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Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland

Leadership

Healthcare organisations are among the most complex in today's society. As a new era for healthcare emerges, healthcare leaders will need to manage increased risk, uncertainty, ambiguity and effectively manage and implement change, which requires effective leadership style and qualities.

The MSc in Leadership is designed to develop tomorrow's leaders today by significantly developing leadership competencies, management skills and the ability to be innovative in an uncertain healthcare environment that has limited resources, increased demands and significant budget restrictions.

Learning Outcomes

This programme will provide you with the skills and knowledge to:

•Develop the personal and professional capacity to lead in healthcare organisations.

•Critically appraise modern leadership theory and practice, and develop the ability to apply leadership approaches that are at the forefront of informed best practice in healthcare.

•Analyse and synthesise complex management and leadership problems and deploy a range of people management skills, particularly in relation to the management of multi-disciplinary and trans-disciplinary teams.

•Examine the role of health economics, quality improvement, financial management, human resources management and the principles of governance in leading effective innovative services.

•Demonstrate the ability to challenge assumptions and question processes, policies and procedures in healthcare, at individual and organisational levels.

•Develop as a reflective practitioner with the skills, insight, confidence and awareness necessary to identify and implement evidence-based innovative management and leadership practices.

•Develop a strategic mindset, understand the theoretical underpinnings of strategic leadership and demonstrate the capacity to deploy a range of strategic methodologies.

•Recognise the importance of leadership and innovation and develop the capacity to effectively manage and lead in a diverse healthcare setting.

Entry requirements

All applicants should hold a primary degree and be working in the healthcare sector.

For applicants who don't hold a primary degree, there is a recognition of prior learning (RPL) pathway outlined below.

Recognition of prior learning

The RCSI regulations for RPL provide a process and framework for validating and placing a value on prior learning for the purpose of:

A. Admission

B. Exemption

C. Advanced entry/transfer between programmes

The EU Council (2012) defines validation as a process of confirmation by an authorised body that an individual has acquired learning outcomes measured against a relevant standard which consists of four distinct phases:

1.Identification – dialogue of particular experiences of an individual

2.Documentation – making visible the individuals experiences

3.Assessment – formal assessment of these experiences

4.Certification – the results of the assessment

These regulations are intended for use by the RCSI staff and faculty involved in admissions processes relating to applicants seeking assessment of their prior learning for the purposes of admission, exemption or advanced entry/transfer between programmes and to provide clarity and direction for candidates during their application process.

Duration

2 years part-time

Below is the provisional timetable for the academic year 2019/2020:

Semester 1 Date
Orientation Day 26-27 August 2019
Module 1: Developing and Demonstrating Personal Leadership Qualities 18-20 September 2019
Module 2: Working with Others and Leading Others 30-1 October/November 2019
Module 3: Leading and Managing Services 11-13 December 2019

Semester 2 Date
Module 4: Leading Innovation and Change 22-24 January 2020 Module 5: Strategic Planning and Implementation 4-6 March 2020 Exam Day 3 April 2020
Module 6: Developing a Future Orientated Mindset for Future Professionals 22-24 April 2020

Semester 3 and 4 Date
Module 7: Research Methods and Methodology Research Project: Leading an Innovation or Change Project 2020/2021

Subjects taught

Delivery and design

The MSc in Leadership is delivered over two years. Participants attend sessions between September and May each year.

Year 1 comprises of six modules with three days in-class attendance for each module.

Year 2 comprises of three days in-class attendance for Research Methods and Methodology module (10 ECTS) and a Research Project (20 ECTS) that is guided by one-to-one meetings with an assigned academic supervisor.

You will also be invited to attend a number of seminars throughout the year.

Given the time constraints on participants, the programmes are flexible and can be completed over a five-year period.

Semester 1

Module 1: Developing and Demonstrating Personal Leadership Qualities (10 ECTS)

The aim of this module is to provide you with a knowledge and understanding of how to develop your leadership competencies and capabilities through lectures, guest speakers, seminars, readings and assignments. In this module you will develop and demonstrate personal leadership qualities; learn how to effectively manage yourself in order to understand how you can influence and persuade your team and those around you, and understand how your actions influence your ability to get things done.

Module 2: Working with and Leading Others (10 ECTS)

In this module you will develop an understanding of leading teams and how to ensure effectiveness and build rapport among team members. This learning will contribute to the advancement of your skills and knowledge in building and developing effective work teams that are motivated and can achieve excellence in performance.

Module 3: Leading and Managing Services (10 ECTS)

This module will provide you with an understanding of the nature of service and the factors that contribute to excellence in leading and managing services in healthcare. You will develop an understanding of the healthcare structures and your competing demands, the development of a culture of service excellence, the various activities involved in the analysis, formulation and implementation of strategic initiatives.

Semester 2

Module 4: Leading Innovation & Change (10 ECTS)

This module focuses on the models of change, recognising the key triggers of change, how to effectively lead and implement change and innovation in healthcare and overcome resistance to change. This learning will assist in the advancement of your skills and knowledge in understanding the need for change and the most effective strategies for the successful implementation of change and innovation.

Module 5: Strategic Planning and Implementation (10 ECTS)

This module will introduce you to the current strategies, practices and a selection of best practice frameworks, tools and techniques for strategic planning and implementation in healthcare. You will develop an in-depth understanding of the various activities involved in the analysis, formulation and implementation of strategic initiatives.

Module 6: Developing a Future-Oriented Mindset (10 ECTS)

This module will provide you with competencies in the role of leadership in healthcare by developing a future-oriented mindset that advance tomorrow's leadership skills and qualities today. In this module you will develop skills to lead and develop creative and collaborative working environments in a complex healthcare system.

Semester 3 and 4

Module 7: Research Methods and Methodology (10 ECTS)

This module will provide you with an in-depth knowledge of the principles of good research and recognition of the range of tools and concepts that are necessary in healthcare research. You will gain the knowledge and skills to understand and use a range of methods and decide on appropriate research designs and methods to investigate your chosen research problems in innovation or change in healthcare.

Research Project
Leading and Innovation or Change Project and Action Learning Sets In order to fulfil the requirements for a MSc degree, you must complete the seven modules outlined above and conduct a research project in your organisation.

The project is assessed on the basis of three components: a project report, a project proposal and a poster or defence presentation.

Participants on our MSc programmes in the past have produced considerable developments in their organisations and many projects have resulted in significant improvements, substantial cost savings and publications in management journals.

Assessment method

Your learning on each module is assessed by one of a number of methods: examination, individual assignment or team assignment and case studies.

Course fee

EU applicants
•Year 1: €8,000
•Year 2: €4,500

Non-EU applicants
•Year 1: €16,000
•Year 2: €9,000

You can complete three modules to receive a postgraduate certificate (total fee: €4,150) or you can exit with a postgraduate diploma upon completion of six modules (total fee: €8,300). A stand-alone module option can also be made available (total fee: €1,395) depending on class numbers.

Please note
•The tuition includes all resources, including core textbooks, access to our award-winning online learning portal and access to extensive RCSI-only databases.

•The tuition fee is also inclusive of an NUI fee.

•Fees are payable via instalments or in one lump sum.

•All fees must be paid in full at the beginning of each semester.

•Students with outstanding fees will not be entitled to receive their grades.

•Students with outstanding fees will have VLE and library privileges withdrawn.

•Students with outstanding fees at the end of Year 1 will not have grades brought forward to the Exam Board and will not progress to Year 2.

•Students with outstanding fees at the end of Year 2 will not have their grades brought forward to the exam board and will not graduate.

•We ask that students who are being sponsored or funded by their employer forward us on a funding confirmation letter. This can be sent to leadership@rcsi.ie.

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