Leadership Innovation & Management for Healthcare

This interdisciplinary programme is taught by faculty from the UCD IRIS Centre for Interdisciplinary Research, Innovation and Health Systems and takes a systems and design thinking approach to develop your capabilities in leadership, strategy, innovation, management, quality and process improvement across a range of healthcare settings.



How will I benefit?

The programme will contribute to your personal and professional development by enabling you to identify, analyse, critique and evaluate the ways in which you and your colleagues currently lead and manage. You will acquire the capacity to locate ways of leading and managing within relevant conceptual frameworks and to situate them in systems, policy, organisational and team contexts.



You will be prepared to be a more responsive, effective and resilient leader and manager who thinks and practices strategically and innovatively to improve patients' and colleagues' experiences of the health system.



You will be equipped with theories, concepts, models, frameworks, tools, techniques and research findings that will enable you to develop a deep appreciation of how the health system works and how you can maximise yours and your colleagues' contribution to it.



The programme aims to:

• enhance awareness of the ways in which you and others practice leadership and management

• develop an appreciation of the contribution of systems and design thinking to your practice

• enable you to acquire and apply knowledge to improve the systems and processes that underpin the delivery of safe, high-quality, responsive, integrated and person-centred care

• enhance your understanding the nature of health policy formulation and implementation nationally and globally

• develop and strengthen your strategic sensing capabilities in order to enhance strategic capacity, engagement and alignment in your organisation

• develop and strengthen your creative, innovative and knowledge management capabilities

• enhance you capacity to develop colleagues leadership and management potential.



NFQ Level: 9 (90 credits)

Level: Graduate Taught

Award: Master of Science

Stage 1 Options - A)3 of:

Year 1 Modules New Entrants

NMHS32280: Improving Process in HS

NMHS42700: Quality, patient safety and outcomes

NMHS43830: Collectiv Lship&Effect Teamwrk



Stage 1 Options - B)3 of:

NOTE: For students who commenced the programme in 23/24 please select NMHS32280, NMHS42700 and NMHS43830. For new students commencing the programme in September 24/25 please select NMHS32280, NMHS42700, NMHS43830 in Year 1 and NMHS44190, NMHS44200, NMHS44210 in Year 2.

NMHS32280: Improving Process in HS

NMHS42700: Quality, patient safety and outcomes

NMHS44190: GlobalHealth Landscape&Ldrship

NMHS44200: Health Systems&Health Policy

NMHS43830: Collectiv Lship&Effect Teamwrk

NMHS44210: Strategy&Innovation in HS



Stage 1 Options - C) Min 1 of:

For the remaining 30 credits students may select either NMHS43400 and NMHS43810 OR NMHS44020

NMHS44020: Evid synthesis & translation

NMHS43400: Managing Process Improvement - Theory and Principles

NMHS43810: Implementing a Process Improvement Project

Entry Requirements

• Applicants will normally hold an NQF Level 8 academic award but consideration will be given to applicants with relevant and appropriate qualifications and experience working in the health system

• Experience in a management and/or leadership role is desirable

• A willingness to explore your own leadership and management practices and their impact on the systems in which you work is essential.



You are welcome to contact the Programme Director, Professor Martin McNamara (martin.mcnamara@ucd.ie) to discuss the programme and its suitability for you before you make your application.



Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

RPL may be granted in respect of individual modules if applicants can demonstrate that the modules' learning outcomes have been achieved through prior credentialled or experiential learning. In some cases, where an applicant does not meet the prerequisites for entry to a programme, an RPL application may be considered.



Entry Requirements

• Applicants will normally hold an NQF Level 8 academic award but consideration will be given to applicants with relevant and appropriate qualifications and experience working in the health system

• Experience in a management and/or leadership role is desirable

• A willingness to explore your own leadership and management practices and their impact on the systems in which you work is essential.



You are welcome to contact the Programme Director, Professor Martin McNamara (martin.mcnamara@ucd.ie) to discuss the programme and its suitability for you before you make your application.



Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

RPL may be granted in respect of individual modules if applicants can demonstrate that the modules' learning outcomes have been achieved through prior credentialled or experiential learning. In some cases, where an applicant does not meet the prerequisites for entry to a programme, an RPL application may be considered.



You may be eligible for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), as UCD recognises formal, informal, and/or experiential learning. RPL may be awarded to gain Admission and/or credit exemptions on a programme.



Please visit the UCD Registry RPL web page (https://tinyurl.com/2ae2ffax) for further information. Any exceptions are also listed on this webpage.

2 Years Part Time

Delivery: Blended

X839: MSc Leadership, Innovation & Management for Healthcare

Master of Science



Part-Time: Commencing September 2025

Graduate Taught

Careers & Employability

The knowledge, understandings and skills acquired throughout the programme will prepare you to make a significant contribution as a leader and manager in a number of areas and at many levels in the health system, including:



Organisational development

Strategy design and implementation

Policy design and implementation

Quality and service improvement

Clinical leadership and management

Innovation

Practice development

Education

Management and administration