Preparation for a career in occupational health sciences requires a well-coordinated, multidisciplinary education, with a curriculum based on a strong foundation in mathematics, the physical sciences, engineering, and the health sciences. This program stresses background in the basic sciences, specific courses in occupational health, and a "hands on" industrial hygiene experience gained through laboratory exercises in environmental monitoring, field trips, and internships.
Points of Pride
- Purdue’s occupational health science program was the first in the United States to be accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). More than 10,000 occupational health specialists work in the nation today.
- In the last two decades, activity and employment in the field of industrial hygiene/occupational health 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.