Healthcare Management

Why Healthcare Management?
The MSc in Healthcare Management is an online applied healthcare management programme that enables healthcare professionals, managers and administrators to become solution-focused leaders within healthcare services management and associated settings.

This programme is suitable for all those working in the healthcare sector including doctors, managers, nurses, interdisciplinary health and social care workers, allied health professionals, other clinical specialists and administrators who wish to develop their management knowledge and skills. Personnel in allied health businesses such as medical supplies and equipment, the pharmaceutical sector and healthcare regulation should also find the programme relevant and informative.

Why RCSI?
Follow in the path of former students who have embraced 230 years of teaching excellence. Driven by the promise of 'leading the world to better health', RSCI has been at the forefront of international healthcare education since our establishment in 1784, and we have a worldwide reputation for delivering excellent Undergraduate and Postgraduate health professions education.

RCSI's singular healthcare focus is evident through all our Postgraduate programmes, offering innovative, insight-rich and immersive development opportunities for both current and future leaders in healthcare.

Course details
Designed for healthcare professionals and administrators at all career stages who strive to become skilled and competent managers and leaders in any healthcare, social care or clinical setting, this programme will support learners to accelerate their career progression.

The MSc in Healthcare Management comprises six taught modules and an action research project – students will gain detailed insights into healthcare topics such as leadership and change management, teamwork and performance management, quality and risk management, strategic management, project management and process mapping as well as financial and accounting within healthcare organisations.

On completion of the programme, you will be ideally placed to ensure the delivery and configuration of high-quality healthcare services in order to lead and manage change, respond to challenges and accelerate impact within your organisation.

Modules:
Module 1: Managing Organisations and People (10 ECTS)
This module introduces you to organisational structure and culture, teamwork, conflict, power and influence, and change management. You will also learn how to use analytical management tools. The module is supported by the development of your individual electronic portfolio.

Module 2: Operations Management & Quality (10 ECTS)
In this module you will examine the patient journey using process mapping, identifying areas for improvement and discussing the concept of lean management. Project management tools are introduced and applied as part of the learning.

Module 3: Leadership & Strategic Management (10 ECTS)
Different approaches to leadership and your preferred leadership style are explored here. You learn how to design and implement strategy using a wide variety of tools to understand the external environment and assess the internal strengths and weaknesses of your organisation.

Module 4: Managing Finance in Healthcare Organisations (10 ECTS)
This module introduces you to financial and management accounting. Topics covered include: preparation and interpretation of financial accounts, working capital, cash flow forecasting, budgeting and costs and costing.

Module 5: Quality & Risk Management (10 ECTS)
Quality maintenance and improvement is necessary in healthcare given the imperative of maximising patient safety. In this module, you will explore the concepts of quality, safety and risk and examine current best-practice in a variety of healthcare contexts.

Module 6: Evaluation, Measurement & Research (10 ECTS)
Modern health services require a complex range of information to support evidence-based practice. In this module, you will learn how to collect, analyse, interpret and present valid data as a foundation for evidence based practice.

Capstone Dissertation Project (30 ECTS)
A capstone dissertation brings together your learnings from the six modules and encourages you to reflect and think critically on a specific project. In line with the international best practice of increasing the diversity of assessment methods and student choice in assessment, the Graduate School of Healthcare Management offers you three options to fulfil the Year 2 requirements. Use your learning from Year 1, in conjunction with Year 2 seminars you will choose

One option to undertake in year two:
Option A Co-design: Develop a co-designed quality improvement intervention for implementation into practice. You will identify a participatory co-design process that will bring together service users, clinical and non-clinical staff and, relevant support and advocacy groups to work together to improve or refine elements of the health and social care system, services or processes.

Option B Change: Develop a change roadmap for implementation into practice. You will identify a project within a real-life health or social care context and articulate the strategic areas of change required to be ready for implementation.

Option C Empirical: Undertake an empirical organisational based project. In collaboration with your work-based manager, you will select a project designed to produce benefits to your organisation, such as workforce planning, process improvements or resource restructuring, that are likely to result in substantial cost savings. This option requires ethics approval to undertake primary data collection.

Year 2 of the programme is an exciting and beneficial opportunity for students dedicated to understanding and leading context specific healthcare change.

To be eligible for the programme you must:
- Hold a bachelor degree. If you don’t hold a bachelor degree, please see the recognition of prior learning pathway outlined below.

- Be working in the healthcare industry.

- Meet the English language requirements (unless exempt): IELTS score of 6.5, Duolingo 105-110, or equivalent score on another standardised test. Please see below for list of exemptions.?

2 years part-time.

This course is delivered in a digital format via our online teaching platform, making it accessible to busy healthcare professionals wherever they may be working.

Start date 12 September 2024