Master's Degree in Occupational Health (Occupational Hazard Prevention)

Academic year 2017-18 | 60 credits | 150 places

New student profile and admission criteria

Those in possession of an officially recognized 180-credit (or more) university degree can apply to this programme. Royal Decree 39/1997 (Regulation on Preventative Services) requires those carrying out high-level tasks in occupational risk prevention to have such a degree.

The Studies Committee of the Master's programme will study and assess applications based mostly on applicants' CVs.

CV: Applicants' marks on their academic transcripts will be considered; an average will be taken and fit on a scale from 0 to 10.

Credit transfer and recognition

The Studies Committee of the Master's degree programme in occupational health goes over each request for credit transfer and/or recognition in detail, and grants one or the other when appropriate and when such requests meet the criteria and guidelines that the UIB has established, specifically:

  • recognition is offered for credits earned in official university-level study programmes if the educational content that led to the concession of credits is in line with matters and/or subjects covered in the Master's degree programme in occupational health (occupational risk prevention), in accordance with Annex VI of Royal Decree 39/1997 of 17 January, which ratifies the Regulation on Preventative Services.
  • accredited work or professional experience may be recognized for the internship (in the professional external internships) with a maximum of 15% of the total credits needed to be awarded the Master's degree, as long as this experience is related to the competences covered in the programme. The Studies Committee of the Master's programme will evaluate the experience of each person and its relation with these competences and make a corresponding proposal for credit recognition.
  • recognized credits have no associated marks and thus do not contribute to the average of the academic transcript.

In the hearing that took place on 7 April 2009, the Studies Committee of the Master's programme unanimously agreed to submit the UIB-specific Master's degree in occupational health (replaced by the officially recognized Master's degree in occupational health (occupational risk prevention)) for official recognition. This recognition included all of the studies that could be taken, except for the Master's thesis. The Studies Committee of the Master's programme adapted to that which is stipulated in sections 2 and 4 of Article 6 of Royal Decree 1393/2007 of 29 October which establishes the organization of officially recognized university study programmes, in the draft included in Royal Decree 861/2010 of 2 July.

So, regarding the recognition of credits coming from university-specific degree programmes, the criteria according to the Studies Committee of the Master's degree programme in occupational health (occupational risk prevention) are as follows:

  1. The Master's thesis will never be given recognition of credits and thus it must be passed in the official degree programme.
  2. The credits that were earned in the now defunct UIB-specific Master's degree programme in occupational health will be recognized for the official degree programme that has replaced it, save credits awarded for the Master's thesis.
  3. Students who have taken university-specific Master's degree programmes in occupational risk prevention at other universities may also have those credits recognized (except for the Master's thesis) as long as the educational content of these programmes is in line with that which is established in Annex VI of Royal Decree 39/1997 or 17 January, which ratifies the Regulation on Preventative Services. So that the Committee may evaluate the similarity of the study programmes, interested parties must provide a copy of the corresponding curricula.
  4. In any case, considering the time that has passed between since the degree was available, students referred to in the previous points 2 and 3 must necessarily take the subject Updating Regulations on Prevention of Occupational Risks (8 credits) in the official degree study programme, which was created solely for those requesting recognition of the UIB-specific degree.

 

Academic and professional goals

The main objective of the Master's degree programme in occupational health is to train graduates who are able to perform high level tasks in occupational risk prevention in the three non-medical technical specialization areas recognized in current legislation: workplace safety, industrial hygiene, and ergonomics and applied psychosociology.

The general competences that will be acquired throughout this Master's programme enable graduates to perform assessments of occupational risks, prevention plans, and emergency plans; propose measures for mitigating these risks; provide prevention-related training at any level within their area of specialization; plan preventative activities that should be carried out in order to control or reduce risks that are present; and in general, acquire all of the professional competences listed in Article 17 of Royal Decree 39/1997 of 17 January which ratifies the Regulation on Preventative Services (Official State Gazette [BOE] number 27 of 31 January).

Related specific competences include the following:

  • Understand the influence of working conditions on the health of workers, analyse occupational health problems that might come up, and prevent accidents at work.
  • Understand the difference between workplace accidents, occupational illnesses, and work-related illnesses.
  • Understand the legislation related to occupational health and safety as well as the foundations underpinning health promotion in the workplace.
  • Have the technical knowledge and judgement to assess occupational risks that are present and be able to suggest appropriate measures for controlling general risks associated with the workplace in all of its aspects, including industrial hygiene, ergonomics, and applied psychosociology.
  • Understand the fundamental organization of the business well enough to be able to suggest actions to be taken in order to implement effective prevention management systems in businesses.
  • Identify, assess, and control specific occupational risks in various business sectors, including construction, agriculture, fishing, healthcare, office work, transport, etc.
  • Coordinate preventative activities with the health monitoring ones.
  • Apply one's knowledge to the development of prevention plans.
  • Design job-specific training activities related to occupational risk prevention that are specific and appropriate for various positions.
  • Promote habits and behaviours that are designed to instil a preventative culture in businesses via the active participation of workers and employers.

The legal obligation to manage risks for the health and safety of workers in all businesses makes the inclusion of high level occupational risk prevention experts increasingly necessary in a business' staff, in employers' liability associations, social security, preventative services, and even in local, regional, and federal governments.

Postgraduates in the occupational health programme from the UIB will have acquired the following professional competences:

  • Working as a high level expert in the area of occupational risk management, specifically in workplace safety, industrial hygiene, and ergonomics and applied psychosociology. Carrying out all of the tasks that the current legislation assigns to these experts.
  • Performing their jobs as experts in internal, external, or joint prevention services for public administrations, employers' accident liability associations, etc.
  • Working as professionals in institutions accredited to train others in occupational risk prevention at all levels.

 

Access to other study programmes and career opportunities

The Master's degree in occupational health (occupational risk prevention), with specializations in workplace safety, industrial hygiene, and ergonomics and applied psychosociology, could enable graduates to access some doctoral programmes, though it is not specifically tied or directed to any currently existing doctoral programme at the UIB.

 

Structure of the study programme

The study programme corresponding to this degree can be found in Official State Gazette (BOE) 238: Núm. 238 - 03/10/2011 - número de resolución 15559 [format HTML] (CorrectionNúm. 47 - 23/02/2013 - número de resolución 2080 [format HTML]) or in the subjects section of this web page.

First year: 60 credits (common module + 1 speciality elective + internship).

Second year: Up to 20 credits (1 or 2 specialty electives).

This Master's degree will be awarded whenever all subjects have been taken and passed (including the internship) in the common module and in at least one speciality. This totals 60 credits. In this way graduates will be given the Master's degree with a specialization. In the second academic year, students may complement their education with a second and/or their specialization.

Final Exam

 Yes, in each subject.

Evaluation criteria and exams

Assessment criteria:

See the criteria specified in the syllabus for each subject.

Assessment tools:

See the tools specified in the syllabus for each subject.

Grading criteria:

See the criteria specified in the syllabus for each subject.

Study programme leadership

The Studies Committee of the Master's degree programme in occupational health will carry out the academic coordination of the programme. It is made up of:

  • Dr. Pere M. Deyà Serra (Director)
  • Dr. Francesca Garcías Gomila (Subdirector)
  • Dr. Albert Sesé Abad
  • Mrs. Yolanda Martínez Laserna
  • Mr. José Manuel Garay (ASIMAG Director)