Programme Awards
- Graduate Diploma of Applied Science (Occupational Health and Safety)
- Master of Applied Science (Safety Management)
Application
The programme is an integrated postgraduate study scheme offered by the
University of Western Sydney, Australia, working in cooperation with the Industrial Centre and the
School of Professional Education and
Executive Development (SPEED), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
Introduction- The Awards
- Course Objectives
- Period of Study Required for the Awards
- Mode of Study
- Course Structure and Contents
- Methods of Assessment
- Academic and Professional Recognition
- The Specific Benefits and Features of Our Safety Programmes
Introduction
In recent years rapid changes in occupational safety and health practice have occurred in Hong Kong. These changes have led to an increased demand from government and industry for people with a high level of expertise to work in occupational safety and health in a full time capacity. For economic reasons, there has developed a growing demand for occupational safety and health professionals who have competencies in areas of safety management as well as the ability to deal effectively with a wide range of people in different disciplines. The programme will meet that demand by producing graduates with a breadth and depth of occupational safety and health knowledge and skills.
The Awards
The programme is an integrated Postgraduate scheme in Occupational Safety and Health (POSH) offered by the
College of Science, Technology
& Environment of the University of Western Sydney,(UWS), Australia, working in cooperation with the Industrial Centre and the Centre for Professional and Continuing Education, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU). On satisfactory completion of the scheme, students will be granted the following awards of
UWS :
- Graduate Diploma of Applied Science (Occupational Health and Safety)
- Master of Applied Science (Safety Management)
Course Objectives
The 2 1/2 years part-time programme (composed of the Graduate Diploma and Master's Degree) is designed to provide advanced safety management studies to prepare suitable candidates and safety practitioners for positions of leadership in occupational safety and health.
This programme aims to give students the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and develop the skills essential for the effective practice of occupational safety and health as a basis for career specialization and development.
The specific aims of the course are to:
provide students with a conceptual understanding of the areas relevant to the occupational safety and health field;
facilitate an understanding in the students of the reciprocal relationship between work and health;
enable students to recognize the relationship between the prevention of work-related illness or injury, improved organizational productivity and the implementation of best practice;
provide students with the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively manage occupational safety and health programmes.
In addition, the Master's Degree programme will :
develop the students' ability to plan and conduct independent research in the field of occupational safety and health;
develop the students' ability to communicate, both orally and in writing, in a variety of professional areas.
Period of Study Required for the Awards
Completion of the Graduate Diploma programme requires the completion of 48 credit points which can be attained over 1 1/2 years of part-time studies.
Students who successfully complete the Graduate Diploma programme may convert to the Master's programme and are required to complete additional studies to graduate with the degree in the Master of Applied Science (Safety management). This requires an additional one year of part-time study. Students may complete the full requirements for the Master's programme via this path in a total of 2 1/2 years of part-time study upon completion of 72 credit points including those attained in the Graduate Diploma programme.
Mode of Study
The Graduate Diploma and Master programmes will be undertaken by distance education which utilizes a combination of well developed study notes and books of readings together with lectures for each subject within the programme.
Students will progress through each subject on an independent study basis using the distance education materials. Each subject will include compulsory lectures / workshops supplemented by tutorials. Lectures, workshops and tutorials will be held on weekday evenings and weekends in The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
Course Structure
The Graduate Diploma of Applied Science (Occupational Health and Safety) consists of the following six subjects:
|
|
Mandatory Subjects |
Credit Points(c.p.) |
|
STAGE I |
Environmental Management |
(10 c.p.) |
|
|
Occupational Health Management |
(10 c.p.) |
|
STAGE II |
Safety Management |
(10 c.p.) |
|
|
Research Methods |
(10 c.p.) |
|
STAGE III |
Hazardous Chemicals |
(10 c.p.) |
|
|
Critical Incident Analysis |
(10 c.p.) |
Graduates of the Graduate Diploma programme may convert to the Master's programme and are required to complete additional studies to graduate with the degree in the Master of Applied Science (Safety Management).
|
STAGE IV |
Safety Systems & Risk Management |
(10 c.p.) |
|
|
Project (year long, workplace based) |
(20 c.p.) |
Methods of Assessment
Assessment exercises reflect a commitment to the principles of adult learning, including the development of the students' understanding and application of core principles rather than simply testing their knowledge. Examples of assessment methods include:
written assignments such as topic research, literature reviews, programme development or evaluation, field visit evaluations and portfolios incorporating reflective journals;
workshop seminars covering such area as professional practice, hazards assessment reports, topic seminars and project reports.
in addition, Master's Degree candidates will prepare a research document which may take the form of a thesis, a dissertation or a research paper, depending on the weighting given to the research component of the study programme.
Academic and Professional Recognition
The awards of the programme are accorded the same status as those granted by the University of Western Sydney. The programmes also comply with the Work safe Australia guidelines for courses in occupational safety and health offered by tertiary institutions in Australia.
Graduates of the scheme have been accepted for full membership of the Safety Institute of Australia (SIA) conditional on the appropriate experience.
The Specific Benefits and Features of Our Safety Programmes
Our Credibility and Authority
Our credibility stems from our long experience of teaching the subject and our contacts with the local safety and health regulatory agencies.
Industrial Experience
We have a broad experience of occupational safety and health in a range of industries. Our expertise embraces manufacturing industries and construction.
Relevance
Our Occupational safety & Health programmes are explicitly targeted to meet the various educational / training needs that follow from the current legal foundation for safety and health at work in Hong Kong. In fact our Post-experience Certificate Course (formerly Certificate of Proficiency) in Industrial Safety has been recognized by the Labor Department as one of the requirements for registration as Registered Safety Officer.
Excellence
We have an on-going commitment to improve the standards of occupational safety and health based on continual monitoring and review of our activities.
Our Central Location
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University is ideally situated at the heart of the city and at the centre of the HK's communication network.
For further information, please contact the Industrial Centre
Address:
Industrial Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
Phone No.:(852)2766 7581
Fax No.:(852)2334 4634
Email Address: ICSKPOON@POLYU.EDU.HK
Internet Address: http://www.ic.polyu.edu.hk
