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1. Study
2. Adult Continuing Education
3. Study At ACE
4. Higher Diploma and Postgraduate Cert/Dip
5. Safety, Health and Welfare at Work - Higher Diploma

Course Fact File

Code	HDSHWW
Duration	2 years
Teaching Mode	Part-Time
Qualifications	HDip
NFQ Level	Level 8
NFQ Award Title	Major
Fees	€3,990 year 1, €3,990 year 2 See Fees and Costs for full details.
Closing Date	Round One: 26 June 2026
Venue	Blended - Online Lectures and In Person Workshops in UCC. Please see Additional Teaching Information Mode for Further Details
Start Date	September 2026

Course Outline

 

The course provides professional training in the management of safety, health and welfare at work. It is accredited by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) and was developed in co-operation with the Health and Safety Authority (HSA). Graduates of the course meet the academic requirements for certified membership of IOSH upon completion.

The course is offered by ACE at UCC in association with the departments of Applied Psychology, Biochemistry, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Law, Applied Social Studies, Statistics, the College of Medicine and Health, and the Industrial Liaison Unit. It is delivered on a part-time modular basis in order to meet the needs of working professionals, who in the past have come from a variety of disciplines including HR, construction, medicine, production and engineering.

The Higher Diploma in Safety, Health and Welfare at Work is designed to help you ensure the safety, health and welfare of the Irish workforce. Though the training is directed at Irish working conditions with the emphasis on chemical, pharmaceutical, agri-industry, electronics, health care and services, the course content is sufficiently broad to allow for new situations in different industries.

Effective worker protection and prevention of work-related ill health and accidents requires a widely based knowledge of toxicology, psychology, legislation, human body responses, ergonomics and engineering. Only with knowledge of all these related areas can effective solutions be recommended. You will learn the prevention of ill health and accidents, as well as getting specific training in prevention and protection in the workplace. On completion of the course, you will be competent in dealing effectively with the majority of health and safety problems in the workplace. Please see below a short introductory video about the course. 

Programme Modules

Year 1

• AD5809 Human Factors in Safety, Health and Welfare at Work
• AD5853 Risk Management
• AD5854 Technical Safety and Working Safely
• AD5857 Accident Prevention and Emergency Planning
• EH5802 Occupational Health and Health Promotion
• LW5801 Health and Safety Legislation

Year 2

• AD5810 Occupational Hygiene
• AD5856 Health and Safety Management
• AD5858 Researching Safety, Health and Welfare in Key Public Service Workplaces
• AD5859 Researching Safety, Health and Welfare in the Construction Sector
• AD5860 Researching Safety, Health and Welfare in the Pharma and Manufacturing Sectors
• AD5861 Environmental Issues within Health and Safety Practice
• BC5802 Chemical Safety and Toxicology
• EH5801 Epidemiology and Data Collection

Application Deadlines

Applications are accepted in two rounds.

• Round 1 closes on 26 June and Round 2 closes on 28 August.
• I all places are filled by eligible applicants by the Round 1 deadline, the programme will not open for Round 2.
• For round 2, applications will remain open until the final deadline or until all places are filled, whichever occurs first. Early application is strongly advised.

Queries

We have compiled a list of frequently asked questions about this programme here:

FAQs Safety, Health, and Welfare at Work HDip | UCC | ACE

For any other Academic Queries and Course Content Queries not listed in the above, please contact the Programme Coordinator Gosia: mhorajska@ucc.ie 

For Online Application Support please click here. 

Course Practicalities

Lecture Schedule: This programme will be delivered in a blended format

• Live online classes two evenings per week Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6.30pm-9.30pm (some classes will be shorter).
• For some modules pre-recorded materials will be released in advance of the live class to facilitate discussion. 
• Approximately once a month there will be in-person class/workshop in UCC held on Saturdays.

This blended format aims to provide the best of online learning techniques with the best of in-person interaction and networking in the in-person classes.

Assessment: Continuous assessment will include both individual and group projects.

Course commitment: An ability to manage and allocate time to course content each week is necessary. Students are expected to attend and participate in the weekly live class. They are also required to engage in discussion and module material and to interact with course lecturers, tutors, and other students.

Why Choose This Course

The course is offered by ACE at UCC in association with the departments of Applied Psychology, Biochemistry, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Law, Applied Social Studies, Statistics, the College of Medicine and Health, and the Industrial Liaison Unit. It is delivered on a part-time basis in order to meet the needs of working professionals, who in the past have come from a variety of disciplines including HR, construction, medicine, production and engineering. 

The course provides professional training in the management of safety, health and welfare at work. It is accredited by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) and was developed in co-operation with the Health and Safety Authority (HSA). Graduates of the course meet the academic requirements for certified membership of IOSH upon completion.

Requirements

Programme Entry Requirements:

Applicants must:

• Be at least 23 years old by 1 January of the year of application AND 
• Hold a level 8 primary degree in any discipline with (minimum) one-year relevant work experience in a related field such as health, engineering, HR, training, manufacturing and construction Or
• Hold a level 7 qualification (min. second-class honours grade 1) in a relevant discipline (health, engineering, manufacturing, construction, HR, training) and (minimum) three years’ relevant work experience in a related field such as health, engineering, HR, training, manufacturing, and construction. 

English Language Requirements: Applicants that are non-native speakers of the English Language must meet the university approved english language requirements. Please visit our PG English Language Requirements page for more information.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL): Applicants who do not meet the above programme entry requirements may be eligible to apply through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). See information on RPL here. 

To be considered, applicants should be able to demonstrate experience and training in a relevant field (At least five years’ professional experience in a relevant senior management role in a related field such as health, engineering, HR, training, manufacturing and construction). View the RPL for applicants guide here: https://www.ucc.ie/en/ace/helphub/ 

• If you wish to apply via RPL, you must select “Yes” to the RPL question when completing your application in UCC Apply.
• As part of the application, you will be required to submit:
  • A Personal Statement outlining your motivation for applying and detailing relevant work or life experience.
  • Any other relevant supporting documentation evidencing your prior learning - please refer to the RPL Learner Guide for details on appropriate evidence.

All applicants must be aware of the student IT checklist prior to applying.

Fees and Costs

The programme fee for year one is: €3,990

The programme fee for year two is: €3,990

• Applicants pay 50% of the year one fee on application.
• This fee is fully refundable if the programme does not run or you are not offered a place on the programme
• The remaining 50% of the year one programme fee is due by 31 Jan. 

For further information on fees and financial supports please click here.

How To Apply

 

To Apply for this course please follow the steps below:

When you log into the Application Portal:

Click Apply Online

Select Start a new Adult & Continuing Education Application 

During your online application you will be required to upload the following documents:

• Application Statement
• Birth Cert or Passport
• Passport Photograph 
• Curriculum Vitae
• English Language Test Report [if applicable]
• Transcripts [if applicable]
• 50% of the fees are also required to complete your application. 

 

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