Course description
"Manchester has a good reputation for this MSc and many of my peers have attended the course. It has a good structure and staff have been very supportive throughout.
"It is a great course for those who haven't done occupational hygiene before, as it starts with the basics. It is also great for those who have some experience, as it builds on the skills and knowledge you already have and covers new topics."
Helen Pearson / Consultant Occupational Hygienist
Our online blended learning MSc in Occupational Hygiene will equip you with interdisciplinary knowledge and skills in occupational hygiene and occupational health, culminating in an academic qualification accredited by the British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS).
The course is unique in offering an opportunity to network with professionals working in a wide range of industrial settings throughout the world.
By embracing the latest technologies and staying up-to-date with industry challenges, our online blended Masters courses provide opportunities to connect with stakeholders in occupational health, whether in regulatory science, medicine, or the broader field of work and organisation.
In the taught component of the course, the emphasis is on acquiring a thorough understanding of the theoretical principles and research methodologies underpinning the topics covered by each unit.
As a student, you’ll also have access to on-campus practical events in occupational hygiene and medicine. These events enhance your networking opportunities with practitioners from around the world, further enriching your learning experience. Students studying our MSc programme can choose to complete 8 taught units (15 credits each) and a dissertation (60 credits) or 10 taught units (15 credits each) and a critical literature review (30 credits).
The dissertation or critical literature review component gives you the opportunity to apply your knowledge and develop experience in research methods applied to a problem of particular interest to you, supported by an individual, experienced supervisor. This component has an emphasis on developing your critical appraisal and analysis skills, enabling you to demonstrate leadership and management of occupational health issues.
Certain aspects of the course also link closely to the Faculty of Occupational Medicine (London) curriculum giving you a unique opportunity to interact with students studying to be occupational physicians and develop professional links as an occupational hygienist. This includes the opportunity to attend our on campus practical occupational hygiene and health assessment course.
PhD with integrated master's
If you're planning to undertake a PhD after your master's, our Integrated PhD programme will enable you to combine your postgraduate taught course with a related PhD project in biology, medicine or health.
You can also visit this page for examples of projects related to integrated master's courses.Aims
The course delivers academic knowledge and practical training in occupational and industrial hygiene and health, aiming to develop a practitioner with:
- core skills and knowledge to recognise, evaluate and control hazardous substances in the workplace, encompassing hazards such as chemical, physical (eg noise, radiation), biological and ergonomic agents;
- knowledge of the scope covered within occupational hygiene such as legislation, toxicological basis for standard setting, methods commonly used to evaluate hazardous agents, and related and overlapping health profession roles in occupational hygiene;
- an academic qualification that is accredited by the British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS);
- critical evaluation skills in occupational hygiene to prevent or minimise ill health in the workplace.
We will teach you the rudiments of research methods, critical appraisal and critical objectivity to foster life-long skills that will enable you to assess and make evidence based decisions. As a graduate of our MSc, you will have gained knowledge to recognise, evaluate and control hazards in the workplace, including chemical, physical and biological agents.
Special features
Expert teaching
The course takes places in a research-enriched environment, and you will have the opportunity to undertake research-based activities relevant to occupational hygiene. You will be taught by academics and professionals working in the field of occupational health and hygiene using case examples from local, national and international occupational hygiene settings. There is an emphasis on applying your learning to real occupational health and hygiene issues.
Flexible online blended learning
Most of the course content is delivered online, enabling you to fit study around other commitments. On campus activities are offered during your study and are held in Manchester, but attendance is not compulsory. For certain units there are face-to-face sessions, including practical workshops. You will be notified of these dates at the start of the course.
Networking opportunities
You will have the opportunity to network and study with trainee occupational physicians on our sister course, MSc Occupational Medicine. This includes working together during our on campus Practical Occupational Hygiene course in Manchester.
Additional course information
The teaching and research academics on the MSc Occupational Hygiene work closely with the British Occupational Hygiene Society and most are members of the Society. The link gives more information on career development, events and networking.
As a University of Manchester student you can join the BOHS free of charge. We recommend joining the Society as soon as you register to benefit from the extensive events and activities offered each year.
As a student of occupational hygiene you can also join the Society of Occupational Medicine which is open to health professionals working in occupational health. The teaching team are also members of this Society.
Teaching and learning
The online blended learning course comprises specially commissioned online materials, together with interactive teaching and learning methods, delivered on the University's virtual learning environment, Blackboard.
You will learn from experienced occupational hygienists, statisticians, environmental exposure experts and occupational physicians.
Course units include online live and recorded lectures or seminars and online tutorial time, providing an opportunity to re-address concepts and approaches to problem solving in discussion with both the tutor and your peers.
A learning structure with a recommended pace is in place for each unit. All units are assessed through assignment/examination.
All our lectures, seminars and tutorials are currently online. Our practical Occupational Hygiene training course is run on-campus in Manchester in Spring. Attendance is not mandatory, but we encourage students to take up the opportunity to take part in this.
Once you are enrolled with us we will provide you with a timetable of our online welcome and seminar days, workshops, tutorials and assessment dates. Discover more about The University of Manchester's online and blended learning here.
Discover more about The University of Manchester's online and blended learning here.
Coursework and assessment
Taught course units have a variety of assignments and examinations at intervals throughout the course.
Support is available from the course tutors alongside a comprehensive Reading List Online resource. You will have full student access to The University of Manchester Library, one of only five national research libraries with more than 4 million printed books, manuscripts and 50,000 unique electronic journals and 800,000 electronic books. With access to several hundred databases this is one of the best-resourced academic libraries in the UK.Course unit details
Our content is over 90% focused on occupational and industrial hygiene and health (the rest being safety) covering exposure assessment and control for a wide range of hazards to prevent a multitude of ill health effects.
You will study in-depth the impacts of occupationally-related disease and the factors of occupational hygiene assessment, management and leadership important in occupational hygiene control and occupational health management.
Students are required to complete the following for the award of:
- MSc - you must complete 8 taught units (120 credits) and the Dissertation (60 credits = total of 180 credits) or 10 taught units (150 credits) and the Critical Literature Review (30 credits = total of 180 credits)
- Postgraduate Diploma - you must complete 8 taught units (120 credits)
- Postgraduate Certificate - you must complete 4 taught units (60 credits)
If you opt to undertake a dissertation, you can choose from a range of dissertation models to suit your work situation and interest. You will submit a proposal (outlining your chosen topic for the dissertation or the critical literature review) for review and discussion. When approved you are assigned an experienced dissertation supervisor.
The dissertation or critical literature review component gives you the opportunity to apply your knowledge and develop experience in research methods applied to a problem of particular interest to you, supported by an individual, experienced supervisor. This component has an emphasis on developing your critical appraisal and analysis skills, enabling you to demonstrate leadership and management of occupational health issues.
If you opt to undertake a dissertation, you can choose from a range of dissertation models to suit your work situation and interest. You will submit a proposal (outlining your chosen topic for the dissertation or the critical literature review) for review and discussion. When approved you are assigned an experienced dissertation supervisor.
PGDip and PGCert qualifications are available as exit awards only.
Course unit list
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
| Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research Methods and Data Analysis | POPH68802 | 15 | Mandatory |
| Understanding Physical Agents | POPH68821 | 15 | Mandatory |
| Health and Work | POPH68842 | 15 | Mandatory |
| Introduction to work-related ill health (September) | POPH68861 | 15 | Mandatory |
| Fundamentals of Occupational Health | POPH68881 | 15 | Mandatory |
| Occupational Health Management | POPH68892 | 15 | Mandatory |
| Dissertation for Occupational Medicine and Occupational Hygiene | POPH69000 | 60 | Mandatory |
| Introduction to Public Health | POPH60001 | 15 | Optional |
| Health Promotion Theory & Methods | POPH60021 | 15 | Optional |
| Evidence Based Practice | POPH60041 | 15 | Optional |
| Displaying 10 of 38 course units | |||
| Display all course units | |||
Scholarships and bursaries
For the latest scholarship and bursary information please visit the fees and funding page.
Equity and Merit Scholarships are for academically excellent students who have the potential to make a significant contribution to sustainable development in their home countries.
The awards are intended for those who cannot afford to study in Manchester without a scholarship. We are committed to a policy of equal opportunity and all applications are considered on their merit. We particularly encourage women to apply. To apply for a scholarship for this programme under this scheme you must be looking to study a part-time, distance learning master's (three to five years duration).
The MSc Occupational Hygiene can be studied part time with a 3 year study option. There are 30 scholarships (20 for full-time study and ten for online study) available each year for a range of courses in engineering, environment, health sciences, development, education, textiles and law.
The scheme is open to applicants from Ethiopia, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
Facilities
Disability support
Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service .
CPD opportunities
To search for CPD opportunities please visit our CPD page.