Occupational Health - Online

UCC's MSc Occupational Health is a part-time programme delivered wholly online offering students a structured programme with a flexible mode of learning. The programme integrates occupational health and safety into a multidisciplinary perspective. It offers students the opportunity to study modern cutting-edge scientific concepts and research evidence on causation, prevention, and management of work-related accidents, injury, and disease. The programme incorporates the following subject areas which can be then applied to practice.

Public Health & Health Promotion
Psychology
Risk Assessment and Management
Ergonomics & Safety Science
Occupational Medicine and Hygiene
Law
Training and Development
Epidemiology & Environmental Health

The format of the teaching is conducive to student networking and the sharing of knowledge and practical experience. In several modules, students will work with practical case studies and engage in project work, reflective inquiry, and discussion.

This 90-credit MSc in Occupational Health online programme meets the needs of the busy professional, offering a flexible, yet structured, approach to learning. The programme is designed to allow people to undertake their studies while working simultaneously with the intention to meet work, personal and academic requirements. This programme consists of 90-credit modules, 70-credit of taught modules, and a 20-credit research dissertation module.

Course Practicalities
The programme is a completed value of 90 credits. Each 10-credit module will be delivered over 8 weeks and 5-credit modules delivered over 4 weeks with one module being delivered at a time according to the pre-determined programme calendar. Each 10-credit module consists of an estimated student workload of 200 hours, and it is 100 hours for a 5-credit module. This consists of online:

Self-directed learning, required readings and subject investigation
E-tivities (e.g. student quizzes and regular participation in discussion boards)
Preparation of written and/or oral assignments

Students take modules to the value of 90 credits as follows:

Part I - Year 1

EH6107 Principles and Practices of Occupational Health and Safety (Online) (10 credits)
EH6109 Occupational Health and Safety Management in the Workplace (Online) (10 credits)
EH6153 Quantitative Research and Epidemiology (10 credits)
LW6109 Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare Law (online) (10 credits)
AD6073 Training and Development Issues in Occupational Health (online) (5 credits)
Part I - Year 2

Core Modules

EH6110 Risk Assessment and Implementation of Health and Safety Management Programmes (10 credits)
EH6141 Psychosocial Epidemiology (online) (5 credits)
EH6142 Risk Assessment and Management of Psychosocial Risks (online) (5 credits)
Elective Modules (choose one module)

EH6000 Introduction to Implementation Research and Practice in Public Health (5 credits)
EH6130 Critical Appraisal of Publications for Research and Practice (5 credits)
EH6140 Environmental Health: Principal Aspects and Burden of Disease (5 credits)
EH6159 Health Promotion II (5 credits)
Part II

EH6114 Dissertation in Occupational Health, Safety, and Wellbeing (20 credits)
See the College Calendar (MSc Occupational Health) for additional information.

Additional Teaching Mode Information
This programme will be taught online over 22 months. As this is a structured Masters programme, students have to engage with their coursework consistently for the duration of each module.

Modules

Further details on the modules listed above can be found in our Book of Modules. Any modules listed above are indicative of the current set of modules for this course but are subject to change from year to year.

University Calendar

You can find the full academic content for the current year of any given course in our University Calendar.

Candidates for the MSc programme in Occupational Health Online must meet one of the following criteria:

A Second Class Honours Grade II in a primary honours degree (NFQ, Level 8) in a relevant area, for example, a health-related field (such as Public Health, Nursing, Medicine, Environmental Health, Psychology/Behavioural Science, Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy); a business-related field (such as Human Resource Management, Management and Law), engineering-related (such as Ergonomics, Systems Engineering) or science-related (such as Industrial Hygiene, Environmental Science). Relevant professional experience or work placement is desirable in an area relevant to occupational health, safety, welfare and well-being practice and/or research;

Or

A minimum of an NFQ Level 8 Diploma/Higher Diploma in Occupational Safety, Health and Welfare (minimum Second Class Honours, Grade 1), from UCC or an equivalent qualification² from another Institution (NFQ Level 8 Diploma, minimum Second Class Honours Grade I) AND a minimum of one year's professional work experience¹ in an area relevant to Occupational Health, Safety, Welfare and Wellbeing practice and/or research;

Or

Applicants with a minimum of three years of professional work experience and/or evidence of continuous professional development/ training in an associated area¹ of Occupational Health, Safety, Welfare and well-being may be invited for an interview to satisfy the selection committee of their suitability for the programme, under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).

Areas of relevant professional work experience include, but are not limited to fields such as Health and Safety; Environmental Safety; Safety Engineering; Health Promotion; Work Psychology; Ergonomics; Human Resources; Training and Development; Occupational Health Nursing; Health Science.

Level 8 examples: Diploma/Higher Diploma/International Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety; Diploma in Environment Management, Diploma in Health Promotion, Diploma in Learning, Development and Work-based Training.

Technical Requirements
To access and interact with the course content, assignments and assessments etc., students will require access to at least a PC/Laptop running current Windows or Mac operating systems. Students will need to have admin rights on their PC/laptop to download UCC-approved software. Common plug-ins will also be required. Students must have access to MS Office or an equivalent suite of applications. They must also have access to a modern standards-compliant web browser. UCC recommends either Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox.

To engage productively and successfully with the content, basic technical computer skills such as familiarity with word processing, web browsing and email are recommended.

For Applicants with Qualifications Completed Outside of Ireland
Applicants must meet the required entry academic grade, equivalent to Irish requirements. For more information see our Qualification Comparison page.

International/Non-EU Applicants
For full details of the non-EU application procedure visit our how to apply pages for international students.

In UCC, we use the term programme and course interchangeably to describe what a person has registered to study in UCC and its constituent colleges, schools, and departments.

Note that not all courses are open to international/non-EU applicants, please check the fact file above. For more information contact the International Office.

English Language Requirements
Applicants that are non-native speakers of the English language must meet the university-approved English language requirements. Please visit our PG English Language Requirements page for more information.

The closing date for non-EU applications is 30 June 2023

How Do I Apply
1. Check Dates: Check the opening and closing dates for the application process in the fact file boxes at the top of the page.

For Irish and EU applicants we operate a rounds system and you can check the rounds closing dates here.
Note that not all our programmes are subject to the rounds system so check the opening and closing dates for your specific programme in the fact file boxes above.

2. Gather Documents: Scanned copies of supporting documents have to be uploaded to the UCC online application portal and include:

Original qualification documents listed on your application including transcripts of results from institutions other than UCC.
Any supplementary items requested for your course if required.

3. Apply Online: Apply online via the UCC online application portal. Note the majority of our courses have a non-refundable €50 application fee.

Any questions? Use our web enquiry form to contact us.

Additional Requirements (All Applicants)
Please note you will be required to provide additional information as part of the online application process for this programme. This will include the following questions:

You may enter the details of professional or voluntary positions held. We strongly encourage you to complete this section with all relevant work experiences that will support your application.

In addition to your previously declared qualifications, please outline any additional academic courses, self-learning and professional training relevant to this programme.

Please describe your motivation and readiness for this programme.

Please upload your CV here.

24 months part-time.

Skills and Careers Information
Graduates already working in OSH or Occupational Health can progress in their career and move to higher-level managerial positions (e.g. Health and Safety Manager, Health Promotion Manager, Occupational Health and Wellbeing Manager),

Graduates who changed their career can move into employed positions in different industries, common job titles: occupational health officer, safety officer, health & safety officer, health and safety coordinator, quality officer, occupational health promotion officer, occupational health and wellbeing officer, environmental health officer, health and safety adviser, environmental health officer and ergonomist. Some of these posts may require further qualifications,

Graduates can also apply for jobs in regulatory agencies, e.g. as a safety inspector,

Graduates can set up their own Health and Safety or Health Promotion Consultancy Business,

Others may stay in their current position (e.g. as an HR manager, safety engineer, occupational health nurse) and apply their broadened knowledge). The MSc in Occupational Health also offers the opportunity to further engage in research in this area and to pursue a PhD.