Signifying a ‘Gold Standard’ is Met, Safety Degree from UCM Becomes GSP Qualified Academic Program

By Jeff Murphy, January 10, 2020

WARRENSBURG, MO – The University of Central Missouri has reached a new milestone following a recent review of the Bachelor of Science in Environmental, Safety and Risk Management by the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP). The board has approved this degree as a Graduate Safety Practitioner® (GSP®) Qualified Academic Program (QAP), a designation that provides program graduates the opportunity to apply with BCSP for the GSP designation after graduation.

The GSP meets the credential requirement for the Certified Safety Professional® (CSP®), the “gold standard” in safety certification, allowing those who hold the designation to waive the Associate Safety Professional® (ASP®) certification examination. It demonstrates accomplishment and commitment to professional development.

“We welcome the University of Central Missouri’s exceptional safety program and those who graduate from it,” says the CEO of BCSP, Dr. Treasa Turnbeaugh, CSP, ASP, CET, CAE. “Those who graduate from GSP Qualified Academic Programs have a strong foundation of knowledge that deserves recognition and BCSP looks forward to supporting them in the development of their careers.”

Leigh Ann Blunt, chair of the School of Geoscience, Physics, and Safety, said the new program designation represents “opportunity in action. Obtaining the GSP helps students advance their careers and also saves them both time and money as they work towards the Certified Safety Professional certification.”

She added that following action by the Board of Certified Safety Professionals, “all undergraduate and graduate programs in the safety sciences at UCM are now Qualified Academic Programs.”

A GSP QAP is a degree program in safety, health, and environmental practices that has been reviewed by BCSP and demonstrates a substantial match to the ASP Exam Blueprint. Any person having graduated from UCM with a BS in Environmental Safety and Risk Management may apply for the GSP designation within their program’s applicable dates as it appears on the QAP list.

More information about UCM’s Bachelor of Science in Environmental, Safety and Risk Management can be found at www.ucmo.edu and details on the GSP are available at bcsp.org/gsp.
 
The Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP), headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, is a not-for-profit corporation recognized as a leader in high-quality, accredited credentialing for safety, health, and environmental (SH&E) practitioners. BCSP establishes standards and certifies competency criteria in professional safety practice. Since 1969, over 100,000 of BCSP’s CSP, SMS, ASP, OHST, CHST, STS, STSC, or CIT certifications have been achieved.