Master of Health Sciences
(Chronic Illness Management)—
full-time and part-time

College of Medicine, Nursing, & Health Sciences

Course description
Why choose this course?

Entry requirements

Candidates must:

• Hold an honours primary degree (Level 8 [or an equivalent international qualification]) in medicine or nursing or midwifery or physiotherapy or occupational therapy or speech and language therapy and have secured a final grade of at least Second Class Honours (or an equivalent international qualification).
Or
• Hold a postgraduate diploma (Level 9) or a professional qualification deemed suitable by the College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences.

Nurse candidates must meet the following additional criteria:

• Be a registered nurse on the general, psychiatric, sick children’s, intellectual disability or midwife division of the Register maintained by An Bord Altranais;
Or
• Hold a professional nursing qualification deemed to be equivalent by the College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
• Hold an appropriate active nursing registration as recognised in the country in which they practice.

Duration: 1 calendar year, full-time; 2 calendar-years, part-time

Next start date: September 2012

ECTS weighting: 90

Average intake: 10

Closing date: An early application may result in an early offer: see the offer round dates.

Mode of study: Taught/Blended learning

This new and innovative programme is aimed at preparing students to effectively contribute to chronic illness prevention and management. The Master of Health Sciences (Managing Chronic Illness) programme is multidisciplinary and welcomes applications from healthcare professionals from the wider multidisciplinary team (including medical doctors, nurses, midwives, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and speech and language therapists).

The year is divided into two teaching semesters (September to December and January to April). During the summer period (May to August) students’ focus on completing a minor dissertation based on original research. Students complete four core modules and two option modules during the taught element of the programme. Option modules are selected from a menu of choices. Students must complete the taught element of the programme to second class honours standard (i.e. 60%) before proceeding to complete the dissertation element. Students who fail to progress to the dissertation element of the programme will exit the programme with a Postgraduate Diploma in Health Sciences (Managing Chronic Illness).

The taught component of the programme is offered through blended learning, a combination of on-line and face-to-face learning and teaching. Blended learning is an innovative learning/teaching strategy which combines face-to-face with on-line learning. Most learning/teaching will be delivered on-line through Blackboard, an interactive learning system, which connects directly to a home computer. Students are required to attend face-to-face workshops for the equivalent of 13 days over the programme.In addition to attending workshops, students are expected to engage on-line. Blended learning is a flexible approach to learning making it possible to combine working full-time with studying.

Full-time, one year:

Semester 1
Critical Issues in Chronic Illness
Literature Based Research Skills
Option*

Semester 2
Effective Chronic Disease Management Strategies for Healthcare Professionals Health
Health Research Methods
Option modules*

Summer
Research Dissertation

Examples of option modules include: “Collaborative and Interagency Working”, “Clinical Teaching Methodologies”, “Ethics in Health Research”, “Concepts and Principles of Primary Care”, “Diabetes in Primary Care” and “Translational Medicine”. Research Dissertation.

Part-time version, two years

Year 1/Semester 1
Critical Issues in Chronic Illness
Option* (Semester 1 or 2)

Year 1/Semester 2
Effective Chronic Disease Management Strategies for Healthcare Professionals Health
Option* (Semester 1 or 2)

Year 2/Semester 1
Literature Based Research Skills
Option* (Semester 1 or 2)

Year 2/Semester 2
Health Research Methods
Option* (Semester 1 or 2)

Summer (Year 2)
Research Dissertation

Examples of option modules include: “Collaborative and Interagency Working”, “Clinical Teaching Methodologies”, “Ethics in Health Research”, “Concepts and Principles of Primary Care”, “Diabetes in Primary Care” and “Translational Medicine”. Research Dissertation

Applications are made online via The Postgraduate Applications Centre (PAC). Relevant PAC application code(s) above.

Dr Adeline Cooney

Prof. Peter Cantillon

Adeline Cooney
T: +353 91 493 580
E: adeline.cooney@nuigalway.ie

W www.nuigalway.ie/colleges/mnhs