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Create healthy workplaces
With a Massey Graduate Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety (GradDip (OHS)), you can improve the working lives of New Zealanders while boosting your career.
Transfer your learning to your workplace
Occupational health and safety (OHS) has become an integral part of business in New Zealand. With a Graduate Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) you can help improve the effects of the working environment on the health and wellbeing of workers.
We spend a third of our lives at work, so workplaces contribute significantly to our health. Injuries and ill-health are two problems all workers potentially face. If you want a career that helps to reduce that burden on individuals and the nation, then this is the qualification for you.
This is a professional qualification designed to provide advanced education in the fields of safety management, occupational health, environmental control, loss control, and occupational hygiene.
You will learn how to create healthy workplaces, including improving the inter-relationship of people at work, the work they do, and their working environment.
At Massey, you can choose from a wide range of courses that reflect the multidisciplinary nature of OHS. You’ll learn about hazards and risks in the workplace, how to assess and manage those risks and create healthy workplaces.
This graduate diploma is particularly useful if you currently work in these roles:
Study when it suits you
Our distance learning option lets you study when and where is most convenient for you. You can fit study around your work and family commitments.
The Graduate Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety can lead to or enhance many careers. Our graduates are working as:
You could go on to study the Postgraduate Diploma in Health Science (Occupational Health and Safety) or the Master of Health Science (Occupational Health and Safety).
All students must meet university entrance requirements to be admitted to the University.
To enter the Graduate Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety you will:
You will provide verified copies of all academic transcripts for studies taken at all universities other than Massey University.
To study this programme you must meet Massey University's English language standards.
For information on prior learning, exemptions and transfer of credit or other questions:
If you need help with your English language skills before you start university, we have courses and programmes that may help.
If you need to do a course before you start your programme, there may be options for you in Summer School.
From the Schedule to the Diploma
Core courses
200-level Schedule courses
300-level Schedule courses
Ensure you have
If you wish to meet IOSH (UK) requirements you must include course 114.240 from the 200-level schedule list.
Attend contact workshops, block courses, field trips, studios, workshops, tutorials, and laboratories as required.
See ‘Courses for this programme’ below for schedules of courses.
| 90 credits | ||
|---|---|---|
| 128300 | Ergonomics/Human Factors: Work, Performance, Health and Design | 15 |
| 251271 | Occupational Health and Safety I | 15 |
| 251272 | Occupational Health and Safety II | 15 |
| 251370 | Health and Safety Auditing | 15 |
| 251372 | Occupational Hygiene | 15 |
| 251374 | Project in Occupational Health and Safety | 15 |
| 15 credits | ||
|---|---|---|
| 114240 | Organisational Behaviour | 15 |
| 114254 | Employment Relations | 15 |
| 128200 | Healthy Workplace Design | 15 |
| 15 credits | ||
|---|---|---|
| 214312 | Environmental Monitoring and Investigative Methods | 15 |
| 214316 | Bio-Physical Effects of Noise and Vibration | 15 |
If you study full-time, in your first year, you’ll take eight 15-credit courses, making a total of 120 credits.
If you wish to study over two semesters, you should aim for 60 credits per semester. You may be able to take some courses at summer school. Make sure you include courses that are prerequisites for the next level of courses you wish to study.
Several courses have contact workshops, which means you must come onto campus.
Maximum time limits for completion
There are maximum time limits to complete some undergraduate and all postgraduate qualifications. If you do not complete within the maximum time, you may be required to re-apply for the programme if you wish to continue your studies.
Time limits for Honours, Distinction and Merit
If you complete this programme within the stated time limit and to a high standard, you may be able to graduate with Distinction or Merit.
Look for further information under ‘Student Progression’ in the regulations for this programme.
More information
If you would like to seek graduate membership of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (United Kingdom) you must including the following courses in your study:
Your tuition fees may be different depending on the courses you choose. Your exact fees will show once you have chosen your courses.
There will also be some compulsory non-tuition fees and for some courses, there may also be charges for things such as study resources, software, trips and contact workshops.
If you already know which courses you are going to take, you can use our fees calculator to get an estimate of your fees.
You may be eligible for a student loan to help towards paying your fees.
The New Zealand Government offers fees-free tertiary study for eligible domestic students. Find out more about the scheme and your eligibility on the Fees Free website. To use the site's eligibility checking tool, you will need your National Student Number.
Current and returning Massey students will find their National Student Number on their student homepage.
“
The combination of my work experience and a health and safety qualification has enabled me to really engage with people across the hierarchy of organisations I have been associated with. It has benefited me in terms of career development and acceptance in workplaces.
” Greg Dearsly
This is the only university programme in New Zealand that prepares students for certification as an OHS professional. It’s also unique because it includes ergonomics - the design of workplaces and jobs that meet human needs while enhancing system performance.
Associate Professor Ian Laird
Studying with us, you will learn why it’s important to establish national standards and regulations, create guidance for businesses and educate and train managers and workers to identify health and safety hazards, and ways to manage and control them so that workers can go to work and arrive home healthy.
Associate Professor, School of Health Sciences
Massey's Graduate Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety is the only NZ tertiary qualification accredited by IOSH (UK) and students who complete it will meet the academic requirement for Graduate Membership.
Compare qualifications and academic information across different New Zealand institutions.
Review this important information before you apply for this programme. This gives you full details of the rules and regulations about what you need to study and what you must achieve in order to graduate with this qualification. That includes structure, courses and requirements. These regulations should be read in conjunction with all other Statutes and Regulations of the University including the below.
If you are ready to apply, have a look at our application checklist. It will help you get prepared with what you need. Please also check the entry requirements carefully before you apply.
You will apply for the programme using the Apply now button on this page. You’ll also choose your specialisation (major, subject or endorsement) if applicable.
Some programmes have additional requirements such as the submission of a portfolio or CV. Click on Apply now and you will be able to submit those documents as part of the application process.
You will receive an Admission Offer of Place when you have been accepted into the programme. You need to accept this before you can enrol in your courses. International students also need to pay their fees at this point.
You’ll then get access to your own student homepage (also known as the student portal). This is where you can enrol in courses. Any updates on your application or enrolments will also be on your student homepage. Make sure you check this regularly.
When you choose courses, ensure you check for any requirements that apply including:
Each of our courses has its own webpage where you can find this information. You can use our course search to find course pages.
More information on courses is in the ‘Courses for this programme’ section on this page.
You can find information on application due dates and semester dates on the key dates page.
We look forward to welcoming you to Massey!
If you have any questions, contact us through the Enquire button on this page.
Each Massey programme is made up of courses (in some tertiary institutions they are called ‘papers’).
You will have some compulsory courses and some you can choose from.
Each course is worth a certain amount of credits (often 15 credits, but this does vary). You must gain a set number of credits to be able to graduate from this programme.
There may also be some rules about which courses you need to pass to progress to the next year, or stage, of your study (known as progression). There are also courses you must pass to graduate with a specialisation.
The first three digits of our course numbers show you which subject the course is about.
The second three digits show you the level and course ID number. For instance:
| 1 | 6 | 2 | . | 3 | 0 | 1 | |
| Subject area | Level | Course ID number | |||||
Electives are courses that are not compulsory. Certain guidelines are usually provided on courses you may take. Elective courses contribute to the programme, but not to your major or specialisation.
Use this tool to help determine how much time you will need each week to complete your studies.
For returning students, there may be changes to the majors and minors available and the courses you need to take. Go to the section called ‘Transitional Provisions’ in the Regulations to find out more.
In some cases the programme or specialisation you enrolled in may be no longer be taking new enrolments, so may not appear on these web pages. To find information on the regulations for these programmes go to the Massey University Calendar.
Please contact us through the Enquire button on this page if you have any questions.
There are a number of scholarships available for new and current students. They could relate to your situation, achievement or interest.