MA (Health Promotion) And Postgraduate Diploma

Course details

Established in 1990, the Discipline of Health Promotion is the only one of its kind in the Republic of Ireland and is the national centre for professional training and education in Health Promotion. The Masters programme is based on the European Masters in Health Promotion core curriculum and offers students the opportunity of pursuing European-based study as an optional module.

HEALTH PROMOTION RESEARCH CENTRE

Attached to the Discipline is the Health Promotion Research Centre which has an active multidisciplinary research programme in place. A range of teaching and assessment methods are used, including interactive lectures, work placements, small group teaching, skills development, and contributions from practitioners in the field.

AIM

The programme aims to provide students with professional education and training in the core competencies for effective health promotion practice, including the following:

• Theoretical background to the concepts and principles of health promotion.
• Determinants of physical, mental and social well-being.
• Application of health promotion interventions across perse population groups, topics and settings.
• Critical role of the research process in the development of knowledge and best practice in health promotion.

Lecturing staff are involved in research and the Health Promotion Research Centre which is within the disciline of Health Promotion, and is a World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre. Together with workplace experience, students have the opportunity to engage with international health promotion research projects, including the development of evidence-based policy and practice.

Key facts

Entry requirements

Applications are considered from candidates with a primary degree from cognate disciplines.

• MA: Eligibililty for the MA programme is generally an honours primary degree (H2.2), or equivalent international qualification.
• PDip: applicants must have a primary degree at pass level or higher (or equivalent international qualification). The course team evaluates academic record, relevant experience, and motivation for all eligible applicants.

Course outline

The MA course is a taught programme with students having to complete four core modules and four optional modules, together with a minor dissertation based on original research which must be submitted not less than four months from completion of the taught course. The course is taught in NUI Galway full-time over one year or part-time over two years. MA students must complete the taught programme to second class honours standard (i.e., average 60%) before proceeding to complete the dissertation element.

The postgraduate diploma course is a taught programme with students having to complete four core modules and four optional modules. The course is taught in NUI Galway full time over one year or part-time over two years.

The MA/PDip programme is based on the European Masters in Health Promotion core curriculum and offers students the opportunity of pursuing European based study as an optional module. The PDip offers a taught programme, delivered over two seminars to full-time students and over four semesters to part-time students. The MA incorporates the taught component of the PDip together with a minor dissertation based on original research. The taught modular programme comprises four core and six optional modules. Students must complete eight modules in total, four core and four optional. The European Dimension option entails a two-week placement in another EU member state.

Modules include:

• Foundation of Health Promotion
• Research Methods
• Health Promotion Practice
• Determinants of Health
• Promoting Healthy Behaviours
• Promoting Mental Health and Social Well being
• Re-orienting Health Services
• Supportive Environments for Health
• European Dimension of Health Promotion
• Evaluation of Health Promotion Programmes

Requirements and assessment

Assessment is by means of written examination, continuous assessment and an oral examination. MA students must complete the taught programme to Second Class Honours standard (60% minimum) in order to proceed to the dissertation component.