Allergy & Clinical Immunology

Allergy is a major topic among the medical community and among the general population. Asthma and eczema are the most common chronic conditions of childhood, and the spectrum of these conditions affect 40% of the population (HSE National Programme). As noted by our Programme Coordinator, Dr Juan Trujillo, Paediatric Allergist at Cork University Hospital (CUH):

The burden of allergic and immunological diseases such as asthma, hay fever and food allergy have a major impact the quality of life of children and adults ...

In order to address the necessity of health professionals to be more familiar with the allergy and clinical immunology field, this Certificate is the first in a suite of three postgraduate courses that have been developed by the College of Medicine and Health at University College Cork.

Many allergy and immunological related issues can be managed in the community by GPs and allied health professionals. However, despite a growing demand among such health professionals for increased access to learning in allergy and immunology, opportunities are not available. These courses will provide you with access to this essential training and understanding of Allergy and Clinical Immunology problems in society today.

Allergy and Clinical Immunology Programme
The Postgraduate Certificate is delivered entirely online and is the first of three courses providing postgraduate training in Allergy and Clinical Immunology. We believe that many established professionals from multiple disciplines will benefit from this suite of courses as part of their Continued Professional Development (CPD).

All students register for a Postgraduate Certificate in Allergy and Clinical Immunology in the first instance. On successful completion of the Certificate programme you will be eligible to progress to the Postgraduate Diploma in Allergy and Clinical Immunology in the following year. You can progress to the MSc Allergy and Clinical Immunology course after successful completion of the Diploma.

Course Practicalities
Most classes are held via UCC's e-learning platform Canvas during the academic year. In addition to structured contact time, students perform approximately 450 hours of self-directed learning, submitting module assignments and reports.

There is no work placement in this programme, but candidates should ideally be working in clinical practice.

Year 1 - PG Certificate in Allergy and Clinical Immunology
The Certificate consists of three 10-credit modules in total. Students who complete the Certificate may progress to the Diploma (additional 30 credits), which builds on the knowledge base gained in the Certificate. On completion of the Diploma, students may progress to the MSc, completing a 30-credit research dissertation.

The Allergy and Clinical Immunology Certificate offers a sound theoretical background to the principles of evidence-based medicine and critical evaluation, and broad coverage of the scientific basis of allergy and immunologic diseases. In Year 1 Certificate students take core modules to the value of 30 credits as follows:

MH6033 Basics in Allergy and Immunology (10 credits)
MH6034 Allergy and Immunology Skills (10 credits)
MH6035 Allergy and Immunology Practice and Methods I (10 credits)

A primary honours degree (NFQ, Level 8) in a relevant health care discipline such as medicine, nursing, pharmacy, occupational therapy, speech and language, audiology, physiotherapy, psychology, dietetics, nutrition, and social studies.

Ideally, applicants should have at least one year's practical experience in their area of qualification.

Applicants who do not hold a primary honours degree (NFQ, Level 8) may also be accepted under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) subject to a review of their training and professional experience.
An interview may also be required under these circumstances.

English Language Requirements
Applicants that are non-native speakers of the English language must meet the university-approved English language requirements.

Please visit our PG English Language Requirements page for more information.

For applicants with qualifications completed outside of Ireland
Applicants must meet the required entry academic grade, equivalent to Irish requirements. For more information see our Qualification Comparison page.

International/Non-EU Applicants
For full details of the non-EU application procedure visit our how to apply pages for international students.

In UCC, we use the term programme and course interchangeably to describe what a person has registered to study in UCC and its constituent colleges, schools, and departments.

Note that not all courses are open to international/non-EU applicants, please check the fact file above. For more information contact the International Office.

The closing date for non-EU applications is 30 June 2023

How Do I Apply
1. Check Dates: Check the opening and closing dates for the application process in the fact file boxes at the top of the page.

For Irish and EU applicants we operate a rounds system and you can check the rounds closing dates here.
Note that not all our programmes are subject to the rounds system so check the opening and closing dates for your specific programme in the fact file boxes above.

2. Gather Documents: Scanned copies of supporting documents have to be uploaded to the UCC online application portal and include:

Original qualification documents listed on your application including transcripts of results from institutions other than UCC;
Any supplementary items requested for your course if required.

3. Apply Online: Apply online via the UCC online application portal. Note the majority of our courses have a non-refundable €50 application fee.

Any questions? Use our web enquiry form to contact us.

1 year part-time, online.

Skills and Careers Information
In today's competitive workforce, higher professional qualifications are an essential part of professional development and career advancement. Our programme will contribute to your Continued Professional Development (CPD) competence requirements and provide you with the skills and competencies necessary to confidently care for a person with allergy and immunological conditions. In addition, these courses will enable you to assume a position in your workplace with a focus on Allergy and Clinical Immunology patients and meet the demand for specialists in this area. As noted in the HSE National Programme:

To date, there has been no strategy to develop allergy services in Ireland. Paediatric Allergy is the most underdeveloped of all paediatric services ...