Graduate School of Healthcare Management

Report by Eunan Friel, Managing Director, Healthcare Management; Sara McDonnell, Executive Director, Graduate School of Healthcare Management; and Dr Colm Foster, Director of Academic Programmes, Graduate School of Healthcare Management

The Graduate School of Healthcare Management at RCSI delivers Postgraduate education that empowers healthcare professionals with the leadership, management and strategic capabilities necessary to navigate today’s complex healthcare systems. Our programmes bring together professionals from across the health sector, creating a vibrant, interdisciplinary learning environment focused on collaboration and real-world problem-solving.

Designed and delivered by faculty and practicing healthcare leaders, our curriculum blends academic excellence with applied learning. By embedding our programmes within the healthcare system, we ensure that learning translates directly into action– enhancing patient care, organisational effectiveness and system-wide performance. In 2024-2025, we supported over 1,034 students across 39 countries through a growing portfolio of Master’s programmes, Professional Diplomas, Micro-credentials and tailored executive education for healthcare organisations in Ireland and internationally.

This year, we secured significant funding that strengthened our impact:

We were proud to become a signatory to the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME), embedding sustainability, social responsibility and ethical leadership into everything we do. Our faculty also shared their insights at the PRME Global Forum in June.

Our international partnerships expanded further through our leadership role in RCSI’s first Erasmus Mundus project, which involved co-developing a European Master’s in Advanced Social Work with institutions in Portugal, Spain and the UK.

Four academics pose in the Atrium of 123 St Stephen's Green

We showcased our global reach through the Quality and Patient Safety Symposium, which welcomed over 170 participants to explore topics such as artificial intelligence, health equity, quality improvement and sustainable leadership.

In early 2025, we launched a micro-credential on recognising and responding to victims of human trafficking, offering applied, inter-agency training aligned with national policy. We also supported the delivery of a C-level Executive Leadership Programme for Emirati leaders, in partnership with RCSI Online and PureHealth.

Our faculty continue to lead impactful research in areas including quality and safety, integrated care for older persons, doctor retention, just culture and digital social work. This work, published in peer-reviewed journals, enriches the content of our programmes and drives innovation in practice.

Looking ahead, we remain committed to delivering globally relevant, impact-driven education, empowering healthcare professionals to lead with purpose and transform health systems worldwide.