Dementia

Course Outline

The interdisciplinary Postgraduate Certificate in Dementia provides healthcare professionals with the skills to expertly care for a person with dementia from diagnosis to end-of-life. Taking a biopsychosocial approach, with expert lecturers and facilitators from a range of academic and clinical backgrounds, the course content includes dementia presentations, assessments, sub-types and differentials; restorative and adaptive cognitive and non-cognitive interventions; a strong focus on communication, ethical approaches and care planning; translation of evidence to clinical practice; and reflection on legislative, policy and societal influences on dementia care across health and social care settings. At all times the emphasis is on critical appraisal of research evidence, and knowledge of current policy and societal influences, and how these translate into the best possible care for the person with dementia in real-world settings. The Postgraduate Certificate in Dementia can be taken over one or two academic years (9-20 months).

Students take CORE MODULES to the value of 20 credits as follows:

CG6015 Understanding Cognitive Disorders and Dementia (10 credits)

CG6016 Advanced Issues in Dementia Care (10 credits)



Students take ELECTIVE MODULES to the value of 10 credits from the following:

CG6002 Stroke Rehabilitation (10 credits)

CG6006 Falls, Mobility and Movement Disorders (10 credits)

CG6007 Independent Study (5 credits)

CG6012 Neuromuscular Disorders (10 credits)

CG6017 Clinical Practicum in Dementia (5 credits)

EH6038 Applied Research for Gerontology and Rehabilitation (10 credits)

IP5001 Holistic Approach to Palliative Care (5 credits)*

MH6014 Advanced Research Methods for Healthcare Professionals (10 credits)

MH6016 Advance Care Planning (5 credits)

NU6053 Ethics for Specialist Practice (5 credits)



* Can only be selected if the student has active registration or is eligible for registration with the appropriate professional healthcare registration body.

Requirements:

Candidates must have the following:

- A Primary Degree in a relevant health care discipline* or an equivalent academic qualification and professional experience to be approved by Programme Team;



- Ideally, candidates should have at least one year's practical experience in their area of qualification post-registration;



- In some exceptional circumstances, candidates, 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 health care discipline includes but is not limited to medicine, nursing, pharmacy, occupational therapy, speech and hearing science, audiology, physiotherapy, psychology, and social studies.



Garda Vetting

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



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 within the Postgraduate Certificate in Dementia 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 meet the entry requirements for the Postgraduate Certificate in Dementia, can apply to register for the Postgraduate Certificate in Dementia with exemptions granted for modules taken within the previous five years. This will require an application by the student for the Postgraduate Certificate.



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.



English Language Requirements

Applicants who are non-native speakers of the English language must meet the university-approved English language requirements. Visit our PG English Language Requirements page for more information.

Closing Date: Rolling deadline. Open until all places have been filled. Early application is advised.



Non-EU Closing Date: Open until all places have been filled or no later than 15 June. Early application is advised.

1 or 2 years (9-20 months) part-time.

The fee for this course is €2,985.



Part-time students:


If your course is offered full time and part time, the fee for part time courses is half the full time fee.

Start Date: 2nd September 2025.

Skills and Careers Information

In today’s competitive workforce, higher professional qualifications are an essential part of continuous professional development and career advancement. The Postgraduate Certificate in Dementia gives Healthcare Professionals key skills and competencies to confidently care for a person with dementia, of any age and in any setting.



This course can also be used as a stepping stone to the MSc in Dementia, or to a research MSc or PhD. It can also be taken as an adjunct to a Diploma or MSc in a related area (e.g. Gerontological Nursing or Intellectual Disability studies), giving specialist expertise in dementia.