Qualified Academic Programs

What does it mean to be a Qualified Academic Program (QAP)?

A QAP is a bachelor’s, masters, or doctorate degree program in the SH&E field whose required course curriculum has been reviewed by BCSP and been found to be a substantial match to the current Associate Safety Professional® (ASP®) examination blueprint.

Graduates of QAPs are eligible to apply for the Graduate Safety Practitioner® (GSP®), a BCSP-approved credential necessary to apply for the Certified Safety Professional® (CSP®). It is only available to SH&E graduates from degree programs which meet BCSP QAP standards.

What are the benefits of becoming a QAP?

• Being a QAP distinguishes your SH&E program from other programs, recognizing graduates’ accomplishments with a path to professional certification
• BCSP gives special recognition to QAPs in our Safety Degree Directory
• College and university faculty teaching SH&E courses at an institution with a QAP may qualify for a free ASP and CSP application and free exams (deadlines apply)
• QAPs are eligible for a gift of up to $10,000 toward full accreditation or reaccreditation by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), as described in this page’s Resources section
• BCSP provides $1,000 annually to ABET or AABI accredited programs to help cover costs of retaining accreditation
• BCSP provides ABET/AABI accredited QAPs with scholarships for their students

What are the benefits to a student who becomes a GSP?

• Meeting the CSP eligibility requirement of holding a BCSP-qualified credential, waiving the need to sit for, and pass, the ASP examination
• Eligibility for the STS and STSC certifications
• Recognition of their level of preparation for professional safety practice
• Their name in the BCSP Credential Holder Directory and a Digital Badge
• Use of the BCSP Career Center to post a resume and view career opportunities
• A GSP digital certificate

How does a school get on the QAP list?

U.S.-based safety, health and environmental (SH&E) degree programs that are accredited by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) and/or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and which demonstrate a substantial match to the current Associate Safety Professional® (ASP®) examination blueprint will be eligible to become a Qualified Academic Program (QAP).

Non-U.S. SH&E degree programs that are accredited and/or recognized in their country of origin, determined to be comparable to U.S. accreditation standards as evaluated by a third-party, and demonstrate a substantial match to the current Associate Safety Professional® (ASP®) examination blueprint are eligible to become a Qualified Academic Program (QAP) as well. 

The school must submit, from the current academic year, a list of required courses in the curriculum and the corresponding detailed syllabi.

What is the cost to the school for becoming a QAP?

There is no cost to the school for either a program review or to become a QAP. However, the process of review will be repeated with each ASP exam blueprint revision.