career of their choice upon graduation.
  • Graduates will be prepared to develop,implement, and manage occupational safety and health programs within a diverse workplace.
  • Graduates will continue their life-long learning through contribution to professional safety societies and organizations, professional activities and training, the pursuit of higher educational degrees, and individual professional development.
  • Graduates will act in an inclusive,professional and ethical manner.
  • Graduates will have good communication skills and are able to effectively work in teams.

  SHM Student Outcomes for the B.S. in Safety and Health Management (SHM) Program

  • Identify, formulate, and solve broadly defined technical or scientific problems by applying knowledge of mathematics and science and/or technical topics to areas relevant to the discipline.
  • Formulate or design a system, process, procedure or program to meet desired needs.
  • Develop and conduct experiments or test hypotheses, analyze and interpret data and use scientific judgment to draw conclusions.
  • Communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
  • Understand ethical and professional responsibilities and the impact of technical and/or scientific solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.
  • Function effectively on teams that establish goals, plan tasks, meet deadlines, and analyze risk and uncertainty.
  • Recognize the need to engage in life-long learning in a chosen professional career.

  Enrollment and Graduation Data

  The following list shows the recent enrollment and graduation figures for the Bachelor of Science degree program in Safety and Health Management.

  Academic Year - Enrollment - BS Degrees Awarded

  • 2022-2023 - 58 - 20
  • 2021-2022 - 72 - 26
  • 2020-2021 - 80 - 26
  • 2019-2020 - 120 - 37
  • 2018-2019 - 117 - 27
  • 2017-2018 - 98 - 34
  • 2016-2017 - 111 - 41
• SHM Curriculum

  Our SHM curriculum was updated in 2020-21 through the joint efforts of the SHM program’s faculty and our industry advisory council’s curriculum committee. The new curriculum aligns with accreditation requirements, while meeting contemporary employment practices. The curriculum adds courses covering important topics, such as substance abuse in the workplace, business law, ergonomics, safety and health laboratory, and project management. Please refer the SHM policies and procedures handbook for information regarding admission into the SHM program.

  B.S. in Safety and Health Management Curriculum 2021-22

  Foundation Courses: 30 credits (6 courses)

  • PSY 101 – General Psychology (5)
  • BIOL 201 – Human Physiology (5)
  • ECON 130 – Business Analytics (5)
  • MATH 155 – Applied Precalculus (5)
  • PHYS 106 – Physics Inquiry (5)
  • CHEM 101 – Contemporary Chemistry (5)

  OR CHEM 111 – Introduction to Chemistry (4)

  • CHEM 111LAB – Introductory Chemistry Laboratory (1)

  OR CHEM 181 – General Chemistry I (4)

  • CHEM 181LAB – General Chemistry Laboratory I (1)

  Professional Management Courses: 31-33 credits (7 courses)

  • BUS 241 – Legal Environment of Business (5)
  • HRM 381 – Management of Human Resources (5)
  • ADMG 385 – Business Communications and Report Writing (4)
  • COM 345 – Business and Professional Speaking (4)
  •  BUS 221 – Introductory Business Statistics (5)

  OR MATH 211 – Statistics (5)

  • MGT 380 – Organizational Management (5)

  OR PSY 456 – Industrial and Organizational Psychology (4)
  

  • ADMG 374 – Project Management (5)

  OR ETSC 455 – Engineering Project Management (4)
  

  Technical Courses: 63 credits (18 courses)

  • SHM 301 – Fundamentals of Safety and Health Management (3)
  • SHM 302 – Workplace Safety and Substance Abuse Program (3)
  • SHM 323 – Construction Safety and Health (3)
  • SHM 325 – General Industry Safety and Health (3)
  • SHM 351 – Incident Analysis (3)
  • SHM 353 – Risk and Insurance (4)
  • SHM 371 – Emergency Planning and Preparedness (4)
  • SHM 377 – Hazardous Materials Management (4)
  • SHM 379 – Facility & Building Safety (4)
  • SHM 454 – Risk Management Principles and Practices (4)
  • SHM 471 – Fundamentals of Industrial Hygiene (4)
  • SHM 472 – Ergonomics (3)
  • SHM 474 – Safety and Health Management Systems (4)
  • SHM 477 – Environmental Management (4)
  • SHM 480 – Safety and Health Laboratory (2)
  • SHM 481 – Evolving Issues in Safety and Health Management (2)
  • SHM 485 – Safety and Health Management Capstone (3)
  • SHM 490 – Cooperative Education (Required 400 hours of internship) (6)

  B.S. Degree Program Total Credits: 124-126

• Course Fees

  Please see the CWU course catalogue to check if course fees apply to you.

• Program History

  The roots of the BS-SHM degree can be tracked back to academic year 1974-75 when a 20 credit minor in OSH was first offered under the Safety Education (SED) Program. The SED program included two full-time tenure-track (TT) faculty members, Dr. Duane Patton and Dr. Ron Hales. On January 8, 1975, Dr. Patton submitted a proposal for a new Bachelor of Science in OSH to the CWU Faculty Senate, which was approved unanimously. The purpose of the integrated interdisciplinary OSH Major was to provide an education program for aspiring safety personnel in the region. Throughout name changes – to Loss Control Management and then Safety and Health Management – over the last 48 years, the program has graduated more than 750 OSH professionals. More than 80 percent of them are now employed in Washington, Oregon, and California, where the majority work in construction, insurance, and manufacturing. 

Industry Support

• Industry Advisory Council

  About Our Industry Advisory Council

  Our Industry Advisory Council (IAC) was re-established in March 2012 to help the program achieve accreditation and become nationally recognized; provide feedback on curriculum, facilities, and in meeting industry needs; assisting in resource development and job placement; and serve as program advocates. It meets twice a year.

  We are privileged to have the following serve as council members and thank them for their time and efforts.

  • Tony Campbell, Bechtel, Richland, WA
  • Gavin Banks, Turner Construction Company, Anaheim, CA
  • Brian Clarke ‛87 – G.E.W. LLC, Battle Ground, WA
  • Doug Cooper '87 - Alaska National Insurance Company, Seattle, WA
  • Kate Crawford – STACK Infrastructure, Denver (Chair)
  • Shon Devries- Propel Insurance, Oregon
  • Dan Donovan ‛01, – Qualtrics XM
  • John Hogan – DPR Construction, Seattle, WA
  • Mandi Kime ‛01, '21 – Associated General Contractors of WA, Seattle, WA 
  • Kristi May- Hensel Phelps, Washington
  • Mary McCurdy '10, '21 – Lamb Weston, Richland, WA
  • Bill Mitzel ‛86 – Compassion International, Issaquah, WA
  • Chase Parmenter, Clearwater Paper Corporation
  • Boyd Sylvester – STACK Infrastructure
  • Pamela Walaski, Specialty Technical Consultants, Inc
  • Gary Wilson ‛88 – U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Ridgefield, WA
  • Rick Zellen – Zurich Insurance, Denver, CO

  Emeritus Members

  • Jessica Richardson
  • Jill Jones 
  • Stacia Rivera ‛00
  • Craig Blackwood 
  • Jerry Shupe
  • Jim Smoltz
  • John Sinclair
  • Leslie Weige
  • Micheal Octave
  • Mike Draper
  • Mike Fallon
  • Richard Andrews
  • Roger Lis
  • Rick Fineman
  • Bill Yahn
  • Ted Davis
  • Clark Sumners
  • Bill Hinton
• American Society of Safety Professionals Student Section
  

  About

  ASSP is a global association of occupational safety professionals representing more than 34,000 members worldwide.  The Society is also a visible advocate for SH&E professionals through proactive government affairs at the federal and state levels, and in member-led relationships with key federal safety and health agencies.

  ASSP members create safer work environments by preventing workplace fatalities, injuries and illnesses. Besides recording less lost time and lower workers’ compensation costs, organizations with strong safety performance enjoy increased productivity, a better reputation and higher employee satisfaction.

  CWU is proud to host the only student section of ASSP in Washington State. The student section works with our parent chapter, industry leaders, and alumni to create engaging experiences for our members and networking oppurtunites for our students. To get involved with the student section, please contact the student section faculty advisor.

  ASSP website

  ASSP Puget Sound Chapter

• Donors

  CWU’s SHM Program produces the best, brightest, and most highly sought-after future safety professionals in the nation. This is in large part due to the generous support it receives through your donations of money, equipment, and time.  From recruiting quality students, to exceptional faculty instruction, to a state-of-the-art learning environment, your investment in SHM continues to support student success, resulting in direct and positive impacts on the safety profession. We want to thank the following SHM donors. We sincerely appreciate your generosity.

  Alumni and Friends

  • Brian A. Clarke
  • Lori J. Ballard
  • Michael J. Fallon
  • Kathryn W. Hales
  • Lee C. Haslam
  • Janelle M. Heflen
  • Wendy L. Hogan
  • Anthony Howard
  • Jill K. Jones
  • Amanda R. Kime
  • Daniel C. Lemiere
  • James E. Lindsey
  • Bill D. Mitzel
  • Sean W. Norman
  • Bradley J. Pettit
  • Michael Octave
  • Brian D. Patton
  • Robert R. Rosales
  • William R. Smith
  • Susan A. Wood
  • Jerry Shupe
  • Steven J. Tusa
  • William A. Yahn

  Corporations and Other Organizations

  • Brian and Elizabeth Clarke ASSP Student Section Endowment
  • American Society of Safety Professionals
  • Construction Safety Summit
  • G.E.W. LLC Solutions In Safety
  • Heill Safety Solutions LLC
  • Marion Construction Company
  • Mortenson Construction
  • Swinerton Builders
  • The Boeing Company
  • The Swinerton Foundation
• Alumni Network

  Safety and Health Management Alumni

  Share Your News!

  We want to include news and updates of what our alumni are doing in future issues of the Phoenix. Send us your latest news (within six months), such as awards and recognitions, for inclusion in our next newsletter to Jennifer Serne. Please include the following information:

  Name, Mailing, and E-mail Address
  Company Name and Address
  Work and Cell Phone Numbers
  Year of Graduation

  Get Involved

  We need your support to build our program’s alumni network. Alumni participation is critical to our continued success. Please talk to program graduates in your network, and encourage them to get involved. Ways to participate include:    

       • Attend program social events
       • Share your success stories in the program newsletter
       • Serve as a guest speakers in various SHM classes
       • Hold safety certification (OSHA 10, etc.) workshops for the students
       • Encourage your employer to hire interns and graduates from the program
       • Become member of the Industry Advisory Council
       • Encourage your employer to financially support the program
       • Commit to making a program suggested minimum annual donation of $50 to the program.

• Add Your Support

  We need your support to build our program!

  Ways to participate include:

       • Attend program social events
       • Share your success stories in the program newsletter
       • Serve as a guest speakers in various SHM classes
       • Hold safety certification (OSHA 10, etc.) workshops for the students
       • Encourage your employer to hire interns and graduates from the program
       • Become member of the Industry Advisory Council
       • Encourage your employer to financially support the program
       • Commit to making a program suggested minimum annual donation of $50 to the program.

  Give to SHM

  Your contribution to the SHM program is needed to help us achieve an even higher level of excellence, as we produce the best, brightest, and most highly sought-after future safety professionals. There are many ways to give, such as general SHM support, faculty development, laboratory/equipment purchases, student scholarships, and ASSE student chapter support.

  Thank you for supporting SHM program's commitment to excellence.

  Give Online

  Choose an SHM giving opportunity by visiting the "SHM Giving Opportunities by Area"

  Watch the video tutorial on how to make an online gift

  Make a secure online credit card gift by visiting, "Give to SHM"

  Give by Mail

  Download and print this "give-by-mail" gift form.  Please fill, and return this gift form to:  CWU Foundation, 400 E University Way, Ellensburg, WA 98926-7508

  Our main priorities are to fund the Dr. Patton Scholarship Endowment, and the SHM Program Support Fund, which will be utilized towards recruitment efforts to increase student diversity. For more information regarding making a gift, contact Jennifer Serne.

  CWU Foundation, 400 E. University Way, Ellensburg, WA 98926-7507