Palliative Care

The programme aims to equip healthcare professionals with the knowledge and skills to provide high-quality care to people with palliative care needs and their families.

Applicants for the PG Cert must have a Primary honours degree (NFQ, Level 8) or equivalent qualification in an appropriate healthcare profession* to be approved by the programme team. In some circumstances, applicants who do not meet these requirements, by virtue of their training and experience may, at the discretion of the programme team, be deemed suitable for entry to the programme. Such candidates may be requested to undergo an interview. *A relevant healthcare profession includes but is not limited to medicine, nursing, pharmacy, dentistry, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech and hearing science, psychology, social science, pastoral care, and art therapy. Following successful completion of the Postgraduate Certificate in Palliative Care, and subject to the approval of the programme team, a student may progress to the Postgraduate Diploma. Following successful completion of the Postgraduate Diploma in Palliative Care, and subject to the approval of the programme team, a student may progress to the MSc, with exemptions granted for modules already taken in the Postgraduate Certificate and the Postgraduate Diploma within the previous 5 years. This does not require a new application by the student however, the programme director should be notified by email by June 30th by those students wishing to progress to the PG Diploma or MSc in the following academic year. Garda/police clearance is required for registration for the Postgraduate Diploma in Palliative Care. Recognition of Prior Learning In accordance with UCC’s policy on Recognition of Prior Learning, a student who has successfully completed modules for Continuous Professional Development (CPD) within the MSc in Palliative Care programme, and/or has completed relevant university postgraduate modules in a cognate area at a similar NFQ level (subject to the approval of the Programme Team), and who meets the entry requirements for the Postgraduate Certificate in Palliative Care, can apply to register for the Postgraduate Certificate. On completion of the PG Cert, you can progress to the Postgraduate Diploma, and subsequently the MSc in Palliative Care, with exemptions granted for modules taken within the previous five years. This will require an application by the student.