MA Health and Society

at University College Cork

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. The part-time option is taught during weekday working hours over 2 years. In total you choose 90 credits comprising core modules and modules from your chosen pathway: Philosophy, Public Health or Economics:
 

Core Modules

• EH6025 Principles and Practice of Public Health (10 credits)
• PH6047 Philosophy and Health (10 credits)
• EC6049 Healthcare Economics (10 credits)
   

Mandatory Pathway Modules (10 credits)
 

Philosophy Pathway

• Students with a background in philosophy: PH6053 Professional Ethics: Advanced (10 credits) or PH6054 Measuring Society: Growth, Poverty, Inequality, and Human Capital (10 credits) or PH6057 Philosophy and the Biological Health Sciences (10 credits)
• Students with no background in philosophy: PH2002 Reasoning and Argument (5 credits) and PH2019 Philosophy of Science (5 credits) or PH2028 Applied Ethics (5 credits)
   

Public Health Pathway

• EH6026 Applied Research for Public Health (10 credits)
   

Economics Pathway

• Students with a background in econometrics: EC2100 Microeconomics: Behaviour and Organisations (5 credits) and EC6062 Applied Econometrics (5 credits)
• Students with no background in econometrics: EC2100 Microeconomics: Behaviour and Organisations (5 credits) and EC3143 Quantitative Methods for Economic Investigation: Empirical Econometrics (5 credits)
   

Elective Modules: Select 20 credits from the following postgraduate and undergraduate modules (max. 10 credits for undergraduate modules are allowed, including the mandatory pathway modules).
 

Postgraduate

• 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 I (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)
• SS6019 Critical Public Health (10 credits)
• EC6073 Economic Decision Making in Healthcare (5 credits)
• EC6619 Scenario Planning for Strategic Decision Making (5 credits)
   

Undergraduate

• AP3126 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)
• EC3157 Public Finance Projects (5 credits)
• EC2018 Economics Journey Through Life Decisions (5 credits) 
   

Dissertation Modules (30 credits)

• Philosophy Pathway: PH6050 Dissertation in Philosophy and Health (30 credits) or  PH6059 Work-Based Dissertation in Philosophy and Health (30 credits)
• Public Health Pathway: EH6040 Dissertation in Public Health and Epidemiology (30 credits)
• Economics Pathway: EC6074 Dissertation in Economics and Health (30 credits)

 

Applicants must hold a Second Class Honours Grade I in a primary honours degree (NFQ Level 8) in either the disciplines of Philosophy, Public Health,  Economics, Sociology, Social Science, Geography, Government, Politics, Law, Medicine, Nursing and other health professional programmes.
 

Candidates who hold less than a Second Class Honours Grade I may also be considered under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), 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.
 

Minimum Requirements and Accepted English Language Tests & Examinations The minimum English language entry requirements for admission onto a postgraduate programme at UCC are outlined below. These requirements are for postgraduate applicants whose first language is not English. If Gaeilge (Irish) is your first language these requirements do not apply to you.There are a small number of programmes with a higher minimum English language entry requirement and we list these below under Programmes with a Higher Minimum English Language Requirement.IELTS*  
 

• 6.5 Overall
• 6.0 Individual Skills (academic version)
   

TOEFL iBT  

• 90 Overall
• Listening 20
• Reading 19
• Speaking 21
• Writing 20

The EU fee for this course is €6,130; €3,130 (Year 1 part-time); €3,130 (Year 2 part-time).
 

The Non-EU fee for this course is €16,400.
 

Deposits

If your course required a deposit, that figure will be deducted from your second semester fee payment in January.
 

EU student fee payment

Fees for EU students are payable in two equal instalments. First payment at registration in August and the second in January.
 

International student fee payment

International Students can pay in two equal instalments once they have paid the appropriate deposit. The initial payment is due on registration and the balance usually by the end of January.

Students will acquire a variety of analytical skills, which will allow them to analyse health from many different perspectives. By the end of the course, students will be expected to demonstrate in-depth expertise in relation to epidemiological, economic, and philosophical factors which contribute to health and well-being.
 

Our MA will enhance opportunities for you to work in the health sector, at all levels. The MA in Health & Society will potentially educate future decision-makers in health policy, managerial staff working in the health sector, journalists who report on health policies, advocates for people and populations with special health vulnerabilities, and others. Careers in the private sector, especially pharmaceutical companies, is another route that our graduates can take. This MA will also open research opportunities in public health, health economics, and the medical humanities.