Industrial Hygiene

HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES ACADEMIC TRAINING PROGRAM

Pete Raynor, Ph.D., Program Director

In 1993 the University of Minnesota received funding for a new academic training program within its NIOSH-funded Educational Resource Center for a Hazardous Substances Academic Training (HSAT) Program. This program is considered a sub-specialty within the Industrial Hygiene Program. The overall goal of this new program is to train master's-level industrial hygiene professionals in hazardous wastes and materials health and safety management as needed at hazardous waste sites and within industries and regulatory agencies. There is a strong demand for such professionals throughout the country.

The specific goals of the program include academic training, practicum experience, and research project work in:

1. hazardous substances management, including an overview of current laws, managing a hazardous substance program, current evaluation and control techniques, and appropriate protective equipment;

2. industrial hygiene sampling and analysis, including air monitoring, analytical methods, and biological sampling, with an emphasis on hazardous substances; and

3. health effects, including toxicology, risk assessment, surveillance, and monitoring due to hazardous substance exposure.

Specifically, students in the HSAT program will be required to complete all of the industrial hygiene required courses. In addition, they will be required to pursue practicum and research project work in an area specific to the field of hazardous materials or wastes management. They will also be required to complete at least three elective courses in areas specifically related to the field. Coursework, practicum and thesis work for the general industrial hygiene program will usually take two years to complete.

See IH curriculum page for example of curricula for this program

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