Community & Primary Healthcare

The School of Nursing & Midwifery at UCC has designed this unique programme so that our graduates will be well-positioned to meet the healthcare needs of patients and service users in a multidisciplinary and collaborative environment. The Diploma in Community and Primary Healthcare will enhance your knowledge and skills in prevention, early intervention, and self-management of conditions in the community, and promote an understanding of diverse populations and the importance of integration of services for the continuity of care.

The Diploma in Community and Primary Healthcare may be taken over 1 year full-time or 2 years part-time and offers a flexible mode of learning.
Exit Award

Students who opt to exit will be awarded a Postgraduate Certificate in Community and Primary Healthcare upon successful completion and passing modules to the value of 30 credits.

1 Year (60 credits)

Core Modules (45 credits)

NU6005 Evidence-Based Practice for Healthcare Professionals (10 Credits)
NU6044 Health and Health Promotion: Concepts and Principles (5 credits)
NU6095 Primary Healthcare Services in the Community (5 credits)
NU6302 Practice Enhancement for Quality Healthcare (10 credits)
NU6175 Integration and Continuity of Care Across Primary, Secondary, & Tertiary Healthcare Settings (5 credits)
NU6176 Community and Primary Healthcare Clinical Practicum 1 (5 credits)
NU6177 Community and Primary Healthcare Clinical Practicum 2 (5 credits)

Elective Modules (15 credits)

MH6032 Effective Communication in Healthcare (5 credits)
MH6038 Allergy and Immunology focused on Primary Healthcare (5 credits)
MH6039 Allergy and Immunology: the Nurses and Dietetics Perspective (5 credits)
NU5082 History Taking and Physical Assessment for Nursing Practice (5 credits) (nurses only)
NU6053 Professional, Ethical, and Legal Decision-Making in Specialist Practice (5 credits)
NU6078 Aging and Older People: Comprehensive Assessment and Management (10 credits)
NU6079 Promoting Positive Ageing and Planning for End of Life (5 credits)
NU6085 Wound Care for Healthcare Professionals (5 credits)
NU6145 Foundations of Cancer Care (10 credits)
NU6158 Evidence-Based Cervical Screening (10 credits)
GP5100 Diabetes in Primary Care (10 credits)
GP5103 Fundamentals of CVD in Primary Care (5 credits)
EH6161 Contemporary Perspectives on Global Health (5 credits)
EH6162 Environmental Health: Principal Aspects and Burden of Disease (5 credits)
EH6163 Principles and Practices of Screening (5 credits)

2 Years (30 credits per year)

The 60-credit 2-year programme consists of core and elective modules worth 30 credits in Year 1 and 30 credits in Year 2.

Year 1 Modules (30 credits)

NU6005 Evidence-Based Practice for Healthcare Professionals (10 Credits)
NU6044 Health and Health Promotion: Concepts and Principles (5 credits)
NU6095 Primary Healthcare Services in the Community (5 credits)
NU6176 Community and Primary Healthcare Clinical Practicum 1 (5 credits)
Plus a 5-credit elective module

Year 2 Modules (30 credits)

NU6302 Practice Enhancement for Quality Healthcare (10 credits)
NU6175 Integration and Continuity of Care Across Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Health care settings (5 credits)
NU6177 Community and Primary Healthcare Clinical Practicum (5 credits)

Plus elective module(s) worth 10 credits

Modules

Further details on the modules listed above can be found in our Book of Modules. Any modules listed above are indicative of the current set of modules for this course but are subject to change from year to year.

University Calendar

You can find the full academic content for the current year of any given course in our University Calendar.

Applicants must:

Have a primary honours degree (NFQ, Level 8) in a relevant subject area such as Clinical Therapies, Nursing, Midwifery, or other allied health professions.

Be a practising professional in a recognised core healthcare profession in the community or primary healthcare setting.

Provide evidence of current registration as a registered healthcare professional with a relevant professional regulatory/registration body in Ireland.

Have a minimum of 6 months post-registration experience working within a community or primary care setting.

Note you will be asked to provide the following as part of the application process for this programme:

Work Experience: Please enter any work experience relevant to this programme.

Support letter from your employer.

Clinical Placements: You will be required to complete clinical placements and will require access to suitable community or primary care placements in your current work environment. Please provide details.

Recognition of Prior Learning

Consideration under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) may be given to applicants who do not hold a primary honours degree (NFQ, Level 8). Such applicants may be considered for admission following a review of their individual qualifications and professional experience in a suitable area such as Clinical Therapies, Nursing, Midwifery, or other allied health professions. RPL applicants may also be invited for an interview.

Garda Vetting

Students, or applicants in receipt of an offer, will be subject to UCC's Student Garda Vetting Policy as relevant. Students will be prohibited from engaging in a placement unless the vetting process has been cleared.

Fitness to Practise
This programme is subject to the University's Fitness to Practise Policy.

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 TBC

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 Full-time; 2 Years Part-time.

Skills and Careers Information
The diploma programme is suitable for individuals who are currently working in community and primary healthcare and who are seeking enhanced qualifications for their career advancement.

In today's competitive workforce, postgraduate qualifications are an essential part of continuous professional development (CPD) and career advancement. Our diploma supports students from a range of professional health backgrounds in developing knowledge, skills, and competencies to assist them in delivering health and well-being in the community and primary healthcare setting.

The programme also supports students to take on the delivery of community and primary healthcare at a specialist level as well as in leadership and senior roles.

Following successful completion of the diploma you may progress to Community Practitioner roles and onwards to specialist and senior practice roles in the community and/or Primary Healthcare setting. Progression pathways will vary by discipline, setting, and availability of promotional opportunities.