Looking back, moving forward: lessons learnt from accreditation of post graduate occupational hygiene courses

For many years AIOH has had a systematic method for reviewing and accrediting post graduate Occupational Hygiene Courses. Applying institutions would submit a range of course documentation which was then reviewed by a panel under the auspices of the Education Committee. During 2010, the Education Committee developed a set of Learning Outcomes (LO’s) for Universities applying for accreditation to map their course against prior to applying. Whilst the system in place has served AIOH well and produced good Graduate outcomes; the inclusion of LO’s will enable a more transparent and objective evaluation of courses. In a recent study trip; the system for Course Accreditation in the United States was reviewed and their findings will be compared against the system Australia (AIOH) has in place. This paper provides an important opportunity to look back and learn from organisations who have a more mature system than ours, to ensure the future of our profession by producing good Occupational Hygiene Practitioners and Full and active members of AIOH.