Dementia

Is This Course For Me?
This programme in Dementia is open to a wide range of professionals who have experience in delivering a dementia care approach within practice in the last two years. Interdisciplinary input to the design, development and delivery of this programme stems from a variety of dementia experts. Students on this programme will come from a variety of backgrounds including nursing, medicine, occupational therapy, social work, physiotherapy, chaplaincy and other disciplines.

Course Structure
Year One usually starts with a full week of studying in September and continues thereafter generally one to two days per week for the remainder of the academic year.

Year Two consists of workshops throughout the academic year. A blended learning approach is utilised in the delivery of theoretical content, which includes lectures, group discussions and self-directed learning. The assessment process is a combination of written and practical assignments. At the end of Year Two, Masters students are required to submit a dissertation on a subject related to their field of study.

Course Content
P.Grad.Cert. students take three specialist modules online: Ways of Understanding Dementia and Dementia Care; Critical Issues in Assessment and Care Planning; and Enhancing the Experience of Living with Dementia.

Upon successful completion of the Certificate modules, students may opt to progress to the Postgraduate Diploma and take a further two modules: Fundamentals of Palliative and End of Life Care; Theory and Practice of Enquiry Methods for Health Care. They will also need to choose one of two optional modules: Ethics and Law in Health and Social Care; and a Clinical Practice Module.

M.Sc. candidates may apply to study on a full-time basis and take all modules in one year. Should the candidate choose the Clinical Practice module, however, the Masters course must be taken part-time over two years. Masters students are also required to complete a dissertation.

Admission Requirements
Current registration on the appropriate division of NMBI live register.

Special instruction for Non-EU students.
When asked to submit ABA PIN please insert ‘0000’ to bypass this question. *This instruction also applies to all applicants who are not currently qualified as a Nurse or Midwife in Ireland.

Minimum of one year's professional experience in supporting persons with dementia within the past two years
For the duration of the course all applicants are required to be working in an area where dementia care is delivered.

Normally hold an honours degree in a relevant discipline, e.g. social, health or pastoral care. Candidates with relevant, and significant, experience as professional practitioners in the field of dementia care may be considered with a lower class degree or equivalent
Otherwise satisfy the selection panel that they will have the ability to complete and benefit from the course

All applicants to the School of Nursing and Midwifery whose first language is not English or who have not been educated through the medium of English must present one of the following qualifications in the English language:
• IELTS: Grade 6.5 overall with a minimum of grade of 6.5 in each category
• TOEFL: 88 internet-based, 570 paper-based, 230 computer-based. The test taken here should be TOEFL IBT
• University of Cambridge:
Proficiency Certificate, Grade C or better (CEFR Level C1 or C2)
Advanced Certificate, Grade C or better (CEFR Level C1 or C2)
• Pearson Test of English (Academic) - PTE Academic: a minimum score of 63 to be eligible (with no section score below 59)
• Duolingo English Test: minimum overall score of 110/160, dated since January 2020
• An award certificate with a minimum II.1 overall score from Trinity's Centre for English Language Learning and Teaching's Pre-sessional Pathway Programme

Please also note that existing IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge and PET scores up to three years old (rather than two) will be accepted for 2022/23 applications in light of test centre closures.

Students will be required to undergo Garda Vetting, see https://www.tcd.ie/students/orientation/undergraduates/garda-vetting.php for further details.

M.Sc: 1 year full-time
M.Sc./P.Grad.Dip: 2 years part-time
P.Grad.Cert: 1 year part-time

Next Intake: September 2024

Closing Date 30th June 2024

Career Opportunities
This course prepares graduates from the nursing, medicine, occupational therapy, social work, physiotherapy, chaplaincy sector to specialise in the field of dementia with dementia-specific knowledge, skills and values to promote excellence in the area of dementia care practice.