Board of Certified Safety Professionals Recognizes Columbia Southern University Master’s in Occupational Safety and Health as a Qualified Academic Program

ORANGE BEACH, Ala.– Columbia Southern University’s Master of Science in occupational safety and health degree program, and its environmental management concentration, was recently named as a Graduate Safety Practitioner® Qualified Academic Program by the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP).

The BCSP—a leader in high-quality credentialing for safety, health and environmental practitioners — acknowledged the degree program and concentration as Qualified Academic Programs (QAP) after a thorough review of each curriculum.

“After reviewing Columbia Southern University’s Master of Science in occupational safety and health and its concentration, the program showed a substantial match to the Associate Safety Professional® (ASP®) examination blueprint,” said the CEO of BCSP, Dr. Treasa Turnbeaugh, CSP, ASP, CET, CAE. “BCSP looks forward to recognizing the program’s graduates and supporting them in the development of their careers.”

The Master of Science in occupational safety and health is the university’s latest Qualified Academic Program. In 2017, the BCSP listed CSU’s Bachelor of Science in occupational safety and health as a QAP.

“Students who graduated on or after Jan. 1, 2016 from our master’s in occupational safety and health or its environmental management concentration will be able to apply for the Graduate Safety Practitioner designation through the BCSP,” said CSU’s academic program director for occupational safety and health and environmental management Dr. Dan Corcoran, CIH, CSP. “The GSP designation indicates that you have completed an academic degree program that has met the rigorous quality standards from the BCSP. Having the designation also allows you to waive the ASP examination requirement for Certified Safety Professionals® (CSP®) eligibility.”

Safety professionals who have the GSP designation receive the following benefits: 

• A certificate awarding the GSP designation.
• A waiver of the ASP examination requirement for CSP eligibility.
• Recognition for being on a path toward the CSP certification.
• Recognition for the level of preparation for professional safety practice.
• Recognition within the BCSP credential holder directory.
• Use of the BCSP Career Center.
• Use of the BCSP Mentorship Program.

The CSP exam requires four years of professional safety experience, among other requirements.