RCSI, in association with the Irish Hospice Foundation, run two accredited Level 9 MSc programmes focusing on loss and bereavement: MSc in Loss & Bereavement and MSc in Loss & Bereavement (Counselling).
These programmes aim to equip practitioners and managers to promote and provide a range of appropriate supports in their communities, workplaces and professional practices, with a focus on impacting health, social and community systems and ultimately, enhancing the quality of life.
Both programmes are rooted in contemporary scientific research and designed against a policy and professional regulation backdrop.
Applications for the MSc Loss & Bereavement are invited from representatives of a wide range of professional disciplines whose work or volunteering roles involve the provision or organisation of bereavement support in the community, health or other areas.
Learning Outcomes
Year 1
In Year 1, this programme will provide you with the skills and knowledge to:
• Critically debate and contribute to theoretical understanding and knowledge about loss and grief across the life-cycle and grief support structures relating to health, community and work organisations and in the voluntary sector.
• Evaluate different contemporary perspectives on death, dying and loss in society – including social history, cultural issues, cause and circumstance of death, death education, loss through the life cycle, family bereavement, cultural issues, gender issues, research and ethical issues.
• Critically appraise, apply and design bereavement research, audit and evaluation.
• Critique, select and utilise support and counselling skills in the context of loss and grief
• Analyse the organisation of bereavement support and formulate strategic and systematic developments in bereavement care in different settings.
• Design models for self-care and staff support in environments where people are consistently working with, or meeting, death and bereavement.
• Manage and evaluate changes in work practices relative to an area of bereavement care.
• Reflect on personal development and growth through the educational experience.
• Display an integrated value and evidence-based approach to the support of bereaved people.
• Design, implement and analyse an evidence-driven, ethical action research/change management proposal with respect to an aspect of bereavement care.
Year 2
In Year 2, we aim to engender and demonstrate the following learning outcomes:
•Design an evidence-driven, ethical action research/change management proposal with respect to an aspect of bereavement care.
•Implement an action research/change project, analysing process
and outcome changes in bereavement care.
•Demonstrate project management skills.
•Demonstrate presentation skills.
• Act as a leader in developing bereavement care.