MSc

Safety, Health and Environmental Management

Safeguard the environments of tomorrow. Hone your skills and gain vital knowledge for a career in Safety, Health or Environmental Management.

How to apply Book an Open Evening Chat to us

UCAS Code

Start Date

September 2027

Location

Pontypridd

Campus Code

A

UCAS Code

Start Date

September 2027

Location

Pontypridd

Campus Code

A


International students: £18,300*

UCAS Code

Start Date

February 2027

Location

Pontypridd

Campus Code

A

Fees

Home students: £11,060*
International students: £17,900*

Course overview

Develop the skills to manage workplace risks, protect people and improve environmental performance. You’ll build your understanding of safety, health and environmental management, while learning how to respond to complex challenges across a range of industries.

Work on realistic industry challenges using incident data, organisational case studies and specialist masterclasses. Digital tools and industry input will help you prepare for professional roles in safety, health and environmental management. 

Accreditations

IOSH

Accredited by Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH)


Why study this course?

Professionally Accredited

The course is professionally recognised and accredited by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH)

Direct industry relevance

In addition to experienced staff who teach across the course, professionals from a range of industries will visit to share their experiences of addressing real-world challenges.

Global career prospects

There is a strong demand for this expertise around the world, with good job stability and earning potential.

What you'll study

Develop the skills to lead safety, health and environmental management in modern organisations.

You’ll study risk management, sustainability and environmental governance, workplace wellbeing and strategic leadership, before applying your knowledge through an independent research project. 

Explore how to identify and manage risks in complex and high hazard environments. You’ll examine incident investigation, safety legislation and organisational culture, while learning how data analytics and AI can support effective risk management and safer working practices.

Explore how sustainability policies and environmental regulations shape organisational decisions. You’ll examine carbon accounting, life cycle thinking and circular economy principles, using real world examples to assess environmental challenges and develop practical, evidence-based solutions.

Explore how organisations can protect and improve employee health and wellbeing. You’ll examine mental health, workplace design and psychosocial risks, developing the skills to assess wellbeing data and lead effective interventions that support both employees and organisational performance.

Develop the strategic leadership and ethical decision-making skills needed to influence an organisation’s approach to safety, health and environmental management. You’ll examine corporate governance, crisis management and stakeholder engagement, learning how to shape organisational culture and champion responsible safety strategies.

Put your knowledge into practice by investigating a research question related to safety, health or environmental management. With support from an academic supervisor, you’ll develop your research skills and produce a substantial project that demonstrates critical thinking, independent judgement and professional expertise.

We regularly review our courses to keep pace with changing skills and employer needs. If a review leads to significant changes, we’ll contact you to explain what’s changing for the coming year.

Teaching and Assessment

Teaching is designed to build your confidence as an independent practitioner, with opportunities to learn from academic research, industry expertise and current professional practice. You’ll reflect on your learning and apply your knowledge to real world safety, health and environmental challenges.

You’ll learn through interactive seminars, practical workshops and collaborative activities that connect theory with professional practice. Industry informed case studies and guest sessions will help you understand current challenges, while independent study and online learning activities give you an element of flexibility. You’ll also reflect on your learning and draw on research to strengthen your professional judgement. 

You’ll be assessed through reports, case studies, presentations and practical activities that reflect real challenges in safety, health and environmental management. Working with industry informed scenarios, you’ll develop your ability to analyse risks, evaluate evidence and communicate recommendations professionally. Regular feedback will support your progress, while your independent research project will allow you to investigate a relevant issue in depth. 

We encourage a hands-on approach to teaching. Students learn by doing, putting their theory into practice in immersive environments and real-life scenarios. Instead of just reading textbooks and listening to lectures, we'll ensure you have countless first-hand experiences and opportunities to get actively involved in your chosen profession, gaining practical skills that will prepare you for your future career.   

From hands-on projects and real-world simulations to industry collaborations working with real clients, tackling real problems, and developing the skills employers are looking for. We create graduates who are prepared for the future. People ready to build their careers. 

You’ll have access to specialist IT facilities, industry standard software and digital learning resources to support your studies. The University’s library provides access to academic research, professional guidance and industry standards, while experienced academic staff and industry practitioners will help you connect your learning with current professional practice. 

Course Leader

Angela Morris

Meet Dr Angela Morris, lecturer in Sustainability and Decarbonisation and is a member of ISEP – Institute of Sustainability and Environmental Professionals. Angela's teaching specialises in decarbonisation, climate change, and environmental reconstruction. Her research spans decarbonisation, greenhouse gas accounting for local organisations in both the private and voluntary sectors, and marine micropalaeontology. Angela teaches across the built environment courses, covering a range of topics including climate change, the circular economy, and Net Zero, bringing current research and her experience as a member of the Cardiff Local Nature Partnership Steering Group into her teaching.

For more information about the course, please contact Angela directly via email. 

Career Prospects

Develop the professional skills to help organisations manage risk, protect employee wellbeing and improve environmental performance. This course prepares you for opportunities across a range of sectors, with a focus on practical experience, professional standards and career development.

Your future career

You could pursue roles in occupational health and safety, environmental management or organisational risk across sectors such as construction, manufacturing, utilities and the public sector. The course is accredited by IOSH, and successful completion meets the academic requirements for Graduate membership (Grad IOSH), providing a pathway towards Chartered status through further professional development. Possible career paths include:

Environmental manager  
Health and Safety manager  
Safety, Health and Environmental Manager 

Build your own career

Your career doesn’t have to mean working for someone else. If you want to freelance, start a business or develop an idea, USW Enterprise can help with one-to-one mentoring, practical workshops and funding opportunities through the USW Enterprise Startup Fund.
 
You’ll also have access to Startup Stiwdio spaces in our Cardiff, Newport and Treforest campuses. After graduating, you can get free membership for up to three years, giving you workspace and a network of other founders.
 
Whether you choose employment, freelancing or starting a business, we’ll help you build the skills, confidence and connections to move forward.

USW Enterprise

Industry Partners

The course benefits from links with employers and industry professionals, including organisations such as BAM, Arup and Natural Resources Wales. Guest seminars, specialist workshops and industry informed assessments will help you apply your knowledge to real workplace challenges and develop the risk management, analytical and communication skills employers value. 

Entry Requirements

Contextual offers

We may make you a lower offer based on a range of factors, including your background (where you live and the school or college that you attended, for example), your experiences and individual circumstances (as a care leaver, for example). This is referred to as a contextual offer, and we receive data from UCAS to support us in making these decisions.

USW prides itself on its student experience and we support our students to achieve their goals and become a successful graduate. This approach helps us to support students who have the potential to succeed and who may have faced barriers that make it more difficult to access university.

How to applyContextual admissions policyAsk us a question

Typical qualification requirements

A good Honours degree in a relevant subject, or an appropriate professional qualification, or an HNC/HND with adequate managerial experience.

International applications welcomed:

We welcome international applications with equivalent qualifications of our entry requirements. For more details related to your country of residence, please view our dedicated country pages.

International studentsPre-Sessional English

English language requirements

International applicants will need to have achieved an overall of IELTS 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component/TOEFL 4 overall and a minimum of 4 in each component or equivalent.

Equivalents can be located on our English Language pages.

If you have previously studied through the medium of English, IELTS might not be required, please visit our country specific page for further details. If your country is not featured, please contact us.

If you do not meet the English entry criteria, please visit our Pre-Sessional course pages.

Fees and Funding

UK Full-Time Fee £ 11,060

per year

Fees and funding Scholarships and bursaries Alumni Discount

Studying at university is one of the most significant investments you'll ever make. Whilst you’re studying, you’ll have two main financial obligations – tuition fees and living costs. There’s lots of financial help available from the University of South Wales and external funding sources, that may provide loans (which have to be paid back) and grants, scholarships and bursaries (that don't).

*Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits. Once enrolled, the fee is anticipated to remain at the same rate throughout the duration of your study on this course except as described below.

Please be aware that we may increase the maximum fee for home students on full-time undergraduate courses only where the Welsh Government increases the permitted level of inflation of fees. Fees for all students (including part-time, postgraduate and international students) may be amended in accordance with our applicable Fees and Debt Management Policy.  We will ensure that students are given clear, intelligible, unambiguous and timely information about our courses and costs in good time, ahead of the next academic year.

As a student of USW, you’ll have access to lots of free resources to support your study and learning, such as textbooks, publications, online journals, laptops, and plenty of remote-access resources. Whilst in most cases these resources are more than sufficient in supporting you with completing your course, additional costs, both obligatory and optional, may be required or requested for the likes of travel, memberships, experience days, stationery, printing, or equipment.

International Full-Time Fee £ 18,300 17,900

per year

Fees and funding Scholarships and bursaries Alumni Discount

Studying at university is one of the most significant investments you'll ever make. Whilst you’re studying, you’ll have two main financial obligations – tuition fees and living costs. There’s lots of financial help available from the University of South Wales and external funding sources, that may provide loans (which have to be paid back) and grants, scholarships and bursaries (that don't).

*Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits. Once enrolled, the fee is anticipated to remain at the same rate throughout the duration of your study on this course except as described below.

Please be aware that we may increase the maximum fee for home students on full-time undergraduate courses only where the Welsh Government increases the permitted level of inflation of fees. Fees for all students (including part-time, postgraduate and international students) may be amended in accordance with our applicable Fees and Debt Management Policy.  We will ensure that students are given clear, intelligible, unambiguous and timely information about our courses and costs in good time, ahead of the next academic year.

As a student of USW, you’ll have access to lots of free resources to support your study and learning, such as textbooks, publications, online journals, laptops, and plenty of remote-access resources. Whilst in most cases these resources are more than sufficient in supporting you with completing your course, additional costs, both obligatory and optional, may be required or requested for the likes of travel, memberships, experience days, stationery, printing, or equipment.

What sets us apart?

#1

Top university in Wales and 24th out of 123 universities in the UK.

Guardian University Guide 2027

Three USW students walking outside of Cardiff Campus - Atrium

10 subjects ranked in the Guardian University Guide 2027 Top 10, including two at #1.

Three students studying in a pod in the library at Cardiff campus

Top in Wales for new business startups and 7th in the UK (HEBCIS).

How to apply

There is an online application process for this course. Please choose the application form for your preferred start date and mode of study (i.e. full-time or part-time).

  • Safety, Health and Environmental Management

    • Full-time, 15 years

    • February

    • Pontypridd

  • Safety, Health and Environmental Management

    • Full-time, 1 years

    • September

    • Pontypridd

    Apply direct
  • Safety, Health and Environmental Management

    • Part-time, 2 years

    • September

    • Pontypridd

    Apply direct

Please see our international admissions advice for further information about how to apply as a prospective international student.

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