Christel Fouche | Passionate About SHEQ!

USQ Students

Letter from USQ: Training Exemtions towards MBA / MSHE

Students who have completed the whole ACT training course and who meet the entry requirements for the appropriate USQ program, can gain the following exemptions:

In the Graduate Diploma in Safety Health and Environment – MGT 8017 Safety Science in Practice.

In the Master of Safety Health and Environment – MGT 8017 Safety Science in Practice AND an unspecified elective.

In the Master of Business Administration (OHS) – MGT8017 Safety Science in Practice

Ronèl Van Staden
Senior Student Coordinator
USQ Liaison Office Southern Africa
Ph +27 11 476 7489 / 6781960
Fx +27 11 476 2430
Email address: usq@ozdegrees.co.za

The courses selected by USQ from the Advantage A.C.T. Portfolio of products and services that leads to the above credits are:
• SHEMAN
• SHEBA

(Original letter may be viewed at the Advantage ACT Head Office.)

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Subject selection and Advice – Making life easier!

We all have personal lives and professional careers that we need to juggle everyday to make ends meat. We add on studies with the aim to fast track us in our career-path development towards greater success and financial rewards.

There is however a price to pay (both personally and as a family) in terms of giving up certain pleasures and time to achieve this goal (luckily only temporary). Any advice to make this load easier is always welcome.

“You will do foolish things, but do them with enthusiasm.”
Colette

As a past MBA student I can give the following advice:

MBA stands for “Marriage Breakers Anonymous” – if you do not involve your family from the beginning in terms of what is expected from you and them regarding time, discipline and sacrifices; then you will not complete your studies successfully or in doing so will loose your loved ones along the way.

Masters and MBA studies are not for the lighthearted individuals – it is for the “crème de la crème” meaning not everyone has an MBA or Masters and there are various reasons (intellectual ability, finances, discipline, stamina, and many more). However the benefits are HUGE for you and your family if completed successfully – personal achievement, financial and wealth growth, etc.

There are between three and four terms depending on where you study. Look at your annual work flow and patterns and identify when your busiest and quietest times are. Look at your subject choice and determine your strengths and weaknesses. If you struggle with accounting do not do that subject in your busiest time of the year. Schedule this subject over less hectic work times. If you enjoy and can master marketing easy, then schedule this subject in your busy period at work.

With some subjects you need to write an examination to determine your competence; other subjects your assignments make up your final score. Choose a variety; eg. One examination and one assignment subject to ease the pressure. Or alternatively choose an assignment subject in your busy times and an examination subject in your less busy times (depending on your flair for either examinations or assignment writing).

Do not attempt to finish your degree in 6 months – you will burn out and loose interest and fail. Start of with one subject per semester. If you feel you can handle more add on as you progress with your studies.

Start with the easy subjects to build confidence. Finish with the more difficult subjects. If you have completed 9 of 12 subjects it is more difficult to give up as you are almost there. When you are struggling at subject 2, it makes your choice easier to give up and not finish your degree.

If you plan to study from Monday to Thursday from 20h00 – 23h00 you lay a good foundation (12 hours). Then you take Friday evening off to relax with your family. Saturday you put in another 3 hours and Sunday you relax. Keeping to this schedule will pave the way to success. Deviating from the schedule once will mean you are falling behind and this spells disaster!

Get out of your comfort zone and start growing – no growth takes place within your comfort zone. How did you feel when you got behind the steering wheel of your first vehicle? How did you feel when you got your drivers’ licence? There was a big difference: you grew from an “uncomfortable” zone to that of being a confident and skilled driver – this could not have taken place if no growth was achieved.

Growth is like an investment: It is the exception to the rule that you find a manager at a very young age. Good managers/leaders are like red wine – the older they get the more experience and knowledge they have acquired to apply in reality.

There are 4 phases of growth:

- I don’t know what I don’t know
- I know what I don’t know
- I am growing, I know it and it is beginning to show
- I do on the basis of what I know

Finally I would like to conclude using three quotes applicable to this topic:

“The trouble is, if you don’t risk anything, you risk even more.”
- Erica Jong

And

“Never mistake knowledge for wisdom. One helps you make a living; the other helps you make a life.”
Sandra Carey

Which one are you aiming for?

And

“Leaders aren’t born they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that’s the price we’ll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal.”
Vince Lombardi

Good Luck and may you reap the fruit of your hard work!

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The difference between a Masters in SHE and an MBA in SHE

“It’s amazing how many cares disappear when you decide not to be something, but to be someone.”
Coco Chanel

So you have made the choice to further your career in Safety, Health & the Environment though formal studies. The choice now needs to be made between the Masters or MBA route. Which one do you choose and why? To assist in your choice selection we explain the difference between the two.

The Masters in SHE makes you a specialist within the safety, health and environmental field by equipping you with specific subject knowledge in these areas. Examples of subjects may include: Human Factors; Occupational Health & Occupational Hygiene; Safety Science in Practice; Tools & Techniques for Sustainable Development; Environmental Politics & Policy and Global Issues in Environmental Management, to mention but a few.

The MBA in SHE equips you to become a manager in general but with some SHE flair. This means that you will do eight basic management subjects such as Accounting, Strategic Management, Management & Organizational Behavior, Legislation, and other applicable topics. Apart from these 8 foundational subjects you will have a further choice to focus on SHE subjects in your last 4 choices to make up the compliment of 12 subjects. They include Human Factors; Occupational Health & Occupational Hygiene; Safety Science in Practice; Tools & Techniques for Sustainable Development; Environmental Politics & Policy and Global Issues in Environmental Management.

The end result would be either a SHE specialist who will fulfill the role and function of a SHE practitioner or SHE professional or an individual who would move into management but have the added responsibility of managing SHE. Should the MBA delegate eventually decide to move out of the SHE sphere into another field the MBA will still be applicable towards any other management position. The Masters in SHE individual will remain in the SHE discipline as no other knowledge or skill have been learnt during the Masters in SHE studies.

Are you a manager of a specialist? The question can only be decided by looking at not only the subject knowledge and skill but also people skills and financial benefits and future positioning. Remember: knowledge is power – no matter what your choice eventually.

“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
Muriel Strode

Good Luck!