Graduate Certificate of Occupational Hygiene
Postgraduate
ECU-OCH-GCE 2025Course information for 2025 intake View information for 2024 course intake
Start your journey into occupational health
Learn core occupational hygiene skills, so you can prevent health and safety incidents in your workplace. This certificate is ideal for those already working in high-risk environments, and can be used to gain entry into the related Masters Degree.
- Study method
- Online & on-campus
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Credit available
- Yes
- Duration
- 6 months full time or part time equivalent
- Total subjects
- 3
- Available loans
- Australian Higher Education Loan Program (HELP)
Graduate Certificate of Occupational Hygiene
About this degree
At the end of the program, students of the Graduate Certificate of Occupational Hygiene can:
- Apply communication and collaboration skills to demonstrate well-developed judgement in professional occupational hygiene contexts.
- Apply technical and creative skills to investigate and evaluate complex occupational hygiene ideas, concepts and theories in workplace situations.
- Reflect critically on advanced discipline knowledge, research principles and methods to demonstrate a high level of Occupational Hygiene professional practice or scholarship.
Occupational Hygienists aim to identify, manage and control occupational and environmental hazards across all industries including advising organisations and local communities about the potential health impacts as a result of exposure to hazards.
This program has been developed for practitioners to acquire skills in occupational hygiene. The course will assist you develop or enhance your skills in the practical aspects of identifying, evaluating, and controlling occupational hazards that could adversely affect the health of workers. You’ll learn about occupational epidemiology, occupational toxicology and the chemical, physical and biological aspects of occupational hygiene. You will apply communication and collaboration skills to demonstrate judgement in professional occupational hygiene contexts. This course can be used as an entry pathway into the Master of Occupational Hygiene and Toxicology.
Recommended study pattern
As a guide, core subjects in this degree can include:
- Occupational Hygiene 1: Chemical Aspects
- Occupational Hygiene 2: Physical and Biological Aspects
- Occupational Hygiene 3: Control.
As part of your application, you’ll be guided through how to get the right degree structure in place for you.
Award requirements
Students are required to complete 60 credit points.
Open Universities Australia is a not-for-profit organisation. You will not pay any fees for using our services.
Indicative total fee $13,200
The amount shown here is indicative for an Australian citizen studying full-time, which is typically 8 subjects per year.
Fees may vary depending on:
- the subjects you choose
- credit from previous work experience
- your eligibility for government funding loans or subsidies such as HECS-HELP or a Commonwealth supported place.
To learn more, go to Fees or contact a student advisor.
ECU is ranked one of the world’s best young universities and Australia’s best public university for teaching quality. That quality extends to more than 30,000 students, many studying online through Open Universities Australia. ECU offers the same quality of teaching to you, regardless of where you’re studying in the world. Their flexible study solutions include a huge range of online courses, recognising your need to juggle work, family or other commitments.
Learn more about ECU.
Explore ECU courses.
- QS Ranking 2024:
- 28
- Times Higher Education Ranking 2024:
- 25
How to apply
Edith Cowan University manages enquiries and applications for this degree.
Complete your details and we'll make sure your enquiry is sent to Edith Cowan University who will contact you to discuss this degree.
Don't worry, we're still here to help you - you'll receive a personalised follow-up from an Open Universities Australia student advisor to make sure you have found the right degree for you.
Entry requirements
Academic admission requirements (Band 6) may be satisfied through completion of one of the following:
- Bachelor degree; or
- Equivalent prior learning including at least five years relevant professional experience.
Equivalent prior learning including at least five years relevant professional experience.
English competency requirements may be satisfied through completion of one of the following:
- IELTS Academic Overall band minimum score of 6.5 (no individual band less than 6.0)
- Bachelor degree from a country specified on the English Proficiency Bands page for Band 4
- Successfully completed 0.375 EFTSL of study at postgraduate level or higher at an Australian higher education provider (or equivalent)
- Where accepted, equivalent prior learning, including at least five years relevant professional experience; OR
- Other tests, courses or programs defined on the English Proficiency Bands page for Band 4.
If you have completed units of study in another Postgraduate course or have relevant professional experience, you may be eligible for Credit and Recognition of Prior Learning (CRPL).
To assess your eligibility for credit, we first need you to apply for and accept an offer in your course of interest with us. You can then submit an Application for Credit and Recognition of Prior Learning via your Student Portal.
Study method requirements
Students are required to attend a 3-day workshop for each of the three (3) practical units.
Career opportunities
Occupational Hygienists work across a range of industries where occupational and environmental hazards are present, including mining, government departments and manufacturing.
Possible future job titles:
Occupational Hygiene Technician, Occupational Hygiene Advisor, Occupational Hygiene Practitioner
Australian job snapshots
Data sourced from Australian Jobs 2023.
Role | Earnings | Employment change |
---|---|---|
Environmental Health Officers | $93K to $120K | N/A^ |
Occupational and Environmental Health Professionals | $93K to $120K | Up 31.7% |
Occupational Health and Safety Advisers | $93K to $120K | N/A^ |
^ There is no data available