The MA – Healthcare Management is a two-year, part-time programme that focuses on the issues that affect health and hospital services. It seeks to raise the level of analysis in healthcare management in Ireland and to equip participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to manage effectively. On completing the first year of the programme, students receive the interim award of a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Management. The second year of the course is divided into two semesters. In the first of these, students study four key subjects in healthcare management. In the second, students write a dissertation on a specific healthcare management issue. If you do not wish to take all three subjects in any particular semester, you may choose to study one or two on a phased basis.
Master of Arts – Healthcare Management
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Delivery Method
This programme is delivered through blended learning and can be taken from anywhere in the country. Students receive comprehensive course manuals and all the essential textbooks. They study this material at a time and place of their own choosing.
Students also attend the IPA on six weekends over the course of the academic year for lectures and seminars. These weekend events also allow them to meet with their classmates and obtain advice from lecturers and subject coordinators.
Entry Requirements
Applicants must have a primary degree or equivalent qualification.
Duration
Two academic years
Interim Awards
Postgraduate Diploma in Public Management.
Accreditation
Place on NFQ
Level 9 (Masters Degree)
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Commences
September 2017
Application Deadline
September 2017
Fees
The cost of the programme is €5,000 per annum (includes all matriculation and examination fees, all seminars, textbooks and course material), payable in two instalments.
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- The Programme
The MA – Healthcare Management is a two-year, part-time programme that focuses on the issues that affect health and hospital services. It seeks to raise the level of analysis in healthcare management in Ireland and to equip participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to manage effectively. On completing the first year of the programme, students receive the interim award of a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Management. The second year of the course is divided into two semesters. In the first of these, students study four key subjects in healthcare management. In the second, students write a dissertation on a specific healthcare management issue. If you do not wish to take all three subjects in any particular semester, you may choose to study one or two on a phased basis.
- Is This Programme for you?
This programme will be of particular interest to those who work in health and hospital services. By placing healthcare issues within the broader public management field, it gives students an understanding of how healthcare management relates to other economic and organisational questions. The programme is delivered through a blend of distance education and intensive weekend seminars and workshops at the IPA. Students can, therefore, pursue this programme no matter where they live and can remain in full-time employment.
- Subjects
Year One
Postgraduate Diploma in Public Management (Interim Award)
The first year of the MA programme is divided into two semesters and each semester is devoted to the study of three key subjects in public management.
Semester One
- Economics
- Managing Human Resources
- Finance
Semester Two
- Organisation and Strategy
- Research Methods
- Managing Service Delivery/Managing in Europe
Year Two
Semester One
Health Systems and Policy
This module explores what health systems are and what shapes them. It considers health policy formulation, the structure of the Irish health system, current Irish policies in key healthcare areas (including primary and acute care), and future challenges for the Irish health system.
Leadership and Management of Healthcare Organisations
In exploring leadership and management in healthcare, this course addresses organisational theory, organisational behaviour, and managing organisational performance. It also attends to theories of leadership and management and to how best to lead change in the healthcare setting.
Quality in Healthcare
This course examines the structures and processes that should be in place to ensure quality in healthcare. It considers patient safety, quality assessments, clinical and organisational governance, clinical audit and evidence-based medicine.
Health Economics and Finance
Healthcare management requires a solid understanding of the economic and financial implications of decisions and policies. This course covers the healthcare market, pricing health services, supply-side efficiency, programme budgeting, case-mix, and management accounting control and accountability.
Semester Two
In the second semester of year two students write a dissertation on a specific healthcare management issue
- Assessment
Students are assessed by means of assignments, examinations and a dissertation.
- Seminar Dates
Autumn Semester 2017
- Orientation Seminar: Friday, September 1 – Sunday, September 3
- Review Seminar: Saturday, September 30 – Sunday, October 1
- Final Seminar: Saturday, November 4 – Sunday, November 5
- Examinations: Week of December 11, 2017
Spring Semester 2018
- Orientation Seminar: Friday, January 5 – Sunday, January 7
- Review Seminar: Saturday, February 3 – Sunday, February 4
- Final Seminar: Saturday, March 3 – Sunday, March 4
- Examinations: Week of April 16, 2018
- Prospectus
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Full details on all IPA postgraduate programmes are available in the prospectus, which you can view or download here.
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