This program is a professional degree based on the study of Occupational Health and Safety. It presents students with the opportunity to undertake a plan and apply their discipline of study to specifically designated career path options. It has been designed to prepare professionals in Occupational Health and Safety with specifically applied knowledge, attitudes, skills, and initiatives in the areas of:

• Occupational Hygiene
• Workplace Rehabilitation
• Ergonomics
• Safety Science, and
• Occupational Health and Safety Management

Those who complete an appropriate plan will have specialist knowledge in:

• Vocational Education & Training
• Management
• Human Resource Management
• Health & Human Performance Studies
• Health Promotion
• Engineering Technology Management
• Environmental Studies

In addition the option remains for students to select from a wide array of electives to suit personal needs and interests.

The purpose of this program is to produce graduates who are competent health and safety professionals ready to be employed as workplace leaders in health and safety decision making and management. Graduates will be able to facilitate, educate, problem solve, and promote health and safety in the workplace in relation to individuals, families, the community and environment.

Throughout this program students participate in worksite visits with practical opportunities to apply their learning to given situations. In the final term, students are placed in industry to work in conjunction with a health and safety practitioner, for 120 hours. This presents students with valuable learning and application opportunities before the completion of their studies. During this time, students continue to work through course material externally and the Industry Practicum work is linked to the placement.

Workplace health and safety officer/ consultant. Graduates can be employed in such diverse industries as:

• Private industry
• Rural Safety
• Manufacturing
• Mining
• Services Industry
• Employer Association
• Defence Forces
• Health
• Local/State/Federal Government

Graduates may also qualify for the Workplace Health and Safety Officer Certificate awarded by the Department of Industrial Relations and the Workplace Rehabilitation Coordinator Certificate accredited by Workcover. Industry experts have been consulted throughout the developmental stages, to ensure graduates possess the knowledge, attributes and skills that are deemed to be most important by future employers.

Students must complete 24 courses or 144 units of credit, which include:

• 18 core courses
• a second plan consisting of 6 courses, (please confirm with your Program Advisor).

Recommended study schedule

The following schedule is designed for full-time students who usually enrol in four courses per term or 24 units of credit. Part-time students should therefore modify this schedule to suit their own needs The normal study load for part-time students is two courses per term or 12 units of credit per term.