The paper explains the genesis of the Ballarat College of Advanced Education to its unique position in mining engineering education. A description follows of the development of the Graduate Diploma in Occupational Hazard Management which commenced in 1979 in the cooperative mode of four groups of three weeks full- time study followed by twenty-three weeks in industry. In particular an analysis will be given of the state of origin of students, ages and employing industries._x000D_
Given the experience from the evolution of this course a similar process is described for the Graduate Diploma in Mining which has been accredited to commence early in 1987.