Build your professional career in occupational health and safety with an internationally recognised qualification and make an impact on the health and resilience of workplaces.
Why study postgraduate Occupational Medicine?
As a postgraduate student you explore how work environments, tasks and exposures influence physical and mental health. The field spans the full breadth of clinical medicine and requires competence in areas such as hazard assessment, risk interpretation, occupational hygiene and rehabilitation. You learn how a worker’s health affects their ability to perform tasks and how workplace conditions influence clinical outcomes, which strengthens your ability to make sound, practical decisions in complex settings.
You also build strong capability in interpreting scientific literature and understanding its meaning for practical application. This helps you move confidently between clinical judgement, organisational needs and legal responsibilities, and positions you to contribute to healthier and safer workplaces.
Career opportunities
Occupational Medicine prepares you for roles where you support worker health and shape safer environments across a range of industries. Career pathways include:
- Independent occupational physician
- Clinical adviser to industrial or government organisations
- Vocational rehabilitation specialist
- Policy or regulatory adviser
What it’s like to study at this level
Occupational Medicine at Otago is delivered part-time by distance, which allows you to study and continue to work from anywhere. Your study connects you with the staff of the Occupational and Aviation Medicine Unit, a group of world-leading industry experts with long experience in working and teaching in this field.
There are regular webinars, but student-centred learning rather than didactic teaching is the medium for your learning journey. You learn through guided online materials, online discussions, and structured support. You become part of a community of students and teachers who care about health and work.
This is for you if ...
Otago offers a wide range of options in Occupational Medicine depending on your health professional background and desired level of specialisation. From medical practitioners who consult on health and wellbeing, to those looking to meet specialist training requirements around the world, to allied health professional looking to expand career opportunities.
Medicine meets the working world
Our programmes are taught by academically active staff who specialise in occupational health and safety.
You’ll benefit from their experience across medicine, public health and workplace practice, and from the flexible pathways that support students studying from different locations. Otago’s strong research culture means you engage with evidence-based approaches and learn to apply them with confidence in your own practice.
Choose a study option
Whether you are advancing your career with our specialised graduate qualifications or pursuing in-depth research and expertise through our postgraduate programmes, Otago is here to support your aspirations.
Postgraduate qualifications
Honours, masters’, PhDs, and other advanced degrees for graduates. Just one additional year of study will earn you a valuable postgraduate degree. Or perhaps you want the depth of a full year of research-only time during a master’s or to step up to a PhD.
Master of Health Sciences (MHealSc)
A one- or two-year postgraduate degree for health professionals, encompassing coursework and/or research in a chosen area of specialisation
Master of Occupational Medicine (MOccMed)
A three-year, part-time, coursework degree for medical practitioners to develop competencies for professional occupational medicine practice
Postgraduate Diploma in Occupational Medicine (PGDipOccMed)
A two-year, part-time, distance taught programme for medical practitioners, recognised as meeting the entry point for specialist training internationally
Postgraduate Certificate in Occupational Medicine (PGCertOccMed)
A one-year, part-time, distance-taught programme, providing core competencies for medical practitioners offering non-specialist occupational health services
Ready to apply?
Take your expertise to the next level with advanced study.
Programme details
Compare programmes for this subject.
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The programme shall consist of four papers in Occupational Medicine:
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Contacts
Dr Robin Griffiths
Tel +64 4 832 3250
Mob +64 21 620 148
Email rob.griffiths@otago.ac.nz
Programme Manager
Tel +64 4 385 5591
Email oamu@otago.ac.nz
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Regulations on this page are taken from the 2026 Calendar and supplementary material.
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