BCSP News

Benefits of GSP and Professional Certification

The Graduate Safety Practitioner Designation Puts SH&E Students Ahead of the Competition

October 24, 2019

Benefits of GSP and Professional Certification

Among the many benefits BCSP offers to students seeking, or involved in, SH&E programs, the Graduate Safety Practitioner (GSP) designation is one that is most important.

The GSP is available to students graduating from SH&E degree programs which meet BCSP Qualified Academic Program (QAP) standards; it puts students on a path to achieving the Certified Safety Professional (CSP) certification. There is no fee to apply for the GSP, and it provides a heightened level of recognition for professional safety practice.

For reference, a QAP is a bachelor’s, master’s, or PhD academic degree program in safety, health, and the environment (SH&E) whose required course curriculum has a substantial match to the current Associate Safety Professional (ASP) examination blueprint. Additional information can be found on the QAP website. A list of all QAPs can be found here.

The CSP is the “gold standard” in safety certification. Obtaining the GSP puts you on a path to earning the CSP by waiving the requirement of needing to obtain the ASP (a BCSP certification that most must possess in order to obtain the CSP) in order to sit for the CSP exam. There are many benefits to obtaining the CSP including a greater base salary which you can determine using our Safety Salary Calculator. The CSP is also a requirement for many job listings. Postings for safety professionals often identify the CSP certification as a desired or required qualification for positions in SH&E professions.

Laurin Harris GSP, CHST, STSC, a graduate from Purdue with a B.S. in Occupational Health and Industrial Hygiene and a B.S. in Environmental Health, said the following regarding why she pursued the GSP designation: “I sat for the CHST and then began looking at all of the other certifications and designations. I was drawn to the GSP because it exempts me from taking the Associate Safety Professional (ASP) exam and puts me one step closer to the CSP.”

If you or your students are still unsure of the benefits of the GSP, or any of the other services BCSP provides, or if you are unsure of what it is BCSP does in general, download our booklet Safety Certifications: The Path to Success and learn about the benefits of professional safety certification. Exploring what it is we offer can get your students started on the path to a brighter future in safety today!