Nursing & Midwifery - Advanced Leadership

Why Advanced Leadership in Nursing?
Educating future leaders in healthcare delivery and related research is at the core of the mission of the RCSI School of Nursing & Midwifery. Our aim is to develop expert, reflective nursing and midwifery practitioners who can seek out and use research-based knowledge to improve patient care.

We are proud to provide postgraduate students with a rigorous, outcome-focused curricula, shaped by innovative teaching and learning practices. We have a long association with postgraduate nursing and midwifery education and are the largest such school in Ireland.

Our School aspires to become recognised leaders in the provision of health sciences education, both nationally and internationally and our suite of online programmes and learning content is continually evolving in response to the needs within the healthcare sector and services.

Our goal is to empower nurses and midwives to be able to demonstrate the difference they make to practice, and in doing so, to be able to respond accordingly to the leadership and professional challenges that they face every day.

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
The Postgraduate Certificate in Advanced Leadership is a fully accredited part-time master's programme delivered over six months and aimed at nurses who wish to advance their academic and professional knowledge and skills in the area of leadership.

This programme welcomes nurses at all levels of their career – from those who aspire to enter management, to nurses in managerial positions who want to develop key competencies and skills. You will develop the confidence and best practice approaches to drive impact as an active member of any healthcare team.

Throughout the Postgraduate Certificate in Advanced Leadership, you will develop your critical thinking and skills and critically reflect on your leadership role. You will examine theories and policies underpinning leadership, strategy and change management.

This fully online programme comprises three highly relevant modules in the areas of leadership, management, strategy and change management.

Graduates of this Certificate will gain an essential skillset to progress in their nursing management career and for those who wish to take a further step, may enrol onto the diploma or master's programme in Advanced Leadership – and undertake further modules and potentially Year 2 of the full programme, completing a research project to gain a leading edge in their career progression.

Module name Credits Assessment method
- Advanced Leadership - Professional & Clinical/ 10/ Assignment

- Advanced Management & Strategy/ 10/ Assignment

- Change Management: Theory and Practice/ 10/ Presentation and assignment

To be eligible for the programme you must:

- Be a registered nurse or midwife in your country of practice.

- 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.

Recognition of prior learning
If you do not have an undergraduate degree at level 7 or above you may still be eligible to apply through recognition of prior learning (RPL). RPL is the assessment of knowledge, skills and competence previously acquired.

Learning occurs in many contexts which include work, involvement in social and community activities, or learning through life experience generally. RPL does not give credit for experience as such; rather it considers the learning that was acquired as a result of the experience.

RPL may be used to gain:
- Admission to courses/programmes where a person may not have obtained the standard entry requirements.

- Exemptions from course modules which duplicate the learning outcomes an individual has already demonstrably acquired through prior learning.

English language requirement exceptions
Exemptions may apply for:
- Applicants who have completed their school or undergraduate studies (three or more years) through English in a country where English is the majority native language

- Applicants who have completed their school or undergraduate studies (three or more years) in an English speaking institution in a country where English is not the majority native language and where an IELTS score of 5 or more was a requirement for admissions to the programme

- Applicants who have been working in a country (three years or more) where English is the majority native language or for an employer where English language is the official language

- Graduates of an RCSI Undergraduate, Masters or Professional Diploma programme in Dublin and Bahrain

Please note: Certified proof must be uploaded as part of your application.

How to apply
Applications for the next intake of this programme – September 2023 – are now open. Please begin by clicking on the "Application Weblink" below.

6 months part-time.

Mode of delivery
The programme is delivered through a blend of online content and activities and live interactive sessions, offering a collaborative and supported student experience. You are encouraged to actively participate in the live seminars and activities; however, all live sessions are recorded and can be watched back if you have personal or work commitments.

Our experienced team have the skills, resources and technology to support and guide you, no matter your level of technical ability.

Fees and funding
•Total fees: Fees are currently being reviewed for 2020/21 and will be released shortly.

Please note
•Your annual fees include the €45 NUI fee.
•There is a non-refundable online application fee of €50.
•Fees can be paid by bank transfer, cheque (made payable to 'RCSI') or bank giro. Full details on fee payment will be emailed to you shortly before the commencement of your programme.
•You can pay your fees in three instalments – one payment of 40% is due before you commence the programme, while the remaining payments can be paid in two 30% instalments in November and February of your year of study.
•If you meet the criteria for a Non-EU student please contact us for more information on fee payments

Intake: October 2020