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RMIT University

  • 45% international / 55% domestic

Graduate Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety

  • Graduate Diploma

Make every work day safer for everyone with this introduction to the technical and social aspects of workplace safety.

Key details

Degree Type
Graduate Diploma
Duration
2 years part-time
Course Code
GD052P13
Study Mode
In person
Intake Months
Feb, Jul
Domestic Fees
$16,320 per year

About this course

Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) concerns the application of scientific principles to understand the risks to the safety and health of people in workplaces and to take action to control these.

Occupational health and safety is a multidisciplinary profession examining the technical and social aspects of work with applications in most industries and commerce.

The course focuses on the science and technology of risk management through assessment and evaluation of hazards and development of specific control mechanisms.

Learn how to apply a risk management model to hazards in the workplace, allowing you to recognise the context, evaluate the risk, and generate control solutions. You will use the model of OHS Professional Practice for problem solving which involves gathering information about the issue, diagnosing the issue, developing and implementing appropriate interventions, and evaluating their effectiveness, all the while communicating with relevant stakeholders.

You will develop advanced knowledge in:

  • the global concepts of health, safety and work, and the implications that these have in organisations
  • the socio-political and organisational context in which work occurs and how this impacts work design and its effects on the workers
  • the physical, ergonomic and psychosocial causes of fatalities, injuries and ill health arising from work
  • recognition of hazards, assessment and evaluation of their risk, and development of suitable controls

You will learn to apply these concepts in a range of contexts, allowing you to develop confidence and proficiency in your professional OHS and occupational hygiene practice. Many of your assessments will incorporate Work Integrated Learning (WIL) by focusing on OHS issues in your work situation.

Entry requirements

You must have:

  • successfully completed an Australian Bachelor degree (or equivalent overseas qualification);

Note: Applicants wishing to study the Occupational Hygiene stream must have a Bachelor degree or post graduate qualification in a relevant area such as chemistry, engineering, health and safety management, human biology or physics. Other degrees that contain a minimum of one year of science based subjects will be considered on a case by case basis.

OR

  • significant work experience or professional practice.

As a guide, significant experience would generally be a minimum of five years of experience in occupational health and safety based roles.

To have your professional experience considered you must submit with your application a CV and a personal statement that demonstrates your academic foundation for masters study. This may include details on how your professional experiences relates to the program, demonstration of critical thinking in personal and/or professional practice, and communication and problem solving skills.

Study locations

Melbourne City

Career pathways

Graduates find work within industry, government, service organisations, consulting or in workers' compensation insurance companies.

Generalist practitioners are called health and safety executives (HSE), OHS managers, risk managers, OHS coordinators or safety officers.

Positions with additional environmental responsibilities are known as EHS or SHE (safety, health and environment) managers or coordinators.