Interdisciplinary Engineering - 5-Year Bachelor of Science and Master of Public Health in Occupational Safety and Health

The College of Engineering and School of Public Health offer a combination degree program leading to the BS in Interdisciplinary Engineering (ITDE) and Master of Public Health (MPH) in Occupational Safety and Health degrees. This program is structured to allow students to complete it in five academic years, reducing the typical time to completion for sequential degrees by one year.

This combined degree program will educate students in biomedical technology and public health aspects of occupational environments. It utilizes an interdisciplinary approach to integrate relevant aspects of human health monitoring, ergonomics and workplace design, and public education and intervention for the purpose of creating healthier and safer working environments. This program has developed from university interdisciplinary research initiatives that are addressing the grand challenge of overcoming the human and economic burden of diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic conditions in underserved communities.

Students who enroll in the combined program complete their first three academic years in the College of Engineering.  Upon the conclusion of the spring semester of the third year, students begin concurrent coursework in the School of Public Health and College of Engineering for the fourth and fifth academic years. Students must complete all curriculum requirements and all additional graduation requirements published in the applicable undergraduate and graduate catalogs for the BS-ITDE degree and the MPH degree.

Students interested in this combined program are strongly advised to meet with an academic advisor in the BS in Interdisciplinary Engineering program as early as possible to understand issues related to admission to both the BS and MPH programs, course scheduling, minimum academic performance standards, and others. Admission to the BS degree program does not guarantee admission to the MPH portion, and students must apply to the School of Public Health in the third academic year in order to begin public health studies in the fourth academic year.