The Online Graduate Certificate Program in Laboratory and Biological Safety
The graduate certificate in Laboratory and Biological Safety is
one of the few academic credit programs in biosafety available in
the United States today. By making this certificate program
available to students entirely online, the University of
Massachusetts Lowell is providing an affordable, accessible way for
individuals to enter the field of biological and
laboratory safety. The program is designed to provide certificate
candidates with the principles of identification, evaluation and
control of biological and laboratory hazards. Topics include
basic occupational health and safety including chemical and
ergonomic hazards, biological hazard risk assessment, disinfection
and sterilization, aerobiology, laboratory environmental health and
safety management, laboratory design, laboratory hood requirements
and many other subjects.
Audience
Scientists responsible for biological and/or laboratory safety,
occupational & environmental hygienist and those interested in embarking upon a career in biological
and/or laboratory safety.
Admission Requirements
All applicants must have already completed their bachelor's
degree, preferably in a life sciences discipline, from an accredited
institution of higher education, and have taken at least three
undergraduate-level biology courses such as Microbiology, Cell
Biology, and/or Molecular Biology or Biochemistry prior to applying
into the program.
Required Courses
19.508 Principles and Practices of Biological Safety - Available Fall 2010!
19.516 Laboratory Environmental Health and Safety
19.525 Introduction to Occupational & Environmental Hygiene & Ergonomics
Electives (choose 1):
19.573 Bioaerosols in Health and Biodefense
36.613 Infectious Disease
To Apply into the Certificate Program
To apply into this certificate program, download
the
Graduate Certificate Application Form
in .pdf file format.
Follow the instructions on the form to complete it and submit it to
the Office of Graduate Admissions.
Please note: Graduate students will be assessed a “First Year Student Services Fee” upon acceptance into a graduate degree or certificate program. Please see the Accounts Receivable website for more information.
Registering for Courses
For registration information,
visit the Registration Information page.
Contact Information
For general advising on registering for courses, tuition and
admission into the program, please contact UMass Lowell's Student
Support Center at (800) 480-3190 or email Continuing_Education@uml.edu
For program-specific questions, please contact Professor Susan Woskie,
Ph.D., CIH and Graduate Biosafety Program Coordinator at (978) 934-3295
or email her at Susan_Woskie@uml.edu
Course Descriptions
19.508 Principles and Practices of Biological Safety
This course is designed to provide an overview of hazard recognition, evaluation and control of potentially hazardous biological materials. This introduction to the field will cover the potential risks of working with biological materials, the use of engineering, work practices and administrative measures for hazard control and regulations governing the area of bio-safety. 3 credits.
Special Notes: Requires working knowledge of Microbiology, and permission of Instructor.
19.516 Laboratory Environmental Health and Safety
This course is designed to provide an overview of hazard recognition, evaluation and control in laboratory environments. This introduction to the field will cover the potential risks of working with chemicals, radioactive materials, animals and biological materials. It will also introduce the use of engineering, work practices and administrative measures for hazard control and regulations governing the area of laboratory safety. 3 credits.
19.525 Introduction to Occupational & Environmental Hygiene & Ergonomics
A survey course covering introductory topics in ergonomics and industrial hygiene. Ergonomics topics include work measurement, anthropometry, biomechanics, psychosocial stress and work reorganization, special emphasis is placed on the recognition and control of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Industrial hygiene topics will cover the identification, measurement, and control of chemical and physical hazards in the work environment including principles of air sampling and analysis, ventilation and other control technologies, and the use of personal protective equipment with special attention to respiratory and hearing protection. 3 credits.
19.573 Bioaerosols in Health and Biodefense
The critical roles of bioaerosols in human health and of airborne infection in many of the major biothreats will be examined using the aerobiological pathway to understand biological agents from source reservoirs to ultimate response. Organisms characteristics, biological and physical factors in aerosol generation, dispersal, decay and exposure, measurement, risk assessment, and control will be examined.
Requirements: Nine credits of biology/microbiology, epidemiology, or toxicology, or life sciences bachelors degree. 3 credits.
36.613 Infectious Disease
This course is designed for graduate students in the health sciences focusing on the pathophysiology of infectious disease. Major infectious organisms will be discussed as biological models and presented in the way they affect major systems of the body. Emphasis will be placed on journal readings describing significant episodes of emerging infections and current technology in diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases. 3 credits.