University of Queensland
Master of Occupational Health and Safety Science
- Delivery: Face to Face
- Study Level: Postgraduate
- Duration: 18 months
- Course Type: Master's
Learn to identify, assess and manage workplace health and safety risks through occupational hygiene, ergonomics and safety science, with opportunities to apply your skills during a 240-hour industry placement.
Course overview
The University of Queensland's Master of Occupational Health and Safety Science is designed for graduates with backgrounds in science, engineering or health sciences seeking to improve workplace health and safety. The program develops the technical, analytical and management skills needed to identify occupational hazards, assess risks and support safer working environments across different industries.
You'll explore occupational hygiene, ergonomics, occupational health, safety science and risk management, alongside workplace health and safety legislation and management systems. Through applied learning, you'll examine how physical, chemical and other workplace hazards affect worker wellbeing, and develop approaches to preventing injuries, managing exposure and improving organisational safety practices.
Delivered at UQ's St Lucia campus, the program can be completed in 1.5 years of full-time study or the part-time equivalent. Learning combines lectures, tutorials and fieldwork, with the option to complete a 240-hour industry placement in your final semester. Accredited by the Australian OHS Education Accreditation Board and the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, the program prepares graduates for occupational health and safety roles across industries including construction, manufacturing, mining, healthcare and government.
CSP Subsidised Fees Available
This program has a limited quota of Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP). The indicative CSP price is calculated based on first year fees for EFT. The actual fee may vary if there are choices in electives or majors.
Key facts
26th July, 2027
What you will study
At UQ, a unit represents the value of individual courses that contribute to the total unit requirements of a program. Most UQ courses have a value of two units, though some may vary depending on the program or course structure.
To earn the Master of Occupational Health and Safety Science, you must successfully complete 24 units, as detailed below. Unless otherwise noted, each course is worth two units.
Core courses
Complete 18 units from all of the following:
- Occupational Health & Safety Law
- Physical Ergonomics
- Risk Management
- Introduction to Occupational Health & Safety
- Occupational Safety Science
- Occupational Hygiene 1
- Occupational Health
- Occupational Hygiene 2
- Occupational Health & Safety Management Systems
Flexible core courses
Complete four to six units from the following:
- Applied Research Methods
- Regulatory Frameworks for Environmental Management & Planning
- Environmental Problem Solving
- Sustainable Business Practice
- Industry Placement OHS (four units)
The optional Industry Placement OHS involves 240 hours of supervised workplace experience.
General electives
Complete up to two units of General Electives selected from this program or other UQ program course lists, at Level 3 or higher.
Elective selection
To complete the required 24 units, you must choose one of the following combinations:
- Four units of Flexible Core Courses and two units of General Electives, or
- Six units of Flexible Core Courses and no General Electives.
Entry requirements
Academic requirements
To be eligible for this course, applicants must meet at least one of the following requirements:
- A bachelor's degree or equivalent qualification in science, engineering or health sciences, including at least two first-year university-level science courses covering human anatomy, human physiology, organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry and/or physics.
- Successful completion of at least 3.5 years of study towards an approved qualification at an overseas partner institution, including research requirements, with a formal pathway to the Master of Occupational Health and Safety Science.
Applicants must also have a minimum GPA of 4.0 on UQ's 7-point scale in their previous qualification.
English language requirements
Applicants who are required to demonstrate English language proficiency must meet the following requirements:
- IELTS Academic: Overall score of 6.5, with a minimum of 6.0 in listening, reading, writing and speaking.
- TOEFL iBT: Overall score of 87, with a minimum of 19 in listening, reading and speaking, and 21 in writing.
- PTE Academic: Overall score of 64, with a minimum of 60 in each communicative skill.
- Cambridge English Scale (CES): Overall score of 176, with a minimum of 169 in each component.
- Bridging English (BE): Minimum overall grade of 4, with at least a C in each macro skill.
The Occupational English Test (OET) is not accepted.
Other ways of meeting English language requirements may be available. Contact the university for further information.
Recognition of Prior Learning
You may be eligible for recognition of prior learning if you have previously studied or have relevant work experience. This will help to reduce the number of units that you need to study to finish your course. Contact the university for more information.
Outcomes
Career outcomes
Graduates may pursue career opportunities in roles such as:
- Occupational health and safety manager
- Occupational health and safety environmental quality analyst
- Health, safety and environmental manager
- Workplace health and safety adviser
Fees and CSP
Indicative annual fee in 2026: $10,325 (Commonwealth Supported Place)
Indicative annual fees are based on your first year of study.
A student’s annual fee may vary by:
- The number of units studied.
- Choice of units.
- Credit from previous study or work experience.
- Eligibility for government-funded loans.
Student fees shown are subject to change. Contact the university directly to confirm.
Commonwealth Supported Places
The Australian Government allocates a certain number of CSPs to the universities each year, which are then distributed to students based on merit.
If you're a Commonwealth Supported Student (CSS), you'll only need to pay a portion of your tuition fees. This is known as the student contribution amount – the balance once the government subsidy is applied. This means your costs are much lower.
Limited CSP spaces are offered to students enrolled in selected postgraduate courses.
Your student contribution amount is:
- Calculated per the course you're enrolled in.
- Dependent on the study areas they relate to.
- Reviewed and adjusted each year.
Student fees shown are subject to change. Contact the university directly to confirm.
HECS-HELP loans are available to eligible CSP students to pay the student contribution amount.