School of Health Sciences - Occupational Health Science
Undergraduate Major
About
Industrial hygiene is the science and art of anticipating, identifying, evaluating, and controlling these hazards. Such hazards may be due to human exposure to chemical, physical, biological, and radiological agents as well as faulty work practices (including ergonomics issues). In addition to safeguarding the workplace, industrial hygienists apply their skills to community issues such as hazardous waste, indoor air quality, and air and noise pollution. In the last two decades, activity and employment in the field of industrial hygiene have greatly expanded due to the passage of landmark federal legislation such as the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the Superfund Amendment and Reauthorization Act (SARA) and the Clean Air Act, along with an increasing public awareness of the need for a clean and safe The B.S degree with a major in Industrial Hygiene prepares you for entry-level positions in industry, medical centers, government, and education. The pre-medicine track is recommended for students that plan to apply to medical school. The honors track is recommended for students who intend to pursue M.S. or Ph.D. studies in Industrial Hygiene.
Additional Information
- What do Occupational Safety and Health/Industrial Hygiene Graduates do?
- The Occupational Safety and Health Undergraduate Major
- Videos about studying OHS at Purdue
Plans of study
The Occupational Health Science Major, including all of its specializations, is ABET-accredited under the ABET Industrial Hygiene program criteria.