Child & Family Health & Wellbeing

MSc in Child and Family Health and Wellbeing
Introduction
The MSc in Child and Family Health and Wellbeing will appeal to recent graduates, early and mid-career professionals who work with, or who aspire to work with children, young people and their families in various capacities. The programme is suitable to individuals from across different disciplines, including, but not limited to, children’s nurses and other nursing disciplines, allied health and social care professionals, and related areas such as those working in community, voluntary and non-governmental organisations.

The MSc in Child and Family Health and Wellbeing is a two-year, part-time, blended-learning (online and face to face contact) programme which enables students to consider how their learning impacts their field of practice in improving health and wellbeing outcomes for children and their families, and ensure the acquired knowledge supports their professional development in their working environment.

The programme aims to deepen the knowledge, skills and competence of students to:
• Critically evaluate contemporary evidence and issues in promoting child, young person and family health and wellbeing
• Foster critical reflection and analysis to address current and future child health societal challenges
• Promote and advance interdisciplinary skills to enhance collaboration across disciplines in research, policy and practice.

Students will complete the following modules:

Child and family focused care and wellbeing
Children’s rights and participation
Global child health and health inequalities
Care and service provision closer to home
Research methods and evaluation
Contemporary issues in child and adolescent mental health

Students will also complete a year-long supervised research dissertation module.

Requirements
Applicants will typically hold a (NFQ) Level 8 Honours Degree with a H2.1 or equivalent. Candidates will generally hold a primary degree in a relevant discipline, for example:

• children’s nursing or other nursing disciplines; allied health and social care; education; child, youth and family support work; or a cognate discipline.

Due to the specialist nature of this programme, additional criteria may be used to assess suitability to undertake this programme. For further information, please contact the Programme Chair using the contact details above

In line with DCU policy, candidates who do not have the appropriate level of academic attainment for direct entry may apply for access via the Recognition of Prior Learning process (RPL).

In line with DCU’s (2019) Recognition of Prior Learning Policy, candidates who do not have the appropriate level of academic attainment for direct entry may apply for access via the Recognition of Prior Learning process (RPL) (the policy is available at: Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) , Dublin City University , recognition-prior-learning (dcu.ie)

Prior learning may be formal accredited learning or experiential/uncertified learning which includes the knowledge, skills and personal qualities acquired through life, work experience and study which are not formally attested. Prospective students may apply through the RPL route if they meet one or more of the following entry 5 requirements:

• Relevant learning, qualifications and experience within their RPL application
• Holding a position or role related to health or social care, health and social inclusion promotion, or a related area
• Holding an appointment or professional position in the domain
• Professional qualifications in the domain, with clear articulation of intention to progress to work in the domain.

All Applicants must apply through DCU's Student Application Portal.

Application Deadlines
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the programme is full or until:

Closing date for non EU applicants is 1st July 2024.
Closing date for EU applicants is 31st July 2024.
Note applicants who require a study visa for the purposes of studying at DCU are advised to apply as early as possible.

All entry requirements should be met before the commencement of the programme.

Application Queries
For EU applicant queries, please visit https://www.dcu.ie/registry/eu-postgraduate-taught-admissions or email postgraduateadmissions@dcu.ie

For non EU applicant queries, please visit https://www.dcu.ie/registry/international-admissions-undergraduate-and-postgraduate or email internationaladmissions@dcu.ie

The MSc in Child and Family Health and Wellbeing programme is a two-year part-time programme.

The programme commences in September 2024

Careers
The programme is designed to provide continuous professional development for a wide range of professionals working with children, young people and their families to significantly positively impact employability and career prospects. Graduates of this programme will progress into leadership roles, or continue into a research or education capacity.