Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s bachelor’s degree in safety, health, and environmental applied sciences has been ranked first in Pennsylvania and second in the nation by Universities.com.
This program is housed in the IUP Department of Safety Sciences and Environmental Engineering and is part of the IUP John J. and Char Kopchick College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.
Universities.com uses independent government data combined with student interviews to create its rankings, which consider information from more than 6,000 colleges and universities. Colleges and universities are ranked based on retention and graduation, quality of instructors and faculty, financial support for students, and salaries of its graduates.
In addition to the bachelor’s degree in safety, health, and environmental applied sciences, IUP offers a master’s degree and PhD in safety sciences and a minor in safety, health, and environmental applied sciences. The bachelor of science degree program is accredited by the Applied and Natural Science Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology and meets the Board of Certified Safety Professionals standards as a qualified academic program.
Because IUP’s program is a qualified academic program, graduates from the bachelor’s and master’s degree programs receive the Graduate Safety Practitioner designation from the BCSP. Graduates with this designation receive a waiver of the Safety Fundamentals Examination and the recognition they are proceeding toward the CSP safety certification, the most highly sought-after certification for safety professionals.
“IUP’s Department of Safety Sciences and Environmental Engineering has a well-deserved reputation for excellence and innovation,” Kopchick College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics Dean Steve Hovan said. “It’s very gratifying to see an independent organization recognize the quality of the program,” he said.
The department at IUP was formed in 1969 as the Department of Safety Sciences through a grant by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. The purpose of the grant was to establish a baccalaureate program in safety management for academic preparation of students to be safety professionals in industry, government, and institutional settings. This program at IUP is believed to be one of the first safety programs in the nation and has been at the forefront of the field since its inception.
The program prepares students for work in a wide range of areas, including manufacturing, oil and gas, insurance, healthcare, construction, distribution, government, transportation, and the service industry. The undergraduate degree program requires an internship with an approved company; IUP students have completed internships regionally and throughout the nation, including at Tesla, NASA, ExxonMobil, Chevron, Amazon, PPG, and General Motors. The department also administers a cooperative education program, providing real-world safety experience for students to work with safety professionals in industry.
The department also has active professional organizations for students: the American Society of Safety Professionals (IUP section), an international organization that offers scholarship and professional networking and career development opportunities; the Ladies of Safety, an IUP student organization focusing on preparing students for entry into the profession and continued career success; Rho Sigma Kappa honor society; and the American Industrial Hygiene Association. IUP’s section of the American Society of Safety Professionals has been recognized by the national society as an Outstanding Student Section for the professional development of the students, including their campus and community work, research work, and level of involvement.
“Our success has always been built on putting the students first,” Department of Safety Sciences and Environmental Engineering Chair Tracey Cekada said. “Our well-rounded curriculum and the hands-on experiences that students are exposed to help equip graduates with the skills necessary to secure high-paying positions across various fields. The research work that faculty are carrying out has enabled us to continue to be at the forefront of changes in our field.”
In 2022, IUP was selected by the United States Department of Agriculture to develop a specialized biosafety/biorisk management certificate program, which launched in 2023. IUP’s program was recognized in a December 2024 “Biosafety and Biosecurity Innovation Initiative Plan for the Bioeconomy” report prepared by the United States government and led by the departments of Health and Human Services and Homeland Security. The biosafety/biorisk management certificate program is a collaboration between the Department of Safety Sciences and Environmental Engineering and the Department of Biology.
IUP is consistently ranked as one of the nation’s top doctoral universities by U.S. News & World Report. It has been included in the Princeton Review’s Best Colleges guidebook for two decades years and has been included in Washington Monthly magazine’s national rankings of schools based on their contributions to society. Individual programs and departments continue to gain accolades in national surveys. IUP has also been selected for national rankings that recognize value in online programs.
IUP offers 100 undergraduate majors and more than 60 graduate programs. In addition, students can complete more than 70 minors—including a unique teamwork minor—and scores of specialized tracks and certificate programs, including certificates in athletic coaching, preschool education, geospatial intelligence (drones), photography and digital imaging, popular music, and public history.
IUP has a longstanding commitment to research on all levels and in all disciplines. In 2021, IUP was selected as one of only two public universities in Pennsylvania and one of only 93 public universities in the United States selected for the “High Research Activity” designation by the American Council on Education.