Healthcare Management - Quality & Safety in Healthcare Management

Enhance your career with the MSc in Quality and Safety in Healthcare Management from RCSI Graduate School of Healthcare Management.



This programme is designed to advance your management skills, supporting you to lead change projects addressing critical areas in healthcare settings. You'll explore the use of quality improvement tools and interventions specific to quality, safety and risk in the healthcare sector, and consider evidence-based solutions. Develop a critical understanding of safety culture, driven by learning and accountability.



After completion of the programme, you will be able to recognise the importance of organisational resilience, critical reflection and facilitated discussion and develop an awareness of the relationships between human factors, staff well-being and patient safety in the design, implementation and monitoring of quality and safety initiatives in all health services.



You will learn with a combination of self-paced online content and interactive live sessions. This is a two-year online degree programme delivered part-time.



This course is a Level 9 award on the Irish National Framework of Qualifications



Suitable for

This programme is suitable for clinicians, interdisciplinary health and social care professionals, healthcare managers, administrators, and those in the wider healthcare sector aiming to develop their expertise in driving a high standard of quality and safety in healthcare.

What you will learn



Module 1

Introduction to Quality and Safety in Healthcare

Explore quality and safety concepts, paradigms, and dimensions, applying learning from errors and successful care



Module 2

Tools and Frameworks for Quality

Develop team skills, use quality tools, and apply measurement techniques to enhance person-centred care



Module 3

Leadership and Strategic Management

Discover leadership styles, design strategies, and apply case-based learning to real-world settings



Module 4

Accreditation and Standards

Examine accreditation models, national and international standards, and enhance communication skills



Module 5

Clinical Governance

Learn to implement quality services using governance, risk management, and incident reporting techniques



Module 6

Evaluation Measurement and Research

Gather, analyse, and present data for improvement, accountability, and research in quality and safety



Capstone Project

Lead an organisational change project, producing significant improvements and cost savings in your setting

To be eligible for the programme you must:



Hold a bachelor degree. If you don’t hold a bachelor degree, please see the recognition of prior learning pathway outlined below.



Be working in the healthcare industry.



Meet the English language requirements (unless exempt): Opens in new windowIELTS score of 6.5, Duolingo 105-110, or equivalent score on another standardised test. Please see below for list of exemptions.



Recognition of prior learning (RPL)

If you do not meet the minimum academic requirements above, you may still be eligible to apply through recognition of prior learning (RPL). RPL is the assessment of knowledge, skills and competence previously acquired.



Learning occurs in many contexts which include work, involvement in social and community activities, or learning through life experience generally. RPL does not give credit for experience as such; rather it considers the learning that was acquired as a result of the experience.



RPL may be used to gain:



Admission to courses/programmes where a person may not have obtained the standard entry requirements.

Exemptions from course modules which duplicate the learning outcomes an individual has already demonstrably acquired through prior learning.



English language requirement exceptions



Exemptions may apply:



If you have completed your school or undergraduate studies (three or more years) through English in a country where English is the majority native language.



If you have completed your school or undergraduate studies (three or more years) in an English speaking institution in a country where English is not the majority native. language and where an Opens in new windowIELTS score of 5 or more was a requirement for admissions to the programme.



If you have been working in a country (three years or more) where English is the majority native language or for an employer where English language is the official language.



If you are a graduates of an RCSI undergraduate, masters or professional diploma programme in Dublin and Bahrain.



Please note: Certified proof must be uploaded as part of your application.

2 years



Mode of delivery

Online - Part-time

Next start date September 2025