Palliative & End of Life Care - Mayo

This programme is tailored for students from a range of professional disciplines to further develop competencies in the field of palliative and end of life care at a advanced level. Students on the Masters programme undertake an applied research project. This programme also offers standalone modules; this gives students the opportunity to study a module of particular interest without undertaking the full programme.



Who should apply?

This is programme designed for professionals working in areas that cater for people in palliative and/or end of life care. This includes doctors, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, counsellors, social workers, nurses, psychologists, managers and healthcare assistants.

What will I study?

Postgraduate Certificate:

Principles of Palliative and End of Life Care

Psychosocial, Ethical and Spiritual Care

Effective Symptom Management in Life Limiting Conditions (E)

Reflective Practice (E)

End of Life Care for the Person with Dementia (E)



Postgraduate Diploma:

Applied Research

Bereavement and Loss

Clinical Practice Placement (for nurses),

Creative Arts in Palliative Care (E)



(E) = Elective Module.

Applicants require an Honours Degree (H2.2) in any health or social care discipline or recognised cognate professional qualification and a minimum of one year’s experience in delivering a palliative care approach within practice within the last two years. Applicants must be employed for the duration of the course in an area where the principles of palliative care are operationalized. For full details on the Entry Requirements for this programme please see the course webpage.



Recognition of Prior Learning: Yes.

Flexible learning courses are popular, and they fill on a first come, first served basis. There are two major intake periods throughout the academic year, September and January.



For January start courses, applications typically open in October, and for September start courses, applications typically open in February. Closing dates for applications are listed on the individual course webpage.

1 year part-time, blended delivery.



Study Hours

Students can expect to allow for 6 hours of study per week.



On-Campus Attendance

Attendance is required at the Mayo Campus for workshops over 1.5 days, 4 times in Semester 1 and 4 times in Semester 2. Year 2 is fully online research supervision.

Progression Pathways

Many of our Masters programmes are structured in a way that includes recognised entry and exit awards. This means that you can apply for part of Masters first and learn at your own pace or if you are unable to complete the full programme, you can still gain a recognised qualification. Our entry and exit awards typically include Postgraduate Certificate award and a Postgraduate Diploma award.