Degree details

The program provides the practical skills necessary to enact a new kind of safety leadership, with a focus on the expertise needed to get the job done, including skills in project management. We will help you advance from the simple, linear cause-effect thinking that has typically characterised safety work in Australia and help you to identify and challenge pre-occupations with process and compliance. You will learn about resilience, complexity science and holism and be taken on an exciting journey into a new era of safety.

You will find career opportunities in system safety, process safety and occupational health and safety roles at manager and director levels, particularly in industries such as energy, construction, healthcare, aviation, mining, manufacturing, transport and human services. Exciting career paths are available in corporations, government and consulting firms. You will also be eligible for entry into the Master of Arts and further postgraduate study.

Higher education

To be eligible for admission to the Graduate Certificate in Safety Leadership program, applicants must:

  • hold a bachelor degree from a recognised University (or another tertiary education institution of equivalent standing)

Note: Degrees from overseas institutions must be assessed as equivalent to a recognised Australian bachelor-level degree.

Work and Life

Alternatively, applicants who have completed a minimum of four years of relevant work experience in industry - applicants will have either operational of safety equipment experience in an industry that has some kind of plausible safety concern, or where man-made disasters can happen (for example, construction, mining, oil and gas, aviation, healthcare, catering etc or in areas of IT, electricity, shipping, insurance depending on their documented experience).

English Proficiency Requirements

English language requirements apply to International applicants and other applicants whose previous study was undertaken in a language other than English. The minimum English language requirements for such applicants for entry to this program are as follows:

  • A minimum overall band score of 6.5 on IELTS (Academic) with no sub-score of less than 6.0
  • OR a minimum score of 575 on TOEFL
  • OR an internet-based (iBT) TOEFL score of 79 (no sub-score less than 19)
  • OR no score less than 3+ in each skill of the ISLPR (conducted by ISLPR Language Services only)
  • OR a minimum grade of C on the Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE)
  • OR a minimum grade of C on the Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE)
  • OR an overall score of 58 in the Pearson Test of English (Academic) with no score less than 50.

English test results must be no more than two years old.

Students who successfully complete the Direct Entry Program (DEP) will satisfy the English Language requirements for this Griffith degree.

Applicants should refer to the English language requirements section of the following University policy for exceptions to these overall requirements:

Griffith University grants credit and recognition of prior learning which may relate to prior formal learning or prior informal and non-formal learning. For more information, please visit the following website:

Award Requirements

To be eligible for the award of Graduate Certificate in Safety Leadership (GCertSafLead), a student must acquire 40 credit points as prescribed below:

  • gain 40 credit points for the prescribed courses.