Overview

The MA (Health and Society) is a full-time programme running for 12 months or part-time over 24 months from the date of first registration for the programme.

Postgraduate Certificate in Health and Society (NFQ Level 9, Minor Award)

Students who pass taught modules to the value of at least 30 credits (but less than 60 credits) may exit the programme and be conferred with a Postgraduate Certificate in Health and Society.

Postgraduate Diploma in Health and Society (NFQ Level 9, Major Award)

Students who pass taught modules to the value of 60 credits may exit the programme and be conferred with a Postgraduate Diploma in Health and Society.

Programme Requirements

For information about modules, module choice, options and credit weightings, please go to Programme Requirements. 

Programme Requirements

Module List

Code	Title	Credits
Students take 90 credits.
Core Modules
EC6081	Healthcare Economics I	5
EC6082	Healthcare Economics II	5
EH6025	Principles and Practice of Public Health	10
PH6047	Philosophy and Health	10
Research Modules
Students take one research module to the value of 30 credits from the following:		30
Philosophy Pathway
PH6050	Dissertation in Philosophy and Health (30)
or PH6059	Work-Based Dissertation in Philosophy and Health (30)
Public Health Pathway
EH6040	Dissertation in Public Health (30)
Economics Pathway
EC6074	Dissertation in Economics and Health (30)
Mandatory Pathway Modules
Students take modules to the value of 10 credits from the following:		10
Philosophy Pathway
Students with a background in philosophy select one of the following:
PH6053	Professional Ethics: Advanced (10)
PH6054	Measuring Society: Growth, Poverty, Inequality, and Human Capital (10)
PH6057	Philosophy and the Biological Health Sciences (10)
Students with no background in philosophy:
PH2002	Reasoning and Argument (5)
PH2019	Philosophy of Science (5)
or PH2028	Applied Ethics (5)
Public Health Pathway
EH6026	Applied Research for Public Health (10)
Economics Pathway
Students with a background in econometrics:
EC2100 plus EC6062	Microeconomics: Behaviour and Organisations (5) plus Quantitative Finance I (5)
Students with no background in econometrics:
EC2100 plus EC3143	Microeconomics: Behaviour and Organisations (5) plus Quantitative Methods: Empirical Econometrics (5)
Elective Modules
Students take modules to the value of 20 credits from the following: 1		20
Postgraduate Modules
AP6129	Health Psychology (5)
EC6073	Economic Decision Making in Health Care (5)
EC6619	Advanced Quantitative Techniques for Business Research (5)
EH6026	Applied Research for Public Health (10)
LW6655	Foundations of International Children's Rights (5)
LW6592	Mental Capacity Law (5)
LW6609	Mental Health Law (5)
LW6671	Children's Rights and Climate Justice (5)
PH6012	Human Rights (10)
PH6048	The Philosophy of Death and Dying (10)
PH6052	Advanced Moral Psychology (10)
PH6053	Professional Ethics: Advanced (10)
PH6054	Measuring Society: Growth, Poverty, Inequality, and Human Capital (10)
PH6057	Philosophy and the Biological Health Sciences (10)
Undergraduate Modules
AP3126	Health Psychology: Models and Applications (5)
EC2018	Microeconomics: Behavioural Economics (5)
EC3157	Public Finance Projects (5)
EH4005	Health Services (5)
PH2002	Reasoning and Argument (5)
PH2019	Philosophy of Science (5)
PH2028	Applied Ethics (5)
PH3046	Philosophy of Biology (5)
PH3047	Evidence (5)
SC1011	Sociology of Health, Public Health and Health Promotion (5)
SC3025	Health and Scientific Deviance (5)
SS3016	Social Perspectives in Mental Health (5)
SS3024	Social Movements and Health (5)
SS4000	Science, Technology and Public Controversy (5)
Total Credits		90

¹

Students can take a maximum of 15 credits of undergraduate modules, including mandatory pathway modules.

Examinations

Full details and regulations governing Examinations for each programme will be contained in the Marks and Standards Book and for each module in the Book of Modules.

Programme Learning Outcomes

Programme Learning Outcomes for MA in Health and Society (NFQ Level 9, Major Award)

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

• Identify major philosophical theories and paradigms and define key concepts and ideas in the field of health and illness;
  
• Describe and critically evaluate the major determinants of the health of population, including biological, behavioural, social, economic, political and environmental factors;
  
• Demonstrate ability to design and conduct original research at the interface of health and society;
  
• Understand how public health policy decisions and assessment are embedded in a disciplinary foundation (either Philosophy of Health Science and Ethics, or Public Health, or Health Economics);
  
• Demonstrate ability to work independently, according to internationally approved standards of research, on an extended piece of written work;
  
• Engage in systematic study of primary and secondary source material, provide an analysis of data using a statistical software package, articulate a thesis based on a synthesis of the research material, and deliver a dissertation that reflects the student's mature consideration of the research topic;
  
• Demonstrate critical awareness of the nature and limitations of scientific research, modelling, and theorising;
  
• Critically examine public health (including health services) particularly in respect of health equity, access to health care and Public Health Ethics;
  
• Demonstrate the following cognitive competencies: Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis, Evaluation;
  
• Apply the concepts of logical validity and soundness;
  
• Apply key elements of economic theory to health and society.