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Masters degrees in Occupational Health involve advanced study of the ways in which workplace health standards are monitored and evaluated within industrial and commercial settings. Occupational Health can also be studied as a Postgraduate Diploma or Postgraduate Certificate.
Related subjects include Public Health and Occupational Health Nursing. Entry requirements typically include an appropriate undergraduate degree such as Business Management, Medicine or Nursing.
Occupational health services, provided at the workplace, address the health care needs of working populations and this has been identified as an important component of the current public health strategy. These services have shown to make a significant contribution to other government initiatives, such as:
Our Graduate Diploma Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (Occupational Health) course will enhance the education and training of First Level Nurses wishing to gain a Specialist Practitioner qualification and enable you to contribute to these initiatives.
You will obtain both an academic qualification and a professional qualification in Occupational Health and be entered on to the 3rd part of the NMC register.
Placement Opportunities
Practice based learning experiences comprise 50% of the total course hours and equates to 22.5 weeks. Each practice placement is aligned to a module of theoretical learning, assisting you to integrate theory with practice and supporting the development of your knowledge base and competence. All your practice placement experience is guided by a Practice Teacher.
Our Graduate Diploma, Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (Occupational Health) course has been developed in line with the recent rapid development in workplace health. This is largely due to the new demands and expectations from employers, employees and their representative bodies as they recognize the economic, social and health benefits achieved by providing these services in the workplace. The rapid development of occupational health services has also, in part, been driven by the expanding program of legislation in the areas of:
The common core modules that you will study are:
Discipline-specific modules are:
The final module at the end of our course entails a 10.5 week full-time period in the defined area of occupational health practice.
Teaching & Assessment
Teaching strategies used will include:
There will be a variety of approaches taken to assessment within our course. The nature of assessments differ depending on which module is being assessed and the learning and teaching strategies used. The range of assessments include:
Jobs
You will emerge as a key figure involved in delivering high quality occupational health services to the working population.
After exiting from our course you will work independently or as part of a larger multi-professional team and be at the frontline in helping to protect and promote the health of the working aged population.
Further Study
On successful completion of the Graduate Diploma you will be encouraged as part of your continuous professional development, to consolidate your postgraduate learning by proceeding to completion of a Master Degree dissertation.
If you are a successful Master Degree graduate then you may have the potential to enrol for Doctoral studies depending on individual institutional entry criteria for Doctoral studies.
This programme is for registered nurses or midwives who want to gain registration on Part 3 of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) register as a specialist community public health nurse (occupational health). It offers you the opportunity to gain registration as an occupational health nurse and for academic development at master’s level.
You develop public health practice knowledge and skills in addressing health inequalities and the health needs of the working population, through development of expertise in hazard and risk assessment, health surveillance and protection, sickness absence management and public health leadership skills, to enable you to contribute to improving the health of the working population.
You study evidence based practice and the factors which impact on the health and well-being of the working population; the recognition of hazards and risks within the working environment, the application of health and safety legislation, health surveillance and sickness absence management skills within the workplace; public health, personal leadership philosophies and behaviours and their application within organisational settings; public health nursing practice, legal and ethical dimensions also designing and managing a service evaluation.
Course structure
Core modules
Modules offered may vary.
Where you study
The programme comprises 50% theory and 50% practice within an integrated approach. Practice based learning – you are allocated a practice teacher by your sponsoring organisation who facilitates your learning in practice and is responsible for the assessment of your competence in practice.
How you learn
Teaching methods include lecturers, seminars, experiential learning, scenarios, problem based learning, case study work, simulations, action learning sets, and peer led seminars and discussions.
Learning in practice is supported with the development of a practice progress file, which includes self-assessment activities, learning contracts, learning logs, reflective dialogue and discussion with practice teachers, mentors and academic staff.
How you are assessed
Assessments include examinations, a defended poster, essays, case study analysis, research proposal and simulations. Practice is assessed via the practice progress file through the mechanism of the tripartite meetings which include you, your practice teacher and your academic mentor.
Work placement
Following successful completion of the required theoretical learning outcomes (120 credits at master’s level) and the specialist community public health nursing practice competencies (NMC 2004) you are eligible to register as a specialist community public health nurse (occupational health) and are eligible for the award of Postgraduate Diploma in Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (Occupational Health Nursing).
Following completion of the PgDip in Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (Occupational Health Nursing) an opportunity will be available to continue your studies and complete a 60 credit master’s level dissertation module leading to an MSC Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (Occupational Health Nursing). This is undertaken as one year part-time or six months full-time study after SCPHN (OH) registration with the NMC. It must be completed within five years of commencing the PgDip.
Career opportunities
The course prepares you to work as an occupational health nurse and to take practice forward to meet the challenges of improving health within a wide range of workplace settings.
From fighting infectious diseases to reducing health disparities, public health professionals across the globe face new challenges every day.
Walden’s online Master of Public Health (MPH) degree program provides the education you need to address public health issues, including:
Reflecting Walden’s decades of commitment to positive social change, the online Master of Public Health degree program prepares you to improve the health of communities and deal with health disparities within a wide range of settings.
Vision
Healthy communities through positive social change.
Mission
The mission of the MPH program at Walden University is to provide high-quality education that enables a public health work force of practitioners, researchers, and educators to excel at addressing public health challenges; conducting research; promoting positive social change; and assuring healthy communities at local, national, and international levels.
Goals
The program strives to fulfill its mission through excellent performance via instruction, scholarship, and service activities. The program goals for these three areas are as follows:
The values that guide the work of our faculty and students include quality, professional integrity, student-centeredness, respectful engagement, cultural sensitivity, effective leadership, collaboration, social justice, and responsibility for positive social change.
Consistent with our commitment to continuous quality improvement, Walden University has designed the curriculum for the Master of Public Health (MPH) program to reflect the professional guidelines set forth by leading public health organizations.
This sequence represents the minimum time to completion. Time to completion will vary by student, depending on individual progress and credits transferred, if applicable. For a personalized estimate of your time to completion, call an enrollment advisor at 1-866-492-5336.
The program’s courses are delivered in a prescribed sequence.
Public health is an exciting and rewarding field with a wide range of career opportunities. Whether you want to design and implement health programs, develop public health policy, administer public health services, or conduct research, Walden’s MPH program provides the expertise you need to advance your career and move into roles such as:
Career options may require additional experience, training, or other factors beyond the successful completion of this degree program.
Who chooses a career in public health and why?
Public health is a wide field that attracts people from diverse educational and professional backgrounds—from mathematics undergrads who pursue careers in biostatistics to ecologists committed to protecting our environmental health to business people dedicated to improving health program administration.
Regardless of background or specialty, aspiring public health professionals are driven to make a broad, lasting impact on health, not only in their own communities but also all over the world.
Our part-time blended learning MSc Occupational Medicine course provides an overview of the whole spectrum of medicine and hygiene within the workplace.
The course is aimed at GPs who want to gain an academic qualification in occupational medicine and doctors already working in the field - especially in specialist training posts - who want to prepare for professional exams with the Faculty of Occupational Medicine (FOM).
This MSc is also suitable for doctors in other disciplines who have an interest in occupational medicine.
You will benefit from access to a range of specialist knowledge and resources within occupational health and examine the evidence on which occupational health practice is based.
The course takes place in a research-enriched environment and, for those progressing to the third year of the MSc, you will have the opportunity to undertake research-based activities relevant to occupational health, including formulating a research question, designing and executing an appropriate study and drawing valid conclusions through writing a dissertation.
Our course follows the syllabus requirements of the FOM (London and Ireland).
This course aims to provide you with the information required by medical practitioners working in the field of occupational medicine, and to allow you to pursue an academic qualification in this subject.
We also aim to provide you with the benefit of blended learning methodology, which allows you to apply the knowledge gained during your day-to-day work.
Compliant course content
This course adheres to the syllabus requirements of the FOM, RCP (London) and RCP (Ireland).
The course comprises a blend of specially commissioned written materials in electronic format (PDF), together with interactive teaching material, all delivered via the University's virtual learning environment, Blackboard.
In Year 1, you are required to attend in Manchester for a one-day seminar associated with Module 1 in Month 3, and the same for Module 2 in month 5 for September starters, in Month 6 for April starters and for one exam day in Month 10.
You are allocated to tutorial groups for Modules 4 to 8, each supported by a specialist in occupational medicine. Tutorials are delivered via telephone or web conference.
In Year 2, you are required to attend in Manchester for a four-day practical course in Month 5 and for one exam day in Month 10.
In Year 3, you are required to attend a three-day MSc dissertation course held at the University in Month 1.
Some components of the course are held jointly with students on the MSc Occupational Hygiene course.
You can view sample study materials and MSc abstracts and papers .
All taught course units will be assessed via examinations held at the University at intervals throughout the course, and the third year will be assessed via submission of a dissertation.
Assessment is by eight examination papers, one per course module. The first will be sat at Seminar 1 (Year 1, Month 3) and the second at Seminar 2 (Year 1, Month 5 for September starters and Month 6 for April starters). The remaining Year 1 assessments will be sat in Month 10. For Year 2, assessments will be held in Month 5 and 10.
If you wish to proceed to the MSc, you are also required to complete a third year, during which you will attend a mandatory three-day residential course (in Month 1) and prepare a dissertation. For doctors in approved training posts, the dissertation may also be eligible for submission for the MFOM.
YEAR 1
Module 1: Foundation for Postgraduate Practice
Module 2: Fitness for Work
Module 3: Health and Workability
Module 4: Aspects of Good Professional Behaviour
YEAR 2
Module 5: Understanding Physical Agents
Module 6: Management of Occupationally Related Disease
Module 7: Research Methods and Data Analysis
Module 8: Management of Workplace Hazards
Our part-time blended learning MSc Occupational Hygiene course will equip you with a wide range of interdisciplinary knowledge and skills to work in areas related to occupational hygiene, culminating in an academic qualification accredited by the Faculty of Occupational Hygiene (FOH) within the British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS).
As a graduate of this course, you will have knowledge necessary to recognise, evaluate and control hazards in the workplace, including chemical, physical and biological agents.
In the taught component of the course, the emphasis is on acquiring a thorough understanding of the theoretical principles and research methodologies underpinning the topic covered by each unit.
Emphasis is placed on the development of your critical appraisal skills and your capacity to lead an occupational health team at a senior management level.
The dissertation provides an opportunity to develop experience in applying these principles and research methods to a problem of particular interest to you.
The primary aim of the course is to deliver academic training in disciplines relevant to occupational hygiene. The course aims to provide you with:
The MSc aims to:
The course comprises a blend of specially commissioned written materials in electronic format (PDF), together with interactive teaching material, all delivered via the University's virtual learning environment, Blackboard.
In Year 1, you are required to attend in Manchester for a 1 day seminar associated with Module 1 in month 3, and the same for Module 2 in month 5 and for one exam day in month 10.
You are allocated to tutorial groups for Modules 4 to 8, each supported by a specialist in occupational hygiene. Tutorials are delivered via telephone or web conference.
In Year 2, you are required to attend in Manchester for a four-day practical course in Month 5 and for one exam day in Month 10.
In Year 3, you are required to attend a three-day MSc dissertation course held at the University in Month 1.
All examinations are held at the University.
Some components of the course are held jointly with students on our MSc Occupational Medicine course.
You can view sample study materials and MSc abstracts and papers .
All taught course units will be assessed via examinations held at the University at intervals throughout the course, and the third year will be assessed via submission of a dissertation.
Assessment is by eight examination papers, one per course module. The first will be taken at Seminar 1 (Year 1, Month 3) and the second at Seminar 2 (Year 1, Month 5). The remaining Year 1 assessments will be taken in Month 10. For Year 2, assessments will be held in Month 5 and 10.
If you wish to proceed to the MSc, you are also required to complete a third year, during which you will attend a mandatory three day residential course (in Month 1) and prepare a dissertation.
YEAR 1
Module 1: Introduction to Hazards, Risks and the Working Environment
Module 2: Occupational Ill Health
Module 3: Health and Workability
Module 4: Hazardous Substances
YEAR 2
Module 5: Understanding Physical Agents
Module 6: Control of Workplace Hazards
Module 7: Research Methods and Data Analysis
Module 8: Management of Workplace Hazards
Unlock the skills needed to become a specialist community public health nurse on the third part of the nursing register. It will enable you to undertake leadership roles and develop the expertise to influence, drive and implement public health policies.
The Postgraduate Diploma prepares you to function as a specialist practitioner. You would normally be required to undertake the first six core modules listed below in order to achieve this. Our MSc will help you continue with your academic studies as you undertake an extended project, relevant to clinical practice. You will normally be expected to complete the additional 60 credit Research in Practice module in order to achieve this, which will take a further one year.
By critically analysing leadership and management in clinical practice you will examine the complexity of delivering health and social care services especially in relation to professional occupational health nursing.
You will gain a specialism in occupational health nursing, developing the skills to deliver quality and innovative health care to a working population and enable individuals to return to the workplace. There will be the opportunity to explore concepts of health behaviour and health needs within the legal framework to protect the health of workers and the impact on the wider community.
Research Excellence Framework 2014
Research Excellence Framework 2014: 20% of our research in the Public Health, Health Services and Primary Care unit is world leading or internationally excellent.
You'll have a close partnership with practice teachers, and will develop in practice through leadership, multi-disciplinary working, implementing public health policies and influencing practice.
Once you've successfully completed the Leadership, Management and Enterprise module, you'll have the opportunity to apply to the Chartered Management Institute to receive their level 7 Certificate in Management and Leadership, adding another professional hallmark to your portfolio.
Our graduates are working with many different populations in a variety of management roles in public health settings, the private sector, and within primary care as a team leader co-ordinating the public health role of communities. Some have undertaken research secondments and have worked as associate university lecturers.
This internationally recognised course has been designed to meet the educational needs created by the ever-increasing challenges facing occupational health and safety practitioners. Modules have been designed to enable development of the intellectual analytical skills appropriate for health and safety professionals in the 21st century, and address the risks of disease injury and the design and manufacture of work equipment and systems.
Designed both as a relevant vocational qualification for those seeking occupational safety and health-related employment, as well as to meet continuing professional development needs; this course is recognised by ISOH as satisfying the academic requirements for graduate membership.
At the University of Salford, much emphasis is placed upon the development of professional skills and capabilities. Your employability is developed through project work with external clients and through opportunities to work on specific business problems as part of your dissertation. In addition, academics from this course have links with safety, health and environment professionals through the Manchester Occupational Health and Safety Group which organises seminars and provides networking opportunities, allowing you to build relationships with professionals from a similar background .
This course seeks to develop graduates who are able to play a leading role in the strategic development and implementation of policy initiatives within industry. Our Occupational Health and Safety alumni are actively employed in various sectors both in the UK and overseas. Previous graduates have progressed into careers within the public and private sector, including in consultancy, regulatory bodies, the oil and gas industry, construction, education and the health service.
This course involves engagement with a number of ideas drawn from law, economics and the social and physical sciences which are of relevance to the theory and practice of occupational safety, health and well-being. Modules address existing and emerging challenges and review contemporary management and regulatory systems designed to reduce risks.
A feature of this course is applied learning and an emphasis on authentic, experimental problem based learning ensuring that students learn from their experiences while they are supported in reviewing the progress of their own learning.
For the MSc, the full-time and part-time routes comprise three 14-week semesters or five 14-week semesters, which you can take within one or three years respectively.
This course comprises four taught core modules complemented by a research dissertation.
For part-time students, the taught components span two academic years each consisting of two semesters between September and May. Year 1 involves the study of two core modules, delivered throughout the year. Year 2 involves the study of one core module in semester one and one in semester two. During your third year of the course you will complete a dissertation.
This course is delivered through lectures and seminars, with students utilising case studies and completing assignments as the course progresses. We place a strong emphasis on students discussing and exchanging their own professional experiences with the course team and invited specialist speakers to encourage collaborative learning. In addition, you will have the opportunity to work with an organisation and/or relevant stakeholder on a real project which will provide networking opportunities with external clients as well as real world context for what you are learning.
Research & Professional Practice (30 credits)
Project & Learning portfolio (100%)
Risk: Perception & Management (30 credits)
Literature review (30%); Case study portfolio (70%)
Organisational Well-Being (30 credits)
Critical evaluation (40%); Case Study (60%)
Management of Occupational Health and Safety (30 credits)
Case study development of strategy (50%); seen examination (50%)
Dissertation (60 credits)
Recognised by the ISOH as satisfying the academic requirements for graduate membership, this course is designed both as a relevant vocational qualification for those seeking occupational safety and health-related employment, and to meet the continuing professional development needs of personnel in government, industry and the voluntary sector. It seeks to develop graduates who are able to play a leading role in the strategic development and implementation of policy initiatives within industry.
Occupational Safety, Health and Wellbeing alumni are actively employed in various sectors both in the UK and overseas. Previous graduates have progressed into careers within the public and private sector including roles in consultancy, regulatory bodies, the oil and gas industry, construction, education and the health service.
This course emphasises the development of professional skills and capabilities. Employability of graduates is developed through project work with external clients and through opportunities to work on specific business problems as part of your dissertation. In addition you are encouraged to engage with a wide range of university wide initiatives to develop employability skills.
A feature of this course is applied learning and input from visiting practitioners from industry. External expert sessions add value to this vocationally oriented course and Honorary visiting professors make particularly interesting contributions and bring leading edge practice to the learning environment.
Furthermore, academics from this course have links with safety, health and environment professionals through the Manchester Occupational Health and Safety Group which organises seminars and provides networking opportunities, allowing you to build relationships with professionals from a similar background.
After completion of this course you may wish to specialise in a chosen subject area in one of the School’s two main research centres: Ecosystems and Environment Research Centre (EER) or Biomedical Research Centre (BRC).
Research protocol (15%); dissertation (85%)
The postgraduate diploma in public health practice: specialist community public health nursing, takes one year to complete.It is designed specifically for nurses and midwives who want to achieve career progression into a community based role. Successful completion of this programme will entitle you to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council in the clearly defined area of specialist community public health nursing.
As a result, graduates typically find employment as a health visitor, school nurse, in sexual health, or as an occupational health nurse.
Our nursing is ranked 10th in the world and 3rd amongst UK universities in the QS World Rankings by Subject 2017.
Help improve lives in a community and educate young people on health matters as a health visitor or public nurse with the PGDip in Public Health Practice: Specialist Community Public Health Nursing course. As a public health specialist, you will be involved in providing health care for children, families, individuals and communities through vital skills gained on this course. Learn strategic leadership and management for health and wellbeing to run an effective practice and provide care in the community as a public nurse or as an occupational health nurse.
This PGDip public health practice: specialist community public health nursing qualification is sometimes referred to as the health visitors' diploma.
That's because becoming a qualified health visitor is one of the main career goals of the nurses and midwives who enrol on the programme.
As a student you will gain skills in leading, managing, delivering and enhancing the public health of individuals, groups, and also whole communities.
All of your practice modules will be integrated into the programme, and you will consolidate what you have learned under the supervision of a recognised practice teacher.
View the programme specification document for this course
Over the past 20 years this programme has been completed by over 300 doctors, nurses, scientists, economists and physiotherapists. The programme is based on a multidisciplinary approach to tackling a wide range of occupational health issues and is accredited by both the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) and the British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS) for graduate membership.
Organised by the Institute of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (IOEM) at the University of Birmingham this programme is designed to meet the needs of postgraduate training in the prevention and control of work-related ill health and to understand the issues of ill health and its effect on work in the 21st century.
Open to graduates with relevant first degrees and those with appropriate work experience including doctors, nurses, hygienists, and health and safety personnel.
Please see the profile below to give you idea of what of our students have to say about the programme.
Physiotherapists who have demonstrated specialist competency in the fields of occupational health or ergonomics may be interested in finding out more via the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Occupational Health and Ergonomics (ACPOHE)
Careers Support for Postgraduate Students
Careers Network – We can help you get ahead in the job market and develop your career
We recognise that as a postgraduate student you are likely to have specific requirements when it comes to planning for your next career step. Employers expect postgraduates to have a range of skills that exceed their subject knowledge. Careers Network offers a range of events and support services that are designed for all students, including postgraduates looking to find their niche in the job market. The Careers Network also have subject specific careers consultants and advisers for each College so you can be assured the information you receive will be relevant to your subject area. For more information visit the Careers Network website.
These Masters-level programmes in Occupational Health, Safety and Environmental Management have been created to address the important need for up-skilling employees in advanced, specialist topics in health, safety and environmental management. They are the only courses of their kind created with and endorsed by NEBOSH at Masters-level, and offer those already working in industry and holding a NEBOSH diploma or BSc the chance to enhance their skills and techniques. Studying these courses will help students identify and resolve real issues relating to them in their day-to-day roles - enhanced by the final dissertation, which is written on a research project from their own work.
The programmes are completely employer focused, using current employment to evidence achievement, and are studied part-time using e-learning modules to enable study anywhere in the UK - or overseas. There are three specific pathways that can be chosen; Occupational Health, Safety and Environmental Management, Occupational Health and Safety Management, or Environmental Management. Each pathway can be studied either as a taught-focused MSc or more research-focused MRes making it easier to tailor the course to individual needs and study-styles.
Both the MSc and MRes start with core modules relating to techniques for undertaking research:
MSc students then study two core modules of their programme and one optional taught module.
The optional modules are themed around: Disaster and Emergency Management, REACH management, Safety Case Production and Assessment, and Mental Health at Work.
For MSc students the taught modules are taken in the first year and the first semester of the second year, using the University’s e-learning environment. You also supplement learning with your own background reading. Once these have been completed, the last six months of the course consist of the research dissertation.
For MRes students, after completing the modules covering research methodology, the programme is followed by a 12 month 120 credit research project on a workplace-based topic in health, safety and/or environmental management.
The online nature of the programme means access to a stable broadband internet connection is required for access to course materials, to communicate with University staff and undertake course assessments.
* All modules are subject to availability.
The programmes are completely employer-focused, using current employment as a research base in which to evidence the skills and experience obtained. Completing one of these courses will enable you to advise on and develop systems to improve health, safety and environmental performance of organisations at a strategic level.
Due to our consistent recognition for providing NEBOSH courses to a high standard, the University and our graduates have an excellent reputation with professionals in the Humber and Yorkshire area.
