Work Environment Graduate Programs

Work Environment Alumni Survey 2020 Findings

The Work Environment Alumni Survey 2020: Main Findings report shows the importance and value of occupational safety and health traineeships for students in academic graduate education.

Survey Findings

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Occupational Epidemiologist

The occupational epidemiologist (t he Master of Public Health) knows how to analyze data on injury and illness in relation to working conditions. They learn how to use surveillance data appropriately to assess risk and prioritize interventions and appreciates the importance of exposure assessment in order to characterize dose-response relationships and assess the effectiveness of interventions.

This training is offered as a specialization within the Department of Public Health.

Occupational Safety Specialist and Ergonomist

The occupational safety specialist and ergonomist (the Master of Science in Engineering, Industrial Engineering) is concerned with identifying and preventing potential hazards, whether physical, biomechanical, or psychosocial. They learn how these hazards affect the body and how appropriate re-design can produce a safe, health-promoting work environment.

This training is offered as a specialization within the Industrial Engineering program (Department of Mechanical Engineering).

Traineeship from NIOSH

The purpose of the Work Environment Training Program Grant (TPG) at UMass Lowell is to educate and train work environment professionals to develop and promote safe, healthy, just and sustainable workplaces. The TPG offers an occupational safety and health (OSH) traineeship funded by the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to support some students in the above two Work Environment graduate programs. See the Eligibility & Conditions in the tab on the top, right of this page.

Become a Successful Practitioner and Researcher

Students in both Work Environment areas take a common set of 3 courses. They will meet in extra-curricular events to network and to collaborate in unpacking questions of public interest such as:

The health effects of prolonged sitting versus standing
Population stress related to the changing nature of work
The most common types of injuries in the Massachusetts public sector workforce
The role of burnout in the developmental capacity of healthcare workers
How occupational injuries may be related to opioid use and misuse
Whether working conditions influence personal "lifestyle" behaviors such as diet and exercise
Whether ergonomics is feasible for all types of workplaces
The norms and practices that affect Total Worker Health®
How working conditions relate to the transmission of COVID-19

Since the Work Environment program was first funded in 1990, more than 350 students have graduated from UMass Lowell with masters and doctoral degrees related to occupational health and safety. Graduates have become successful practitioners and researchers, prepared to design and promote systems of production that are environmentally sound, safe, healthy, and rewarding for workers and communities. Networking within this community will be a valuable opportunity for current trainees.

Eligibility for OSH Traineeship Support: Matriculated full-time students must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident ("green card" holder). Interested students must first apply to the appropriate degree program and may then apply for a traineeship.

Traineeship Conditions: Follow the designated curriculum for the specialization, including a three-course core: Work Environment Policy & Practice, Ergonomics & Work, and Epidemiology & Biostatistics. Conduct a master's capstone project (OS/E in Engineering) or practicum (Occ Epi MPH) on a topic related to occupational health and safety.

Participate in extra-curricular learning opportunities, including work-in-progress seminars, career conversations, informal meetings with program faculty, etc. These will seek to support students to pool their methodological toolboxes to understand risks for the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, mental/emotional, and other body systems and how to prevent them.

Traineeship Support: Stipend, tuition, and fees (9 credits/semester) for up to 4 semesters. Limited travel support for professional conferences and other relevant events or training activities.

Tuition costs and other financial aid: Please visit the UMass Lowell Graduate Admissions website for more information.

Graduates are expected to be employed in the OSH workforce as practitioners, educators, researchers, and/or policy makers.

Read more about Work Environment and NIOSH.

Meet Our Students and Alumni

Kayleen Buscemi

Master's of Public Health

Kayleen Buscemi earned an MPH in Epidemiology, UML Class of 2021.
Ross Goding

Master's of Public Health

Ross Goding earned an MPH in Epidemiology with a focus in Occupational Epidemiology, UML Class of 2022.
Ekeoma Ibe

Master's of Science in Industrial Engineering

Ekeoma Ibe earned an MSE in Industrial Engineering with a focus in Occupational Safety and Ergonomics, UML Class of 2022.
Michael Maglio

Master's of Public Health

Michael Maglio is a MPH candidate in Epidemiology with a focus in Occupational Epidemiology.
Charles Smith

Master's of Public Health

Charles Smith earned an MPH in Epidemiology, UML Class of 2021.