Occupational Health
The Postgraduate Diploma in Occupational Health is offered on a part-time block-release basis over two years. It consists of eight courses of one week each and includes experiential learning between courses.
Overview
The Wits School of Public Health offers a Postgraduate Diploma in Occupational Health (PG DOH) over two years. Occupational hygiene and toxicology, occupational medicine, and occupational health are the strengths of this programme, with a focus on the attainment of practical skills.
The diploma is for medical doctors in possession of an MBChB, MBBCh, or equivalent qualification acceptable to the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) for registration as an independent medical practitioner in South Africa. The incumbent should be someone who works or intends to work in occupational health in the public or private sector.
Students who complete the Programme will have the knowledge and skills to develop, implement, evaluate, and analyse occupational health programmes and policies aimed at the protection of workers.
Curriculum
Occupational Medicine
- Systems: respiratory, ENT, skin, neurological and psychosocial conditions, musculoskeletal, reproductive, renal, hepatic and haemopoietic systems
- Tests: chest radiology, audiometry, lung function, allergy and neuro-behavioural testing and functional work capacity assessment
- Disability assessment, rehabilitation, and commonly occurring occupational diseases in South Africa
Occupational Hygiene and Toxicology
- Risk assessment
- Hazardous exposures
- Principles of toxicology
- Principles of occupational hygiene
- Measurement and control technologies
- Exposure standards
Occupational Health
- Industrial relations applied to health and safety
- Health and safety legislation, policy and programmes (e.g. HIV/AIDS at work)
- Worker participation
- Environmental policy and impacts
- Occupational health services, including design and management of workplace health services
- Programme: medical surveillance, biological monitoring, fitness for work, chronic disease management, health promotion, emergency management and employee assistance programme.
- Ethical issues relating to industrial relations and the role of the occupational health service provider
- Compensation issues
Epidemiology
This course covers basic principles of epidemiology, including study design, measures of occurrence, measures of effect, bias and validity issues, confounding, effect modification, causality, and critical appraisal of the literature. These are applied to exposure assessment, health assessment, and occupational health services issues as a guide to designing studies. Measurement of the burden of disease is also included.
Additional components
Much of the Programme is participant-driven, requiring studying of selected reading material before each block. Self-learning and self-study are important aspects. Experiential learning between courses will involve a practical (hands-on) systematic approach to managing an occupational health issue and an opportunity to interact with management and workers in various workplaces.
Inter-block assignments include:
- Identification and description of a workplace of your choice
- Conducting a health risk assessment
- Identification of a relevant risk, and literature search
- Management of specific occupational diseases
Due guidance and support will be provided by the course coordinators.
During each block, the students will visit a variety of workplaces (mine, foundry, etc.) to gain practical experience and familiarise themselves with processes in various industries.
Entry Requirements
- A written motivation by the applicant indicating why he/she has selected the Postgraduate Diploma in Occupational Health
- Letters from two referees
- Degree certificates and academic transcripts
- International students should also include a SAQA letter
- Current Curriculum Vitae
Each student is required to contact the postgraduate office on 011 717 2108 with regard to registration.
University Application Process
- Applications are handled centrally by the Student Enrolment Centre (SEnC). Once your application is complete in terms of requested documentation, your application will be referred to the relevant School for assessment. Click here to see an overview of the Wits applications process.
- Please apply online. Upload your supporting documents at the time of application, or via the Self Service Portal.
- Applicants can monitor the progress of their applications via the Self Service Portal.
- Selections for programmes that have a limited intake but attract a large number of applications may only finalise the application at the end of the application cycle.
Please note that the Entry Requirements are a guide. Meeting these requirements does not guarantee a place. Final selection is made subject to the availability of places, academic results and other entry requirements where applicable.
International students, please check this section.
For more information, contact the Student Call Centre +27 (0)11 717 1888, or log a query at www.wits.ac.za/askwits.
University Fees and Funding
Click here to see the current average tuition fees. The Fees site also provides information about the payment of fees and closing dates for fees payments. Once you have applied you will be able to access the fees estimator on the student self-service portal.
For information about postgraduate funding opportunities, including the postgraduate merit award, click here. Please also check your School website for bursary opportunities. NRF bursaries: The National Research Foundation (NRF) offers a wide range of opportunities in terms of bursaries and fellowships to students pursuing postgraduate studies. External bursaries portal: The Bursaries South Africa website provides a comprehensive list of bursaries in South Africa.