MSc in Occupational Health Department of Epidemiology & Public Health

1. MSc in Occupational HealthDepartment of Epidemiology & Public Health Next START: September 2014 2 years part-time Mondays and Thursdays: 6:15 – 9:00 New Applications - Spring 2014

2. I would like to invite you to take a brief tour of the MSc OccHealth with me … Dr. Birgit Greiner, Course Director This MSc is an integrated course in occupation health, safety and welfare Dpt. Epi&Public Health - University College Cork 2013

3. This is where we are located and where most of the teaching and learning will take place .. Western Gateway Building, on Western Road, a 5- minute walk from the main campus A modern building with excellent teaching rooms, access to a state-of-the-art library with access to health & safety books and journals, a restaurant with evening hours and modern computer facilities Dpt. Epi&Public Health - University College Cork 2013

4. Mission of the course We support our MSc students to professionally and passionately engage in health & safety practice and research and to provide leadership to others. Dpt. Epi&Public Health - University College Cork 2013

5. Mission of the course The course encourages a pro-active approach in assessing and controlling both physical and psychosocial work hazards in an effort to prevent disease, injuries and accidents at work, to promote health, and to create safe and healthy work cultures and conditions. Dpt. Epi&Public Health - University College Cork 2013

6. The staff Our lecturers are experienced college lecturers, health & safety trainers and professionals, industry experts and scientific researchers. All share the passion for health & safety: preventing accidents, injuries and diseases in the workplace and creating healthy and safe working conditions! Dpt. Epi&Public Health - University College Cork 2013

7. Who may be interested in this course? If you are a health & safety professional, e.g. , • A safety officer, manager or representative • An occupational health nurse • A safety engineer • A self-employed health and safety consultant and want to deepen your skills and knowledge in this area Or … Dpt. Epi&Public Health - University College Cork 2013

8. Who may be interested in this course? If you are … • working in a human resources department or in people management • an environmental science specialist • a health care professional such a nurse, a doctor, an occupational therapist … and would like to focus your career on occupational health and safety practice or Dpt. Epi&Public Health - University College Cork 2013

9. Who may be interested in this course… • If you are at the beginning of your career and have a primary degree in a cognate area such as • public health and health promotion • environmental science • engineering • psychology, sociology • and other related fields • and want to enter the exciting field of occupational health Or … Dpt. Epi&Public Health - University College Cork 2013

10. Who may be interested in this course? • If you have a relevant professional qualification and professional experience • and would like to re-orient your career towards health & safety practice Dpt. Epi&Public Health - University College Cork 2013

11. The course covers occupational health from different angles … Dpt. Epi&Public Health - University College Cork 2013

12. Some of the general topics covered during the course • Risk assessment and management of stressful working conditions • Health hazard evaluation • Principles and practice of behaviour-based safety programmes • Work organisational factors, safety and health • Health promotion in the workplace • Ergonomical work design to prevent musculoskeletal injury • Application of health & safety and employment law • Implementation of a health and safety management systems • Critical appraisal of health and safety statistics • Efficient searches for scientific information and publications • Concepts of risk, risk perception and risk management • Applied research for occupational health Dpt. Epi&Public Health - University College Cork 2013

13. Our previous graduates were from a wide range of industries, sectors and disciplines: Examples Social worker in a charity Human resources manager in a hospital Psychology graduate with industrial work placement experience School principal Clinical nurse specialist Self employed health & safety consultant Graduate in environmental health Chemical data management officer in pharmaceutical industry Airport electrician Construction site manager Health and safety manager in food industry Fire fighter Process safety engineer Dpt. Epi&Public Health - University College Cork 2013

14. The occupational health professional as reflective practitioner and evidence-based decision maker Retrieval and appraisal of health and safety research evidence is one major part of the course aimed at encouraging evidence-based decision making Reflection on and learning from previous professional experiences will be encouraged Dpt. Epi&Public Health - University College Cork 2013

15. How is the course structured? We use … • Formal lectures by qualified academics and practitioners • Interactive discussion sessions • Student interactive work on case studies • Student group and individual presentations • Site visits • Reflective practice exercises • Computer and library labs • Independent study and research Dpt. Epi&Public Health - University College Cork 2013

16. Modules Year 1(40 credits) • Taught • 5 modules • Research methods and information retrieval in occupational health (5) • Occupational health and safety management (10) • Psychosocial epidemiology (10) • Integrative occupational health psychology (5) • Critical appraisal of publications and legal aspects (10) Year 2(50 credits) • Taught and research • 2 taught modules (15) • Training and development issues (5) • Principles, theory and practical application of risk assessment and management (10) • Research module (35) • Tutorials • Meetings with thesis supervisor • Thesis Dpt. Epi&Public Health - University College Cork 2013

17. Course assessment Written exams (4 in year 1) Student presentations Student case studies Literature reviews Critical appraisal of a publication Site visit reflection Student research project (thesis) Dpt. Epi&Public Health - University College Cork 2013

18. The thesis • Example topics of previous graduates: • Can focus on human factors (safety behavioral training & a participative safety management model) change the safety culture in a manufacturing industry • Developing and benchmarking an emergency response protocol for a manufacturing company • Burnout in teachers and student stress experience • The relationship between organizational justice, safety performance and health in a manufacturing setting • A comparison of the risk perception of Polish and Irish workers in a construction company • Health and safety awareness of young workers • A profile of work stress factors in nursing • In the second year you will conduct a piece of research on an occupational health and safety topic of your choosing. Dpt. Epi&Public Health - University College Cork 2013

19. Graduation is in December Class of 2005 - 2007 Dpt. Epi&Public Health - University College Cork 2013

20. Graduation is in December Class of 2009 - 2011 Dpt. Epi&Public Health - University College Cork 2013

21. We stay in contact with our MSc graduates You are invited to join a vibrant health and safety network at UCC which includes previous graduates and health & safety lecturers. • You will be invited to Master classes held by experts in the field. Previous speakers were • Herbert Mulligan: Editor of the Health and Safety Reviews • Dr. Harry Comber: Director of the Irish Cancer Registry • Eamonn O’Sullivan: Health and Safety Authority • Patricia Murray: Health and Safety Authority • We also use the expertise of our previous graduates. They contribute to • lecturing • mentoring new students • and student tutoring Dpt. Epi&Public Health - University College Cork 2013

22. After the MSc? Managerial responsibilities in industry or public sector Consulting Lecturing Research Human resources, welfare Health Service Executive, Health and Safety Authority Dpt. Epi&Public Health - University College Cork 2013

23. Questions? Contact us: Sara Leitao (coordinator): s.leitao@ucc.ie Dr. Birgit Greiner : b.greiner@ucc.ie Lynda Coughlan: l.coughlan@ucc.ie Visit our website: http://www.ucc.ie/en/epid/postgrad/masters-occupation-health/ Dpt. Epi&Public Health - University College Cork 2013