Nursing - Public Health Nursing

Course Outline

Our Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health Nursing is a Level 9 programme that aims to develop informed and skilled public health nurses. On successful completion of the programme, participants can apply to the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) for registration as a Public Health Nurse (RPHN).



This is a one-year, full-time programme, usually running from September to June inclusive each year. Students undertake nine modules to the value of 60 credits. There are four blocks of placement with a registered public health nurse in the sponsoring HSE area. If your name is not registered in the Midwives Division of the NMBI Register, you will complete an NMBI approved module or unit of study on maternal and child health as part of the course. Maternity placement of five weeks as part of this module will be in Cork University Maternity Hospital. Total clinical placement accounts for over 23 weeks during the year.

Modules (60 credits)



Module Title Credits

NU6170 Research Methods for Specialist Practice 10

NU6041 Public Health Nursing: Principles and Professional Issues 10 credits

NU6042 Children, Young People and Families 10 credits

NU6043 Adults and Older People in the Community 5 credits

NU6044 Health and Health Promotion: Concepts and Principles 5 credits

NU6005 Evidence-Based Practice for Healthcare Professionals 10 credits

NU6047 Clinical Placement: Public Health Nursing 5 credits

NU6054 Maternal and Child Health Nursing 10 credits

SS6000 Public Health, Social Services and Community 5 credits

For admission to the PGD in Public Health Nursing, applicants are required to:



Provide evidence of current registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) or be entitled to do so.



Have a NQF level 8 qualification or demonstrate equivalence using an APEL (Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning) as detailed on application materials.



Have a minimum of 2 years post registration general nursing experience.

OR

Be registered in the General Nursing Division and another Division of the Register, including Registered Midwife (RM), Registered Children’s Nurse (RCN), Registered Nurse Intellectual Disability (RNID) or Registered Psychiatric Nurse (RPN) Divisions of the Register of Nurses and Midwives maintained by the Nursing & Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) or entitled to be so registered; AND have a minimum of 12 months post registration general nursing experience as an RGN, and 12 months post registration experience as an RM or RCN or RNID or RPN.



If English is not the applicants first language, fluency must be demonstrated (IELTS 7 or higher)



Admission to the programme will be subject to a joint HSE/Higher Education Institution (HEI) application process.



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.

1 year full-time.

Start Date August 31 2026