Program Overview

Overview of the Palliative Care Program

The Palliative Care program at Trinity College Dublin is an interdisciplinary course designed to facilitate students in developing a comprehensive academic and evidence-based approach to their practice. The program critically explores palliative care service provision and is run in partnership with St. Francis Hospice, Dublin, with input from Trinity's School of Nursing and Midwifery.

Course Details

• Awards: NFQ Level 9
• Next Intake: September 2025
• Course Coordinator: Ms. Zara Fay
• Closing Date: 30th June 2025

Admission Requirements

Applicants must hold an Honours undergraduate degree in a Health or related subject area. In exceptional circumstances, candidates without this qualification may still be accepted to the program if they can satisfy the selection panel that they have the ability to complete and benefit from the course. Candidates must have a minimum of one year's experience in delivering a palliative care approach within practice within the last two years and, for the duration of the course, be employed in an area where the principles of palliative care are operationalized when caring for individuals with life-threatening illness and their families.

English Language Requirements

All applicants to Trinity are required to provide official evidence of proficiency in the English language. Applicants to this course are required to meet Band B (Standard Entry) English language requirements.

Course Structure

The course structure in year one differs for the P.Grad Cert and the P.Grad Dip.

• Year One: Starts with a full week of studying in September and continues thereafter one or two days per week for the remainder of the academic year.
  • P.Grad.Cert: The postgraduate certificate in palliative care consists of three core palliative care modules which are delivered weekly online.
  • P.Grad.Dip: The Post Graduate Diploma in palliative care consists of the above three core palliative care modules which are delivered weekly online. There are three further modules which include an elective, these are delivered in person in Trinity College Dublin.
• Year Two: Consists of workshops throughout the academic year; carrying out research and the writing of a dissertation.

Course Content

• P.Grad.Cert. students: Take three specialist modules online: Palliative Care: Concepts, Philosophy and Debates; Palliative Approaches to Pain and Symptom Management: Psychosocial, Spiritual, and Therapeutic Issues in Palliative Care.
• P.Grad.Dip. students: Take a further two core modules: Theory and Practice of Enquiry Methods for Healthcare; and Leadership, Quality Improvement and Governance; and a choice between one of the two following modules: Clinical Practicum Palliative Care; and Ethics and Law in Healthcare.
• M.Sc. candidates: Take all P.Grad.Dip. modules in one year. In Year Two, Masters students must complete a research dissertation.

Career Opportunities

This course can enhance students’ knowledge and skills in palliative care and advance graduates’ career prospects both in terms of promotion eligibility and postgraduate training.

Fees

For a full list of postgraduate fees, please refer to the relevant section of the university's website.

Related Courses

• Ageing Health & Wellbeing in Intellectual Disability (M.Sc.)
• Dementia (M.Sc. / P.Grad.Dip.)
• Mental Health (M.Sc. / P.Grad.Dip.)
• Mental Health Psychosocial Interventions (P.Grad.Cert.)