Safety, Health and Environment

In our increasingly busy world, health and safety professionals can be responsible for mitigating environmental forces alongside preventing accidents and work-related ill-health. Build the skills and knowledge to rise to this challenge with our MSc Safety, Health and Environment postgraduate degree.

Designed to both meet the continuing professional development needs of established industry personnel, and provide a vocational qualification for those seeking a career in Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) practice, this course provides interdisciplinary postgraduate level knowledge and skill progression.

 The curriculum reflects the growing trend of organisations combining environmental protection and health and safety functions. The course is accredited by both the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) and Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA), as meeting the academic requirements for graduate membership.

 Graduates can also fast track to PIEMA (Practitioner Status) once they complete a work-based competence assessment.  International applicant? Please check international intakes for the latest information and application dates.

You will:

• Broaden your knowledge, as you learn aspects of both environmental and occupational health

• Develop a skill set relevant to modern Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) practice

• Learn how to undertake health, safety and environmental audits against a background of sustainability

Course delivery

Our MSc Safety, Health and Environment postgraduate course is delivered through a range of industry-focused modules. The 180-credit MSc award comprises six credit-bearing taught modules, plus a 60-credit research-based dissertation project. 

Flexibility is at the heart of our learning approach. You can choose to study this postgraduate course full-time or part-time on campus:

• as a full-time student, you will complete eight 15-credit taught modules across the trimesters one and two on campus two. You will complete a 60-credit research-based dissertation project during a third trimester

• as a part-time students will complete complete eight 15-credit taught modules across trimesters spread over two years. You will complete a 60-credit research-based dissertation project during a third year of study

Learning experience

During your studies, you will engage with issues drawn from law, economics and the social and physical sciences which are relevant to the theory and practice of environmental regulation and occupational health.

You will assess existing and emerging challenges, and explore contemporary management, technological and regulatory systems that are designed to reduce environmental risks.

The course curriculum is designed to help you build professional practice knowledge alongside postgraduate skills, including research design and delivery. During your studies, you will look at ‘big issues’ in environmental science, consider ethics and bioethics and use critical thinking.

The course has a highly-practical focus with an emphasis on authentic, experimental problem-based learning. You will consider the relevant concepts in practice and apply them in different circumstances, helping you to develop confidence in managing rapid social, technological and organisational change.

Course modules are designed to help you develop specific topic knowledge alongside intellectual and analytical skills appropriate for contemporary health, safety and environment professionals. Topics covered include standards and auditing, occupational health and hygiene, risk regulation and safety conservation.