MSc Occupational Medicine

The University holds regular open days, where you will have the opportunity to tour the campus and find out more about our facilities and courses. On this day, you will find out more about the course and meet academic and admissions staff who will be able to answer any questions you have. For more information, see Open days .

Please apply via our online application form . See the application and selection section for details of the supporting documents we require.

We recommend that you apply as early as possible. We reserve the right to close applications if the course is full.

Your application form must be accompanied by the following supporting documents: 

• copies of official degree certificates (with translations if not in English) if you have already graduated;
• copies of official university transcripts (with translations if not in English) if you have not yet graduated;
• proof of English language proficiency (if required).

Supporting documents can be uploaded with the online application form or sent directly to pgtaught.cbm@manchester.ac.uk

After applying, please do not submit documents in any other way without telling us first so we can provide you with the most efficient service. Please make sure you include your University ID number on any correspondence and do not send any documents before you have submitted your application.

Our MSc Occupational Medicine course equips doctors with the specialist knowledge, professional judgement and leadership skills needed to influence occupational health practice and improve worker health outcomes.

Delivered through flexible online blended learning, the course explores the relationship between work and health, covering areas such as fitness for work, occupational disease prevention, workplace hazards, risk management, health surveillance, wellbeing, and occupational health service delivery.

The course is aimed at doctors who want to gain an academic qualification in occupational medicine, including GPs, doctors already working in the field, those in specialist training posts, and those undertaking the portfolio route. It is also suitable for clinically trained doctors in other disciplines with an interest in occupational medicine. The curriculum aligns with Faculty of Occupational Medicine (FOM) requirements and supports preparation for FOM professional examinations.

You will follow Faculty of Occupational Medicine (FOM) aligned curriculum content and accredited BOHS curriculum while developing skills in critical appraisal, research, leadership and management enabling evidence-based decision-making and career progression.

The taught unit component emphasises the theoretical principles and research methodologies underpinning each unit. You will examine legislation, occupational disease prevention, risk management, health surveillance, organisational influences on health, and the delivery of effective occupational health services.

The MSc dissertation or critical literature review provides an opportunity to investigate a workplace health challenge in depth under the guidance of an experienced academic supervisor.

The course also has strong links with the British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS) curriculum giving you a unique opportunity to interact with occupational hygiene students and develop professional links as an occupational physician. You may also attend our on-campus practical occupational hygiene and health assessment course.

By the end of the course, you will be prepared to lead and improve occupational health services, support worker wellbeing, and address complex workplace health challenges in an evolving world of work.

Students wishing to complete a PGCert or a PGDip should enrol on the MSc and exit after 4 taught units (PGCert) or after 8 taught units (PGDip) with an option to return within five years to complete the MSc if desired.

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.

As a graduate of our MSc Occupational Medicine, you will:

• Understand the complex relationship between work and health, including occupational disease prevention, fitness for work, workplace hazards and worker health protection.
• Apply occupational health principles to risk management, health surveillance, service delivery and workplace health improvement.
• Demonstrate leadership, communication and professional skills that support effective occupational health practice.
• Critically appraise evidence and apply research findings to support evidence-based decision-making.
• Develop the advanced occupational medicine knowledge and expertise required for contemporary occupational health practice and service leadership.
  

Expert teaching

Learn from occupational physicians, occupational hygienists, occupational health professionals, epidemiologists, statisticians and researchers who bring real-world practice and contemporary workplace health challenges into the classroom.

Flexible online blended learning

Study at your convenience, balancing professional commitments with flexible learning. You will be supported by structured learning pathways, live online sessions and optional on-campus activities.

Interdisciplinary learning

Benefit from opportunities to learn alongside occupational hygiene students, reflecting the collaborative nature of modern occupational health practice.

Our flexible online blended-learning course is designed to support doctors studying alongside work and other commitments. Learning is delivered through a combination of high-quality digital learning materials, live online teaching, recorded lectures, seminars, tutorials and collaborative learning activities.

You will learn from experienced occupational physicians, occupational hygienists, occupational health professionals, epidemiologists and environmental exposure specialists, drawing on expertise from research, policy and professional practice.

Regular live sessions and tutorials provide opportunities to discuss real-world occupational health challenges, engage with fellow healthcare professionals and develop evidence-based approaches to workplace health problems.

Support is available from the course tutors alongside a comprehensive reading list online resource.

Taught course units have a variety of assignments and examinations at intervals throughout the course. These include examinations, presentations, video recordings, reports and other coursework designed to reflect professional practice. Optional on-campus workshops, including practical occupational hygiene training, provide further opportunities for hands-on learning and networking

Comments from our students

"The course really helped me to prepare for the Faculty of Occupational Medicine exams."

"I wouldn't normally get to see these topics in action in my current role. It is useful for AFOM learning as well."

"It was an excellent opportunity to connect with other health professionals. I felt welcome from the offset. As a practical learner I found it a very enjoyable experience.”

"All the sessions were very well organised. The topics were really useful, with a good amount of hands on learning."

"I found the practical session of the noise exposure measurement, thermal comfort and air sampling very real and useful. I also found the incorporation of statistics teaching at the workshop very helpful for my research. I was able to meet other students in the profession of occupational health.”

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.

You will be able to access a range of facilities throughout the University.

Upon successful completion of your MSc, the dissertation may be modified (to comply with the relevant submission regulations), for higher professional qualification in Occupational Medicine via the MFOM or portfolio routes.

You will develop the expertise to assess, manage and prevent work-related ill health across sectors including healthcare, manufacturing, energy, transport, government and consultancy, while gaining the leadership, research and evidence-based decision-making skills needed to shape workplace health strategy and improve worker health outcomes.

The course supports career progression within occupational medicine and provides a strong foundation for doctors working towards professional qualifications, specialist practice and leadership roles in occupational health services.