Health, Safety and Environment

What is Health, Safety and Environment?

The BSc (Health, Safety& Environment) is a new course that combines two previous Curtin programs, the BSc (Environmental Health) and the BSc (Health & Safety). This new course is designed to broaden the employment opportunities for students in the rapidly expanding area of health, safety and environment, while still allowing students to select a major in either ‘Environmental Health’ or ‘Health & Safety’. There is currently an extremely high demand for graduates, who are receiving well above average salaries.

Concern regarding quality of life and the integrity and sustainability of the environment and workplaces has led to a demand for professionally trained personnel to create and maintain environments and workplaces that promote good health.

Following their first year of study, students are able to select a major in either Environmental Health or Health & Safety

About our Health, Safety and Environment Program

Information on Health and Safety

Health and Safety is concerned with workplace safety and the injuries and diseases that have a major impact on the work environment. There are many physical, chemical, biological, psychosocial or organisational hazards that can cause injury, death or disease in the workplace. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimates that more htan 2 million people die from work-related causes every year. Internationally, there are two new cases each minute, bringing more harm to the global community than from road accidents, war, violence and HIV/AIDS combined. In Australia, the annual cost of associated ill health is between $15-37 billion every year. Health and Safety professionals work first to prevent then minimise the incidence and impact of workplace hazards.

Information on Environmental Health

Environmental health is concerned with managing those factors in the environment that may exert a harmful effect on community and population health. It comprises those aspects of human health, including quality of life, that are determined by physical, chemical, biological, social and psychological factors in the environment. Concern regarding quality of life and the integrity and sustainability of the environment has led to a demand for professionally trained personnel to create and maintain environments that promote good public health. Graduates of Environmental Health may work as Environmental Health Officers or Scientific Officers in government and a wide range of other fields including the food industry and environmental management.

About our Program

The Bachelor of Science (Health, Safety & Environment) has a strong science foundation where knowledge of human anatomy & physiology, chemistry, physics and microbiology is used as a basis for the development of the required professional competencies and skills. Units of study in this course use a workplace based approach and focus on the development of important graduate attributes and skills including critical thinking, information literacy and competence in using available technology. All students complete a common first year and in second year select a major in either Environmental Health or Health & Safety.

Postgraduate Programs

Postgraduate programs are available in both Environmental Health and Health and Safety from Graduate Certificate to Doctor of Philosophy level.  Entry level to these courses depends on previous qualifications and work experience
See our course list for more information.

News Flash!!
Masters of Environmental Health - Fee Reduction

Commonwealth Supported Places have now been made available for the accreditation stream of the Masters of Environmental Health Programme.  This is great news as it effectively means that fees have been halved.

Also from 1 January 2008, students undertaking the Masters of Environmental Health programme may be able to access Youth Allowance, Austudy and the Pensioner Education Supplement, depending on their eligibility.