One of sixteen regional education and research centers (ERCs), the North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center is situated in the North Carolina Institute for Public Health, part of the School of Public Health at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Centers were established by NIOSH to assure an ample supply of well-trained professionals in the area of occupational safety and health.

Through academic programs and continuing education, the goal of the NC ERC is to provide quality educational opportunities for those with the responsibility of ensuring safety and health in the workplace. It shares responsibility for the eight southeastern states of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and Kentucky.

Our Mission

The mission of the NC OSHERC at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill is to prepare occupational safety and health professionals to promote and protect worker health. This is accomplished through the provision of high quality interdisciplinary education and training, research and service in occupational safety and health.

Goals

• Education: Provide education and training in the core public health and occupational health sciences, research, and specialty practice areas (e.g., industrial hygiene, occupational health nursing, safety/ergonomics) to expand the knowledge base and provide for the delivery of quality occupational safety and health services.
• Research: Conduct research in occupational safety and health and related fields to advance the science and body of knowledge, reduce work-related injury/illness, and improve worker health and working conditions.
• Service: Offer continuing education, consultation, and advice to help develop occupational safety and health programs and services, and to address important issues in the occupational safety and health field.

Academic Degrees

The following Masters and PhD degrees are offered in these program areas:

• Air, Radiation and Industrial Hygiene (ARIH) Program Area: MS, PhD, MSPH
• Environmental Engineering Program Area: MSEE
• Occupational Health Nursing Program Area (Public Health Leadership Program): MS, MPH (offered on campus and in Distance Learning format), PhD in Health Services Research in Occupational Safety and Health
• Epidemiology Program Area: PhD with a concentration in Occupational Health Nursing

Students admitted to these degree programs are eligible for competitively awarded traineeships which provide tuition and fees, as well as monthly stipends.

Continuing Education

In addition to the academic programs, extensive continuing education programs are provided. These courses are offered on both an open registration basis as well as on a contract basis for specific companies. The courses offered cover many topics in industrial hygiene, occupational health nursing, occupational medicine, safety and environmental areas. Course descriptions, agendas, faculty, etc. for these courses are available in the Continuing Education Class section of this website.