Health Professions' Education

Course Outline

Our Postgraduate Certificate in Health Professions' Education is a part-time, fully online course. Our online learning platform is predominantly asynchronous, with very occasional live online sessions which are recorded for later viewing by those who cannot attend. Our programme is designed to provide healthcare professionals with the knowledge and skills to be effective educators. Upon completion of the Postgraduate Certificate students who wish to further their education and development in the area of Health Professions’ Education can progress to the Postgraduate Diploma and subsequently the Masters in Health Professions' Education (MSc). All these courses are offered by the School of Medicine at UCC.



Postgraduate Certificate

The Postgraduate Certificate, delivered entirely online, consisting of 3 x 10-credit modules, introduces the student to the theory behind delivering education to health professionals and develops knowledge of teaching, assessment, feedback and instructional design.



Students who complete the PG Certificate may progress to the PG Diploma (additional 3 x 10-credit modules) which builds on the knowledge base gained in the PG Certificate with emphasis on professional development, advanced methods for teaching and assessment as well as the management and development of academic programmes in Health Professions' Education (HPE).

The Postgraduate Certificate comprises 3 online modules:

MH6020 Teaching and Learning in Health Professions' Education I (10 credits)

MH6021 Theory in Health Professions' Education (10 credits)

MH6022 Instructional Design: Teaching and Learning in Health Professions' Education II (10 credits)

Candidates must have the following:



An undergraduate degree (NFQ 8) or equivalent qualification in an appropriate healthcare-related subject, such as (but not restricted to) medicine, nursing, pharmacy, dentistry, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, psychology, social science;



Access to teaching opportunities to allow completion of compulsory assignments;



Applicants who do not meet these requirements may also be considered under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) on a case by case basis following a review of their individual qualifications and experience by the programme board.



Technical Requirements

To access and interact with the course content, assignments and assessments etc., students will require access to a PC/Laptop running at least Windows 7 or later or a recent version of Mac OSX. Common plug-ins such as Microsoft Silverlight, Java and Flash will also be required. Students must have access to MS Office or an equivalent suite of applications such as Open Office.



Students must also have access to a modern standards-compliant web browser. UCC recommends either Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. A minimum of 1MB download speed and 500KB upload speed is required. To engage productively and successfully with the content, basic technical computer skills such as familiarity with word processing, web browsing and email is recommended.



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

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

1 year part-time Online.

Start Date 21 September 2026

Skills and Careers Information

What can I do after I graduate with a qualification in Health Professions’ Education?



Our Postgraduate Certificate will provide you with the knowledge and skills to be an effective educator. The Postgraduate Diploma will allow you to develop yourself in the areas of scholarship and leadership in HPE. The completion of the Master's programme will give you:

• Critical skills to evaluate education methods and courses, and the evidence base for current practices in HPE;

• Knowledge of the theoretical and practical aspects of key topics required to be a health professions’ educator;

• Knowledge and skills required to design, undertake and evaluate research in HPE;

• Skills to act as a leader and innovator in HPE.

• Nurses, Please note: Successful completion of this MSc does not provide a recognised NMBI Nurse Tutor qualification.



Occupations associated with Health Professions’ Education

Occupations include but are not limited to doctors, nurses, pharmacists, dentists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, psychology and social care professionals.



What are our graduates doing?

The programme is relevant to individuals involved or interested in teaching in clinical or academic settings. In addition, it is relevant to those working in postgraduate training bodies. Graduates can utilise the knowledge and skills acquired in this course for teaching, research, and leadership roles relating to Health Professions’ Education in any of these settings.