Year One: Certificate In Public Management
The first year is both a stand-alone qualification – Certificate in Public Management – and part of the four year degree programme.
Economics
This introductory-level course explains the main theories and principles of economics. No prior knowledge of economics is presumed. The course covers both micro and macroeconomics and addresses such topics as the laws of supply and demand, how market prices are reached and monopolies and competition.
Law
Public servants must understand the fundamentals of the legal system. This course focuses on the fundamentals, explaining the Irish legal system and the main provisions of the Irish Constitution. Students explore, among other topics, the structure of the court system, practice and procedure in the courts and the rights that the Constitution affords citizens.
Politics, Government and Public Administration
This course is divided into two parts. The first is largely concerned with the institutions of government and the Irish political system. The Irish institutions and systems are compared to those in other countries. The second part of the course focuses on Ireland’s system of public and social administration, explaining how the civil service is organised and the management of social welfare services, healthcare, education and housing.
Principles of Management
This course provides a solid grounding in the key principles of modern management theory. It explains the origins of contemporary management science and details the most important elements of management, including leadership, HRM and change management.
Year Two: Diploma In Public Management
The second year is both a stand-alone qualification – Diploma in Public Management – and the second stage of the four-year degree programme.
Health Policy and Planning
This course offers an overview of policy and planning in the Irish health system. It examines the historical development of the system, the impact of demographic changes, and current structures for governance, service delivery and regulation. It also examines the roles of key stakeholders, important policy developments and the challanges in planning and implementing health policy.
Economics
This course builds on the fundamentals of economics explored in the Certificate year by exploring both micro and macroeconomics in greater depth. Students will learn about the economic rules and theories that relate to the operation of markets, the distribution of wealth, the allocation of resources, labour supply and inflation.
Organisation and Management
An organisation’s structure is a determining factor in its operation. This course explores current thinking on organisational structure and the role of management in the creation and maintenance of the most appropriate structure. Among the specific topics addressed are the different schools of organisation theory, the design of effective organisations and the significance of the internal culture and the external environment to an organisation’s work.
Social Policy
This course explores the history, organisation and management of Ireland’s social infrastructure. It considers such matters as expenditure trends in social services, EU social policy and the factors that influence domestic social policy.
Year Three
Governance and Management of Quality in Healthcare
How are quality and safety enacted and protected within the Irish healthcare system? This module answers that question by analysing national and local approaches to the governance and management of quality, including risk management, clinical audit and accreditation systems.
Economics
This year’s course focuses on public sector economics, a field that is plainly critical to public servants at various grades. The topics addressed include economic growth, forecasting and planning, the finances of central and local government and the principles of taxation.
Financial Management
This course provides students with a clear understanding of standard accounting techniques and the proper management of an organisation’s finances. Designed for those who do not possess a background in accounting, it addresses, among other things, double-entry book-keeping and the measurement of profits.
Administrative Law
Administrative law is a public law subject that deals with the lawful exercise of power by government and state agencies. It explains how public bodies can affect the lives of citizens. Students will examine the laws regarding the civil service, the separation of powers, judicial review and legal compliance.
Year Four
Health Economics
This course considers the economics of healthcare provision. It explores such topics as the nature of the healthcare market, how health insurance affects the cost of healthcare and public and private provision of healthcare.
Comparative Healthcare
This course examines international trends in healthcare policy, explores healthcare policies and priorities in other OECD countries and policy trends in the EU, compares Irish and international policies and examines the possible relevance of reforms elsewhere for the Irish system.
Strategic Management
Strategic management is the study of how organisations meet their objectives and effectively respond to change. This course focuses on strategic management in the Irish public sector, but it covers concepts common to both public and private sector organisations.
Public Policy-Making
This course is concerned policy-making and the response of the modern state to the challenges it faces in a globalised world. It explores issues around the management of the political economy of the modern state and public policymaking in the Irish state. Students will learn about, among other things, how states have responded to the emergence of a global economy, attempts to regulate the market and multilevel governance in Ireland.