School of Nursing and Public Health

What is the minimum qualification for admission to the Postgraduate Diploma in Occupational Health?

We require that you hold MBChB, BSc Honours or equivalent qualification in health sciences

Will I be admitted if I have a BTech degree?

 Holders of BTech degrees are not normally admitted, but we do admit BTech graduates who have extensive experience in occupational/environmental health.

 What is the duration of the Diploma?

 The Diploma is offered over two years of part-time study

How and when do I attend lectures?

 For each module you need to come physically to the University for five days (Monday-Friday) of full-time tuition. In the first year you attend five times, that is one week in February, March, April, July, August/September. In the second year there are three weeks of attendance in February, March, April/July.

 Can I do the Diploma through correspondence/distance learning/online?

No you cannot. The Diploma is only offered through the block system as exlpained above

Do you admit doctors who are serving community service?

 No. You need to have completed community service, or will be completing it by not later than 31 December of the year preceding your admission.

Do you admit nurses to the Diploma?

Our Diploma is not accredited by the South African Nursing Council, so nurses are not normally accepted to our programmes.

 Do I have to write examinations?

Yes you do write exams in the last week of May for first semester modules and in the last week of October for second semester modules.

 How much are the fees?

 In 2009/2010 the fees were a total of R16000 over two years. Note that these fees are expected to rise in 2011/2012 and in subsequent years.

 Do you admit new students every year?

No, we only admit student once every two years. Our years of admission are 2011, 2013, 2015 etc. You need to apply for admission by 31 August of the preceding year.

 Where are the lectures held?

All lectures are held on the third floor of the George Campbell Building, Howard College Campus, Durban. You need to apply for a parking disc to be allowed to park on campus.

What other qualifications, besides the Diploma, do you offer? 

The Department offers Master of Public Health (MPH), Master of Medical Science (MMedSc), Master of Medicine (MMed) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD degrees). Note that MMedSc and PhD are by dissertation ONLY.

How is MMedSc/MPH different from the Diploma? 

 As it stands, the Diploma provides most of the core modules necessary for the masters’ programmes. Once students have completed the Diploma, they could proceed to one of three masters’ streams: Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Occupational Hygiene or Environmental Health. Most of the modules will be credited towards the masters’ degree.

Can I register for Master of Medicine? 

This is a specialist qualification and is only done by registrars. You need to apply for a registrar post through the Department of Health before you can register for this qualification. Note that the Department currently has four registrar posts that are all filled. All these posts become vacant as soon registrars complete their four-year training. The Department of Health normally has a registrar intake in January and July each year.