Master of Workplace Health and Safety

The Master of Workplace Health and Safety is a 120-unit postgraduate coursework program that provides training in occupational health, safety, injury management and rehabilitation. It can be completed wholly on-line as there is no requirement for on-campus attendance.

The program prepares graduates for work in the preparation and implementation of occupational health and safety programs at the workplace. It is designed to develop advanced knowledge, critical understanding and problem solving approaches to the complex ranges of issues and processes associated with practice in occupational health and safety and workplace injury management.

Students will, in many cases, be working in a variety of roles within this area, in positions of managerial or professional responsibility, through which they are required to develop policies and strategies in response to the OH&S and workplace injury management needs of their organisations.

Note: this program is subject to final University approval.

The program was established in 2012 following rationalisation of two highly successful and well-established Masters programs - the Master of Occupational Health and Safety and the Master of Workplace Injury Management and Occupational Rehabilitation. It is delivery on-line and may be undertaken from within or outside Australia.

Graduates will be qualified to work in a variety of roles within the field of workplace health and safety. This may include OH&S Officer / Manager / Inspector / Consultant. Professionals can seek continuing education points from their respective professional bodies for completion of these programs or parts thereof.

Domestic Australian and International applicants must lodge a formal application through GradSchool.com and provide evidence of:

• relevant Bachelor degree from an approved institution
• Graduate Certificate in Workplace Health and Safety (AQF level 8) with a GPA of 5.0

English Language Proficiency Requirements

Applicants for whom English is not the first language must provide evidence that they meet the University’s English proficiency requirements http://www.newcastle.edu.au/policy/000104.html

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Eligible students who complete the Graduate Certificate in Workplace Health and Safety and are admitted to the Masters level program will be granted 40 units credit.

If you wish to apply for credit for studies completed at another institution or if you are changing programs within the University and wish to transfer your credit to new program go to http://www.newcastle.edu.au/service/credit-transfer/ and click on How to apply for credit.

The program does not require completion of any practice placements. However students can ‘tailor’ the courses to their own development or workplace needs by relating assessment items to their current work situations or professional experience.

The Master of Workplace Health and Safety (MWHS) will be accredited by the Australian OHS Education Board. This will allow students to apply for registration as Occupational Health and Safety Professionals. This is a new initiative within Occupational Health and Safety nationally and will enhance the recognition of our program, and the professional recognition of graduates. The MWHS will also be accredited by IOSH (Institute of Occupational Health and Safety) which is a recognised UK accrediting body of OHS programs and enables students to become Graduate members of IOSH, which is professionally recognised internationally.

The program is open to International students. The program is structured to provide opportunities for international students. Applicants will be assessed on an individual basis. Strategies for program-specific online student support will be developed in consultation with participating students. Additionally, they will be encouraged to avail themselves of existing University support networks and services.

The Faculty accepts that it is responsible for providing reasonable accommodations for students with special needs, in liaison with the Student Support Unit, which offers practical assistance and advice to students with a disability or chronic illness. The Faculty will seek advice from the Student Support Unit as to what constitutes "reasonable accommodations" under Anti-Discrimination legislation.

Completion of the Master of Workplace Health and Safety will partially satisfy entry criteria to the Occupational Health Physician specialisation within the Australasian Facullty of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, The Royal Australasian College of Physicians.