Occupational Injury Prevention Research Training
Occupational Injury Prevention Research Training (OIPRT) prepares students to evaluate workplace hazards, design and implement preventive interventions, and evaluate the efficacy of prevention efforts. Students who pursue this program, gain the opportunity to work closely with the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, the Department of Mechanical Engineering in addition to gaining valuable experience in Occupational and Environmental Health.
The Rocky Mountain Center for Occupational and Environmental Health offers two distinct PhD in OEH emphases for training within the OIPRT program. The level of training and coursework involved is determinant of the specific emphasis chosen. The first being the PhD OIPRT with an emphasis in Occupational Injury Epidemiology, the second being the PhD OIPRT with an emphasis in Occupational Safety.
These programs benefit from active participation by the Workers Compensation Fund of Utah, Utah OSHA, the national OSHA technical center located in Salt Lake City, and the Intermountain Injury Control Research Center. Full-time students may receive full or partial NIOSH financial support that can include tuition payment and provision of a stipend.
Current Credit Requirements
PhD in OEH (with a prior Master's degree that includes the core OEH courses) = 40 Credit Hours
This requirement is applicable for students with a Master of Science in Occupational Health (MSOH), Master of Occupational Health (MOH) or an equivalent degree (i.e. Master of Public Health). Equivalent degree transcripts will be evaluated and considered for transferable credit on a case-by-case basis by the RMCOEH Faculty Admissions Committee.
PhD in OEH (either without an appropriate prior Master’s degree or lacking the core OEH courses) = 64 Credit Hours
This requirement is applicable to students who have successfully completed some of the prior core OEH courses but not all of the core OEH courses. Students may receive partial credit with a decrease in the total number of credits required for the PhD upon evaluation of transcripts by the RMCOEH Faculty Admissions committee.
A complete list of course requirements and degree competencies for the PhD in OEH within the OIPRT program can be found within our departmental handbook listed here: OEH Handbook