What to Expect

Industrial hygiene students learn how to recognize, evaluate and control dangers in the workplace.

Peter Zavon went from looking at the stars and galaxies to looking at health and safety in the workplace. He completed his bachelor's degree in astronomy. Then he decided to take a master's degree at the University of Cincinnati, specializing in industrial hygiene.

"The majority of professionals in this field hold bachelor's [degrees] in related fields," explains Zavon, who is now a certified industrial hygienist.

Astronomy and industrial hygiene may not be as removed from each other as you may think. Both involve a good knowledge of science.

"You need a grounding in basic sciences, preferably hard as opposed to social sciences," says Zavon. "Being comfortable with mathematics is important, but this is not rocket science.

"As an astronomy major, I know that for a fact. Calculus is coming in a bit more, but is used only by those trying to do cutting-edge evaluations in ventilation."

Zavon says math-related topics studied in this field include basic geometry, roots and power functions and logarithms. He says it's helpful to have some knowledge of statistics, and if you're familiar with simple computer programming, all the better.

Carrie Ziehl's undergraduate degree was in biology. She graduated from the University of Michigan with two master's degrees in environmental health and industrial hygiene.

Ziehl says future students should aim for some practical experience through an internship and get certified once they've completed the program.

"An internship is strongly recommended during the summer between your two academic years. Professional certification is also recommended, but the exams are taken after the program is completed because you must be working as an industrial hygienist to sit for the exams."

Zavon says students must be quick learners who are as comfortable with people as they are with science. They should also be able to write clearly. Ziehl agrees.

"You should be good at science and excited about it and truly care about people," says Ziehl. "Good communication skills are important too, so that you can develop a good rapport with the workers you are trying to protect."