The curriculum in Occupational Safety and Health at MSU provides a broad-based educational background designed to prepare individuals for entry level and advanced work in the field.  Practicing safety professionals today must draw upon specialized knowledge in both the physical and social sciences.  In performing their job functions, they will apply the principles of measurement and analysis to evaluate safety performance. They must have fundamental knowledge of statistics, mathematics, physics, and chemistry, as well as the fundamentals of the engineering disciplines.  Safety practitioners will utilize knowledge in the fields of behavior, motivation, and communication.  Knowledge of management principles, as well as the theory of business and government organization, is also necessary.  It is essential for the practicing safety professional to acquire a unique and diversified type of education and training in order to meet the challenges of the future. The population explosion, energy crisis, advancing technology, problems of urban areas, future transportation systems, as well as the increasing complexities of everyday life, will generate many problems and hazards.