Nicholls’ Safety Management Program Recognized as a Qualified Academic Program

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The Nicholls State University Bachelor of Science in Safety Management is recognized as a Qualified Academic Program (QAP) by the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP), meeting the qualified credential requirement for the Certified Safety Professional (CSP) certification. Now, those who successfully complete the Safety Management program are eligible to apply for the Graduate Safety Practitioner (GSP) designation with BCSP.

“We are excited to offer the Graduate Safety Professional designation to Safety Management Bachelor of Science graduates,” said Nicholls Executive Director of Petroleum Engineering Technology & Safety Management Michael Gautreaux. “The GSP is an entry-level credential for educated graduates to move closer to the Certified Safety professional (CSP) professional licensure.  The GSP designation will accelerate a career and open the door to many job opportunities.”

Applying for the GSP is a pathway to becoming a Certified Safety Professional. The CSP, accredited by the American National Standards Institute, has a reputation as the “gold standard” of safety certification.


The GSP demonstrates a graduates’ level of preparation and commitment to the safety profession to established practitioners and potential employers. The GSP distinguishes programs by satisfying the requirement of possessing a BCSP qualified credential to sit for the CSP exam.

Nicholls College of Sciences and Technology Dean, Dr. John P. Doucet said, “Due to the hard work of Nicholls faculty in designing and teaching the safety curriculum, our graduates are now designated Graduate Safety Professionals, and they earn automatic opportunities to test for higher industry certifications.”

Prior graduates who have graduated within the program’s applicable dates will have one year to apply for the GSP. All other graduates must apply for the GSP within a year of graduation. The program’s QAP start date begins once the program is published on the QAP list and on the BCSP’s website, and the next website post is scheduled for October.


The benefits to becoming a GSP includes:

  • Automatically meeting the CSP eligibility requirement for holding a BSCP-qualified credential
  • Waiving the need to sit for, and pass the Associate Safety Professional (ASP) examination (the pre-requisite exam to CSP)
  • Recognition of your level of preparation for professional safety practice
  • Use of the BCSP Career Center to post a resume and view career opportunities
  • A GSP digital certificate
  • New graduates with a BS in Safety Management or equivalent from a QAP versus another graduate in Safety from a NON-QAP program will stand out, get an interview and have more opportunities

BCSP’s mission is to inspire and develop leaders in safety, health and environmental practice through globally accredited certification, enhancing careers, advancing the profession and protecting people. The corporation’s vision is a safe world through safety, health and environmental leadership.

Nicholls’ Bachelor of Science in Safety Management is designed to teach students to facilitate the delivery of effective safety education and training using analytical methods to determine and manage risk and to evaluate and control workplace hazards. A large focus is placed on developing, implementing and evaluating safety and health programs.


Classes are scheduled to permit attendance of persons employed on a rotational schedule up to fourteen-days-on/fourteen-days-off. The curriculum focuses on technical, people-oriented and industrial application courses to prepare the student for middle-to-upper level management positions in safety.

For more information about the Nicholls State University’s Safety Management Program, visit https://www.nicholls.edu/petsm/degree-programs/. If students or graduates have questions about the GSP designation or the application process, contact BCSP Certification Services at bcsp@bcsp.org.