In RIT's environmental sustainability, health and safety degree youll become an effective champion in making organizations and companies more sustainable and less polluting and employees safer at work. Environmental, health, and safety is a general term that refers to policies, laws, rules, regulations, careers, and efforts utilized by universities, school districts, local governments, companies, and environmental consulting groups to protect the health and safety of their employees and to ensure their activities do not harm the environment. It's an in-demand field, and top companies are seeking RIT graduates to fill roles that benefit employees, the environment, and the company.
RIT's BS in environmental sustainability, health, and safety is one dynamic degree with two robust areas of study. This major provides you with an in depth understanding of:
Environmental Sustainability: Helping organizations (universities, school districts, counties, companies, environmental consulting groups, etc.) identify, implement, and champion efforts to make their products, processes, and industries cleaner and more environmentally friendly.
Occupational Health and Safety: Protecting workers from hazards, accidents, illness, and harm while working in plants, product warehouses, and manufacturing facilities.
On the surface, these two disciplines may not seem interconnected but in reality, most organizations have dedicated teams comprised of professionals from both areas who work together to positively impact both people (the safety side) and the planet (the environmental side).
Environmental sustainability is a responsibility to conserve natural resources and to protect the planet by making environmentally friendly decisions. Organizations employ sustainability professionals to help develop, implement, and monitor environmental strategies, policies, and programs that promote sustainable development. These include sustainable practices such as efficient water and wastewater management, limiting the use of harmful chemicals in products, using renewable energy sources to power facilities, reducing and eliminating the use of plastics and other non-biodegradable materials, managing deforestation, and more. Those that enact sustainable practices not only positively impact their employees and their communities, but these actions are long-term investments that reduce costs and operating expenses while supporting the environment.