Graduate Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety
Quick facts
Student type:
Quick facts
-
Entry score
Not applicable
-
Duration
Part-time 2 years -
Location
Melbourne City -
Fees
AU$15,840 (2022 annual)
Next intake
February, JulyEntry score
Not applicable
Duration
Not applicableLocation
Not applicableFees
Not applicable
Next intake
Not applicable
Overview
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.
Details
The course is taught in block mode during one week before the start of each semester at the RMIT City campus, with online support and weekly online tutorials. All lectures and materials are provided online.
In some courses there is a need for practical use of instrumentation to measure workplace hazards, and this is done incorporated into the teaching week. RMIT has a purpose-built OHS laboratory containing the latest measurement equipment.
Many of the assignments used for assessment purposes are based in a work organisation to ensure that theory is directly related to practical applications.
RMIT is committed to providing you with an education that strongly links formal learning with professional or vocational practice.
Many assignments are designed to put theory into workplace practice providing an education that is directly applicable to your role as an OHS professional.
Courses are delivered in intensive mode (full days) at the beginning of each semester to accommodate students working full-time. The normal load is two courses per semester, meaning that the graduate diploma takes two years (4 semesters) to complete.
While this course is usually taken in part time mode, there may be the option to complete the course full-time. Please contact the Program Coordinator to discuss.
The Graduate Diploma in OHS consists of 96 credit points.
The course content is based on the core body of knowledge of OHS professionals with additional material included. You’ll learn to apply this in workplaces.
There is a common first year covering critical thinking, risk management, ergonomics and OHS law.
In second year, you cover psychosocial hazards, chemical and physical hazards and the role of OHS in organisations, with heavy emphasis on influencing organisational practice. In addition, you will also complete a workplace OHS intervention project.
The Graduate Diploma prepares you for a Masters year which allows you to incorporate further coursework in occupational hygiene, or business management, or to pursue a large work-oriented research project.
Year 1
Complete the following core courses:
- Principles and Practice of Work Health and Safety
- Critical Thinking and Decision Making
- Occupational Ergonomics
- Work Health and Safety Legal Systems
Year 2
Complete the following core courses:
- Occupational Hazards and Control 1
- The Psychosocial Work Environment
- Work Health and Safety and the Organisation
- Work Health and Safety Intervention Project
Choose a program structure
| Title | Location | Duration | Plan code | CRICOS | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graduate Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety | City Campus |
1 year full-time or 2 years part time
|
1 year full-time
|
GD052P13 |
Choose a program structure
Program code: GD052
Career
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.
All graduates of GD052 will be eligible to pursue membership with the Australian Institute of Health and Safety (AIHS). The AIHS is the body representing occupational health and safety (OHS) professionals and practitioners in Australia.
Students can apply to become student members. Graduates can apply to become an AIHS Graduate Member and with three years of industry experience can become certified professional members.
See details regarding AIHS membership.
Admissions
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.
Entry requirements
Pathways
Fees
2022 indicative fees
- Full-fee places: AU$15,840.
Additional expenses
- Student services and amenities fee (SSAF): AU$315 maximum fee for 2022.
- Other items related to your program, including field trips, textbooks and equipment.
Annual fee adjustment
This program is usually run on a part-time basis. The 2022 tuition fee quoted is based on a total annual load of 48 credit points.
Fees are adjusted on an annual basis and these fees should only be used as a guide.
Defer your payment
This program is offered on a full-fee paying basis only. If you are offered a place, you will need to pay the full tuition costs of your program. However, eligible students (such as Australian citizens or holders of an Australian permanent humanitarian visa) may apply to defer payment of some or all of their tuition fees via the Commonwealth Government’s FEE-HELP loan scheme.
Learn more about fees for postgraduate study.
Payments and refunds
For information on how to pay your fees or how to apply for a refund, please see Paying your fees and applying for refunds.
Eligible students (such as Australian citizens or holders of an Australian permanent humanitarian visa) may apply to defer payment of some or all of their tuition fees via the Commonwealth Government’s FEE-HELP loan scheme.
How does a HELP loan work?
If your FEE-HELP and/or SA-HELP loan application is successful, the Australian Government will pay RMIT, on your behalf, up to 100% of your fees. This amount will become part of your accumulated HELP debt.
You only start repaying your accumulated HELP debt to the Australian Government once you earn above the minimum income threshold for repayment, which is set each year by the Australian Government (this also applies if you are still studying). The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) will calculate your compulsory repayment for the year and include this on your income tax notice.
For more information about loan repayment options see Commonwealth assistance (HELP loans) or Study Assist.
This program is approved for income support.
You may be eligible for student income support payments from the Commonwealth Government if you are undertaking a graduate certificate, graduate diploma or an approved professionally oriented masters by coursework program. For more information see Income support for Masters students.
If you are enrolled in an eligible program you will also need to satisfy all other student payment eligibility requirements. You can contact Centrelink or Services Australia for further information about student income support entitlements, your eligibility and how to apply.
In addition to tuition fees, you will be charged an annual student services and amenities fee (SSAF), which is used to maintain and enhance services and amenities that improve your experience as an RMIT student.
The SSAF is calculated based on your enrolment load and the maximum fee for 2022 is $315.
For more information about calculating your actual SSAF see Paying SSAF.
You may also be required to purchase other items related to your program, including field trips, textbooks and equipment. These additional fees and expenses vary from program to program.
The annual tuition fee for 2021 is AU$XX,XXX.
The total indicative tuition fee for 2021 commencement is AU$XXX,XXX.
In addition to tuition fees you also need to pay for:
- Student services and amenities fee (SSAF) in each calendar year.
- Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) - Student visa holders must have cover for the total duration of their visa.
- Some programs incur additional expenses.
You also need to account for your living expenses. Estimate the cost of living in Melbourne.
Applying for refunds
For information on how to apply for a refund as a continuing international student, please see Refunds.
Looking for answers or more general infomation?
For frequently asked questions or how to find more information regarding applications and enrolments, fees, student support services, university policies and more, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions.