The MA in Health and Society is a full-time programme running for 12 months or part-time over 24 months from the date of first registration for the programme.

For the December 2020 intake the MA will run for one calendar year (starting December 2020 and finishing in December 2021).

Applicants should hold a 2H2 degree (or equivalent) in either the disciplines of Philosophy, Public Health, Sociology, Social Science, Geography, Government, Politics, Law, Medicine, Nursing and other health professional programmes. Candidates who hold less than a 2H2 level may also be considered, following a review of their individual qualifications and experience and based on the information provided in a supplementary statement and/or interview acceptable to the Department selection committee. Admission of such applicants will be subject to the approval of the College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences.

Exemptions at point of entry:
Holders of the BSc in Public Health or the BSc in Public Health and Health Promotion will be exempt from EH6025 Principles and Practice of Public Health if he/she undertakes the MA in Health and Society within five years from the date of successful completion of either of the above mentioned degrees. Learning outcomes for EH6025 have been covered in the following BSc modules; currently EH1005, EH2005, EH4007, EH4005, SS4000 and GV4000.

September 2020 intake:

Students take 90 credits as follows:

Core modules (60 credits)
EH6025 Principles and Practice of Public Health (10 credits)
PH6047 Philosophy and Health (10 credits)
SS6019 Critical Public Health (10 credits)

Students select one of the following research modules:
PH6050 Dissertation in Philosophy and Health (30 credits)
PH6059 Work-Based Dissertation in Philosophy and Health (30 credits)
EH6040 Dissertation in Public Health and Epidemiology (30 credits)

Elective Modules
Students select 30 credits from the following postgraduate and undergraduate modules (max. 10 credits for undergraduate modules are allowed):

Postgraduate Modules
AP6129 Health Psychology (5 credits)
EH6026 Applied Research for Public Health (10 credits)
LW6546 Juvenile Justice (10 credits)
LW6549 International Children's Rights (10 credits)
LW6592 Mental Capacity Law (5 credits)
PH6012 Human Rights 1 (10 credits)
PH6048 The Philosophy of Death and Dying (10 credits)
PH6052 Advanced Moral Psychology (10 credits)
PH6053 Professional Ethics: Advanced (10 credits)
PH6054 Measuring Society: Growth, Poverty, Inequality, and Human Capital (10 credits)
PH6057 Philosophy and the Biological Health Sciences (10 credits)

Undergraduate Modules
Student may select a maximum of 10 credits from the following undergraduate modules:
AP3115 Health Psychology: Models and Applications (5 credits)
EH4005 Health Services (5 credits)
PH2002 Reasoning and Argument (5 credits)
PH2019 Philosophy of Science (5 credits)
PH2028 Applied Ethics (5 credits)
PH3046 Philosophy of Biology (5 credits)
PH3047 Evidence (5 credits)
SC1011 Sociology of Health, Public Health and Health Promotion (5 credits)
SC3025 Health and Scientific Deviance (5 credits)
SS3016 Social Perspectives in Mental Health (5 credits)
SS3024 Social Movements and Health (5 credits)
SS4000 Science, Technology and Public Controversy (5 credits)

Postgraduate Certificate in Health and Society (NFQ Level 9, Minor Award)
Students who pass taught modules to the value of at least 30 credits (but less than 60 credits) may exit the programme and be conferred with a Postgraduate Certificate in Health and Society.

Postgraduate Diploma in Health and Society (NFQ Level 9, Major Award)
Students who pass taught modules to the value of 60 credits may exit the programme and be conferred with a Postgraduate Diploma in Health and Society.

December 2020 intake:

Students take 90 credits in total (30 credits of core modules; 30 credits of research modules and 30 credits of elective modules). The specific requirements are listed under each Part below.

Part A

Students take 20 credits of core modules:

EH6025 Principles and Practice of Public Health (10 credits) Semester 2 (Dec 2020 - Mar 2021, pre-recorded lectures)
SS6019 Critical Public Health (10 credits) Semester 2 (Jan - Apr 2021)

plus students may choose to take elective modules subject to a maximum of 20 credits.

Elective modules:
Students who choose electives offered in Semester 2 must register for these under Part A of the programme. A maximum of 10 credits of undergraduate modules is allowed in total, not in each Part. Students are strongly recommended to take EH6026 (Semester 1) in Part A if they wish to take EH6040 in Part B. EH6026 is an online module and students are expected to bring themselves up to speed on the module.

EH6026 Applied Research for Public Health (10 credits) Semester 2 (Dec 2020 - Mar 2021, pre-recorded lectures)

Semester 2 elective modules are listed below:

Postgraduate Modules
LW6549 International Children's Rights (10 credits) Semester 2 (Jan - Apr 2021)
LW6592 Mental Capacity Law (5 credits) Semester 2 (Jan - Apr 2021)
PH6012 Human Rights 1 (10 credits) Semester 2 (Jan - Apr 2021)
PH6048 The Philosophy of Death and Dying (10 credits) Semester 2 (Jan - Apr 2021)
PH6052 Advanced Moral Psychology (10 credits) Semester 2 (Jan - Apr 2021)
PH6057 Philosophy and the Biological Health Sciences (10 credits) Semester 2 (Jan - Apr 2021)

Undergraduate Modules
Student may select a maximum of 10 credits from the following undergraduate modules in total, not in each Part:
EH4005 Health Services (5 credits) Semester 2 (Jan - Apr 2021)
PH2019 Philosophy of Science (5 credits) Semester 2 (Jan - Apr 2021)
PH2028 Applied Ethics (5 credits) Semester 2 (Jan - Apr 2021)
SC1011 Sociology of Health, Public Health and Health Promotion (5 credits) Semester 2 (Jan - Apr 2021)
SS3016 Social Perspectives in Mental Health (5 credits) Semester 2 (Jan - Apr 2021)

Part B

Students select one of the following research modules to the value of 30 credits:
PH6050 Dissertation in Philosophy and Health (30 credits) Semester 3 (May - Sept 2021)
PH6059 Work-Based Dissertation in Philosophy and Health (30 credits) Semester 2 and 3 (Apr - Sept 2021)
EH6040 Dissertation in Public Health and Epidemiology (30 credits)* Semester 3 (May - Sept 2021)

* Students are strongly recommended to take EH6026 (Semester 1) in Part A if they wish to take EH6040 in Part B.

Part C

PH6047 Philosophy and Health (10 credits) Semester 1 (Sept - Dec 2021)

plus the balance of electives (a total of 30 credits), if required. When choosing elective modules in Part C students should only choose those modules offered in Semester 1.

Elective modules:

Semester 1 modules are listed below:

Postgraduate Modules
AP6129 Health Psychology (5 credits) Semester 1 (Sept - Dec 2021)
LW6546 Juvenile Justice (10 credits) Semester 1 (Sept - Dec 2021)
PH6053 Professional Ethics: Advanced (10 credits) Semester 1 (Sept - Dec 2021)
PH6054 Measuring Society: Growth, Poverty, Inequality, and Human Capital (10 credits) Semester 1 (Sept - Dec 2021)

Undergraduate Modules
Student may select a maximum of 10 credits from the following undergraduate modules in total, not in each Part:
AP3115 Health Psychology: Models and Applications (5 credits) Semester 1 (Sept - Dec 2021)
PH3046 Philosophy of Biology (5 credits) Semester 1 (Sept - Dec 2021)
PH3047 Evidence (5 credits) Semester 1 (Sept - Dec 2021)
SC3025 Health and Scientific Deviance (5 credits) Semester 1 (Sept - Dec 2021)
SS3024 Social Movements and Health (5 credits) Semester 1 (Sept - Dec 2021)
SS4000 Science, Technology and Public Controversy (5 credits) Semester 1 (Sept - Dec 2021)

Postgraduate Certificate in Health and Society (NFQ Level 9, Minor Award)
Students who pass taught modules to the value of at least 30 credits (but less than 60 credits) may exit the programme and be conferred with a Postgraduate Certificate in Health and Society.

Postgraduate Diploma in Health and Society (NFQ Level 9, Major Award)
Students who pass taught modules to the value of 60 credits may exit the programme and be conferred with a Postgraduate Diploma in Health and Society.

Module Semester Information may be found here. Module descriptions may be found here.

Examinations
Full details and regulations governing Examinations for each programme will be contained in the Marks and Standards 2020/2021 Book and for each module in the Book of Modules, 2020/2021.

Programme Learning Outcomes for MA in Health and Society (NFQ Level 9, Major Award)
On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

• Identify major sociological and philosophical theories and paradigms and define key concepts and ideas in the field of health and illness;
• Identify and discuss philosophical and psychological factors which contribute to health and well-being;
• Describe and critically evaluate the major determinants of the health of population, including biological, behavioural, social, economic, political and environmental factors;
• Demonstrate ability to design and conduct original research at the interface of health and society;
• Demonstrate ability to work independently, according to internationally approved standards of research, on an extended piece of written work.
• Engage in systematic study of primary and secondary source material, articulate a thesis based on a synthesis of the research material, and deliver a dissertation that reflects the student's mature consideration of the research topic.
• Demonstrate critical awareness of the nature and limitations of the scientific method;
• Critically examine public health (including health services) particularly in respect of health equity, access to health care and Public Health Ethics;
• Demonstrate the following cognitive competencies: Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis, Evaluation;
• Apply the concepts of logical validity and soundness.

Programme Learning Outcomes for Postgraduate Diploma in Health and Society (NFQ Level 9, Major Award)
On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

• Identify major sociological and philosophical theories and paradigms and define key concepts and ideas in the field of health and illness;
  Identify and discuss philosophical and psychological factors which contribute to health and well-being;
• Describe and critically evaluate the major determinants of the health of population, including biological, behavioural, social, economic, political and environmental factors;
• Demonstrate critical awareness of the nature and limitations of the scientific method;
• Critically examine public health (including health services) particularly in respect of health equity, access to health care and Public Health Ethics;
• Demonstrate the following cognitive competencies: Knowledge; Comprehension; Application; Analysis; Synthesis; Evaluation;
  Apply the concepts of logical validity and soundness.

Programme Learning Outcomes for Postgraduate Certificate in Health and Society (NFQ Level 9, Minor Award)
On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

• Demonstrate some familiarity with major sociological and philosophical theories and paradigms and define key concepts and ideas in the field of health and illness;
• Recognize the major determinants of the health of population, including biological, behavioural, social, economic, political and environmental factors;
• Interact and communicate with other students in an inter-disciplinary setting;
• Write short critical essays to a professional standard;
• Demonstrate critical awareness of the nature and limitations of the scientific method;
• Critically examine public health (including health services) particularly in respect of health equity, access to health care and Public Health Ethics.