Top

Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland

Healthcare Management

The MSc in Healthcare Management Programme at RCSI Institute of Leadership bridges the gap between theory and practice and allows you to gain core management knowledge and leadership skills that can be applied immediately in your work place.

Is this programme for you?
The MSc in Healthcare Management is a part-time programme designed for all healthcare professionals, both clinical and non-clinical, who wish to develop their management and leadership capabilities. The programme is also relevant for managers in the health technology, pharmaceutical and allied health sectors.

Delivery & Design
The MSc in Healthcare Management programme is designed to facilitate staff working in the health service. The MSc in Healthcare Management is a part-time programme delivered using a combination of classroom contact days supported by online learning and tutorials. The Postgraduate Diploma requires completion of six learning modules each requiring three contact days.

The MSc Degree requires the completion of a dissertation in addition to the six learning modules undertaken in the Postgraduate Diploma and requires eight contact days in year 2. Most participants complete the Postgraduate Diploma in one academic year and the MSc Degree in two academic years.

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

Learning Outcomes

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

Critically discuss the role of the manager in healthcare and how organisations and people work within the healthcare system.

Evaluate and use measurement tools for quality and safety.

Manage across boundaries - and evaluate how high quality services can best be designed, configured and delivered.

Assume a strategic leadership role as an advocate for improved healthcare delivery.

Debate internal and external catalysts for quality and understand the core concepts of quality and safety.

Effectively manage people, finances and organisational resources.

Complete an organisational development project, reflect on the learning gained and evaluate the project from a leadership & healthcare management perspective.

Duration

Most participants complete the Postgraduate Diploma in one academic year and the MSc Degree in two academic years.

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

Further enquiries

Please contact us on 01 402 2378 or leadership@rcsi.ie if you have any further queries.

Subjects taught

Semester 1 (September - December)

Module 1: Managing Organisations and People (10 ECTS)
This module addresses human resources management and provides a thorough understanding of how organisations develop and function and how employees can be supported and motivated to produce their best work and develop themselves.

Module 2: Operations & Quality Management (10 ECTS)
This module provides an understanding of the nature of service provision. It explores how operation management tools can be used to improve patient care through process redesign. Particular empahsis is placed on quality issues, on assessing capacity and demand and on using control charts to understand and control performance.

Module 3: Evaluation, Measurement & Research (10 ECTS)
Modern health services require a complex range of information to support evidence-based practice. In this module, you will learn how to collect, analyse, interpret and present valid and reliable data as a foundation for evidence based practice.

Semester 2: (January - May)

Module 4: Managing Finance in Healthcare Organisations (10 ECTS)
This module introduces the key concepts and tools required by non-financial managers for dealing with the financial aspects of their operations. You will learn about the preparation and interpretation of financial statements and principles of costing.

Module 5: Leadership & Strategic Management (10 ECTS)
Examines different approaches to leadership and helps you determine your preferred leadership style. You will learn how to design and implement strategy using a wide variety of tools to understand the external environment and assess the internal strengths and weaknesses of your organisation.

Module 6: Quality & Risk Management (10 ECTS)
Quality maintenance and improvement is necessary in healthcare given the imperative of maximising patient safety. Here you will explore the concepts of qualilty, safety and risk and examine current best-practice in a variety of healthcare contexts.

Semester 3 & 4
Action Learning Sets & Action Research Project
In order to fulfill the requirements for a MSc degree, you must complete the six modules outlined above and conduct a change management project in your organisation. This component of the programe is facilitated via action learning sets.

The project is assessed on the basis of three components: a project report, a reflective diary and a poster presentation. You will be assisted in carrying out your project and in writing your report through action learning sets, which are designed to help you and your colleagues work on real management issues.

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.