Healthcare Management

This two-year, part-time programme combines the study of subjects central to public management broadly with those especially relevant to healthcare management. It combines taught modules with some research into a healthcare management issue especially relevant to a student’s working life.



The programme is suitable for those who work in the health sector interested in improving their knowledge of management, particularly those looking to advance their career or already in a management role. Students come from across both the public and private healthcare sectors and from services areas, including primary and community care, acute care, social care, mental health and corporate services.



By placing healthcare issues within the broader public management field, the programme gives students an understanding of how healthcare management relates to other economic and organisational questions. Its primary goal is to raise the level of analysis in healthcare management in Ireland and to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to become more effective managers in their particular area. A level nine programme, it covers health policies in Ireland, how to lead and manage in the healthcare setting, and how quality and finance are managed in public healthcare.



In the first year, students take six common modules in public management, three in each semester. Students of all IPA MA specialisms take this common year.

In the second year, students take three healthcare management modules between September and December and then, between January and April, prepare a minor dissertation. This dissertation, conducted under expert

guidance, enables them to apply what they have learned to a healthcare management issue they are particularly interested in or are encountering in their working life.



On completion of the first year, students receive the interim award of a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Management.



This programme usually only commences in September of each year.



Delivery

This part-time programme takes two years to complete and can be taken from anywhere in the country. It is designed to be suitable for those with busy professional and personal lives.



Students attend seminars on selected weekends over the academic year. Some of these are in-person sessions at the IPA campus in Dublin 4. Others are delivered online.



Between seminars/webinars, they access a range of resources, including textbooks, bespoke materials, and online supports.



The final semester of the second year is devoted to the preparation, under supervision, of a minor dissertation.



Key Benefits for You and Your Career



Obtain Advanced Healthcare Management Knowledge: Understand core areas in Irish healthcare management and situate them in the broader field of public management.



Study a Range of Modules: You will study nine modules in total, ranging from health systems and policy to quality in healthcare to economics. This means that you will be able to place healthcare topics into the wider economic, financial, and managerial contexts relevant to all sectors of the public service.



Career Advancement: Present to your organisation and others as someone with a Masters-level qualification in public management with a focus on healthcare management.



Practical Application: Apply what you have learned to a healthcare management issue in your organsiation through some minor research work.



Networking Opportunities: Connect with fellow public servants interested in healthcare management in Ireland, expanding your professional network.

Year One



Economics

This module focuses on public sector economics. The State plays a very important role in all our economic lives and in the economic health of the nation. Among the topics that are addressed are taxation, the economics of regulation, efficiency and effectiveness in the public sector, monopolies, project appraisal, sources of funds and portfolio theory.



Managing Human Resources

On completing this module, which attends to both human resource management and organisational behaviour, students will be able to evaluate the human resource management system in their organisation. It considers, among other topics, strategic HR planning, performance and rewards management, theories of leadership, group dynamics, communication in organisations, politics and conflict, organisational change, and job design.



Finance

Public sector managers, like their private sector counterparts, should have a solid understanding of the main principles and tools of contemporary financial management. This course explores financial reporting, financial statement analysis, budgeting and working capital, cost and management accounting, and investment. It also attends to the ideas and practices of modern financial governance, auditing and risk.



Organisation and Strategy

This module gives students a solid understanding of the evolving role of the State, of different approaches to policy-making and strategy, and of organisational design. Focusing on the public sector, it will provide them with ideas and arguments that they can use to evaluate their organisation, its working environment, and its success. Among the specific topics addressed are the role and evolution of the State, decision-making in organisations, and public management in the 21st century.



Research Methods

This course explores both research theory and design and quantitative techniques. With regard to the former, it considers how knowledge is best obtained, different research strategies, sampling, interviews, and focus groups. Its treatment of quantitative techniques examines how to present data, the application of probability distributions, the estimation of population parameters, and the forms that relationships between quantitative variables can take. This module also helps students prepare for their dissertation work in the second year of the MA programme.



Managing in Europe

This module explores the history of European integration, how the EU functions and the debates about its direction and future. Students will learn about, among other things, how the EU institutions relate to each other, how the EU makes laws, and some of the most notable areas where the EU decides public policy.



Year Two



Health Systems and Policy

This module explores what health systems are and what shapes them. It considers health policy formulation, the structure of the Irish health system, current Irish policies in key healthcare areas (including primary and acute care), and future challenges for the Irish health system.



Leadership and Management of Healthcare Organisations

In exploring leadership and management in healthcare, this module addresses organisational theory, organisational behaviour, and managing organisational performance. It also attends to theories of leadership and management and to how best to lead change in the healthcare setting.



Quality in Healthcare/Health Economics and Finance

This module consists of two subjects. The first examines the structures and processes that should be in place to ensure quality in healthcare. It considers patient safety, quality assessments, clinical and organisational governance, clinical audit and evidence-based medicine. The second explores the economic and financial implications of healthcare decisions and policies. It covers such matters as the healthcare market, efficiency and equity in healthcare, and supplier-induced demand.



Semester Two

In the second semester of year two students write a dissertation on a specific healthcare management issue. Students must successfully complete the taught modules before moving to the dissertation phase.

Applicants must have a primary degree or equivalent qualification. Transcripts of undergraduate qualifications are required at the application stage.

Application deadline: 21/08/2026

Students are assessed by means of assignments, examinations and a minor dissertation.

2 years.



Delivery

Blended Learning



Seminars/webinars take place on six weekends over the academic year. This timetable refers to the first year only.



Seminar 1 September 5-6, 2026

Seminar 2 (Online) October 3-4, 2026

Seminar 3 October 21- November 1, 2026

Exams Week of December 7, 2026

Seminar 4 January 9-10, 2027

Seminar 5 February 6-7, 2027

Seminar 6 March 6-7, 2027

Exams Week of April 12, 2027

The cost of the programme is €5,000 per annum (includes all matriculation and examination fees, all seminars, textbooks and course material), payable in two instalments.

Commences 05/09/2026

Students can study other IPA Masters programmes, including a Professional Certificate in Governance and a Doctorate in Governance.