Posted By jay chambers im new to health and safety..no experience at all..however il be starting a msc health and safety in september..im currently a nurse in theatres..I know its not the best route,, but is it sensible..???

Posted By jason preston Jay, What you are thinking of doing is not sensible. What previous qualifications do you have? How do you meet the entry requirements for the MSc? It seems strange that you can just enrol on this course with no H&S experience, and is rather an insult to the many people that have been in H&S for many years that don't meet the entry requirements e.g. NEBOSH Diploma, NVQ4, BSc etc

Posted By Ian_P Whilst harsh, I can sort of see where J is coming from however I would say it was an insult! I would be very concerned about people without any H&S experience undertaking an MSc. By definition this level of qualification is a way of expanding your knowledge - not an introduction to a new subject. I have just started my MSc after going down the 'traditional' route of certificate and then diploma. Besides the obvious concerns of not liking the subject, expense etc. you will have to do an awful lot of studying and reading to get up to speed. You are not taught the basics of safety law, work practices etc. as it is accepted that you already know it. I would definately advise the NEBOSH route (other suppliers of professional training are available!) which gives an excellent knowledge base for your future career and gives you a cheaper, quicker way out if you end up disliking the subject.... ..which many do!

Posted By Dave Wilson I think this scenario highlights the vagaries of H&S. Can I do an MSc in Nursing practice with a degree in H&S? Don't think so.

Posted By GavinR Hi Jay, I would prob agree with the other guys and say that you should maybe consider doing the NEBOSH or similar to get your footing in H&S first before attempting a masters. I have the BSc(Hons)in Health, safety and environmental mgt and it was an excellent route to take in my opinion but i think the masters would be a step to far to take without any base level knowledge in place. Try a getting a placement with a large company or hospital and see if you enjoy the work and discuss the pro's and con's with the H&S manager so you have a better idea of what your going into. Good luck with what ever you decide! Gav

Posted By ITK What would be the point? You will not be competent in H&S without experience, so why do a MSc? The "sensible" route, IMHO, would be NEBOSH certificate whilst trying to gain some experience at the same time. Then a higher level qualification (note I do not state NEBOSH Diploma). ITK CMIOSH

Posted By Sally Why wouldn't you - if you have a nursing degree you are at the right academic level already. Many (if not most) professions start with the qualifications then gain experience eg lawyers, accountants, quantity surveyors, environmental health officer etc. Certainly on my MSc course no-one had any experience of Health & Safety - check with the provider what they expect

Posted By Geoff Parkinson Jay I think your plan is perfectly agreeable! A MSc is an academic qualification, and as such, can be completed by reference to documentation, literature etc without any specific work experience. If that weren't the case, how would so many young people go through the education system: A Level Batchelor Degree Masters Degree without ever having had a full-time job! In business, we call them Graduates - well qualified and willing to enter into the experience arena armed with a head full of stuff. They don't go into the world looking to run Depts or businesses. Adult learners are very popular with education establishments. It is entirely possible to undertake an MSc without a previous degree as an adult learner, provided you can convince the education establishment you are up to the task. I think you underestimate your H&S knowledge, especially having a brother working in the nursing profession. Your jobs works within a very tight set of H&S-driven protocols, and it worries me people think you have no experience! If the Uni is happy to accept you, get stuck in and get it done! You'll be surprised at what you actually know already, after all, H&S is based around common sense. It's not rocket science!! I wish you the very best of luck and look forward to you posting about your graduation in a couple of years time :-)

Posted By Arran Linton - Smith Jay, As an ex-nurse (and senior safety practitioner) who has who has already trodden your chosen career path, I take the view that it is sensible to go straight into undertaking an MSc in Occupational Health and Safety, as on completing your Post Graduate Certificate you can apply for Grad IOSH and when completing this degree and if you discover that you H&S is not for you then many of the skills and knowledge obtained are transferable.

Posted By David Mullett Well my first responce as a new member. I must say that some of the responces on this thread stagger me? Have some of you never heard the word encouragement? As a 51 year old now embarking along the ladder of qualifications I know what it is like. Please give advice and try not to judge too quickly. You may sit there with a huge list of qualifications? They are merely pieces of paper that prove very little till you USE them at the sharp end.

Posted By Jay Joshi Firstly, make sure that:- 1)You are passionate and interested in Occupational Health & Safety 2)you have researched the type of jobs and positions available with your background and experience (or lack of) were you to complete the MSc. It may be extremely difficult to find a position without experience,but a very high level of qualification--i.e. overqualified, but inexperienced. 3)you can undertake an MSc that requires its particular level of skills--the University will have its addmission criteria and requirements. Many offer a modular system, i.e. you can progress from a PGC to PGD to MSC. Depending upon you game-plan, from my personal experience, it is not essential to do a NEBOSH or equivalent certificate course first. If you are not sure, it may be a means of testing the waters, but the exams coutrsework etc is totally different for an MSC compared to a NEBOSH/BSC Certificate--it just gives you an idea of what it entails--but you can get this from the exam specifications. The British Safety Couuncil has both its certificate & Diploma specifications on its website. Those who imply that it is an insult to others who have had to pass through several hoops before they could do an MSc, well, the world has changed. That does not mean that everybody has to do the same. It depends upon individual capability and circumstances. Yes, we are now at a stage where potentially, we could be having fully qualified persons to enter GradIOSH status, but without any expereince. That is why there is an IOSH Initial Development Programme for them. Obviously, if you have some experince in dealing with health and safety, it will be of help when you do thge MSc, but it need not be essential. In those days, there were only a couple of Universities offering degree/psot graduate degrees, otherwise it was NEBOSH/BSC Cert and then Diploma. Now, more than 70 percent of entry to Chartered status (previously corporate membership) is via higher education qualifications. It is best to contact the Professisional Affairs Department of IOSH for advice. I am personally an example of having completed an MSc in Sept 1993 without doing the cert/diploma at all.I already has a first degree in Chemical Engineering and 10 years experience in production/operations. I was not in safety at that time, but could easily relate my previous expereince to the MSC Health & Safety syllabus. It was tough without experience and had to start at the bottom again as an Assistant Health and Safety Officer in a local authority. This is my third job in health & safety since I qualified and feel that I have now have a fairly good job and renumeration in a reputable organisation that recognises my competence.

Posted By M Forbes I would tend to agree with most of the other posters (did not read all responses). I do not doubt your ability, but health and safety is not an easy subject. You will find the NEBOSH General certificate challenging, the diploma extremely challenging and the msc. . . well i dread to think. The problem with doing hte msc with no H&S Backgroun, is you may be making yourself unavailable in the field. No-one will take on a full H*S Advisor with no experiance, someone may take you on as a trainee, but wit a msc, you may find they feel you would be too expensive to employ. Do the NEBOSH Certificate, and if you "enjoy" the course, get started in a H&S Position then do your diploma distance learning. If you really feel the need after doing the diploma, do the msc :) Regards M Forbes

Posted By M Forbes Dervan, You Said "I find that people from all walks and levels of formal education can be excellent safety professionals provided they take time to understand the industry they work in" I don't believe rushing into a masters with no prior H&S qualifications or experiance is taking time to understand the profession, and whilst she has experiance as a nurse, this doesn't really relate in any detailed way to a masters course in the profession. A masters on its own will not provide entry into a H&S Position unless you have the relevant experiance. If she has the Masters without the experiance, she may find employment opportunities limited. Again, just my opinion Regards M Forbes

Posted By M Forbes Lol im sure we've had to come to this conclusion before Dervan. Well maybe next time i shall sway your opinion :P Regards N Forbes