Welcome to RCSI

Welcome to your RCSI student journey with the Centre for Positive Health Sciences

We are delighted to welcome you to the Masters in Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) Well-being and Health at RCSI. This pioneering programme is dedicated to delving deeply into the knowledge and skills on well-being, positive psychology, and positive health to improve your own and other people’s health and well-being. It is ideal for any practitioner working in healthcare, education, consultancy, pharma, management, coaching and any workplace. It is fully online with an array of pre-recorded lectures and a recommended weekly online webinar which will be delivered at times suitable for European, North American, and Asia-Pacific students.

This page contains essential information to help you get started. Please read it carefully and bookmark it for future reference.

Orientation module (September 2025)

Our IT department will issue your new RCSI credentials, including:
• Your student number
• Your RCSI email address
• A secure password

Once your course begins, all official communications (e.g. updates, webinars, events) will be sent to your RCSI email account. Please check it regularly. You will be invited to attend an online orientation session designed to introduce you to RCSI and guide you through everything you need to know to successfully engage with your modules and the overall programme.

During this session, you’ll learn who to contact for support, what to expect throughout your academic journey, and how to navigate key systems and resources. Our dedicated online education team are experts in supporting students in virtual learning environments. They are here to help you make the most of your educational experience, whether it’s gaining new knowledge, developing practical skills, or connecting with classmates from around the world who will be part of your learning journey.

Following your initial RCSI orientation, you will be invited to a dedicated programme induction, led by Professor Jolanta Burke, the Programme Leader. During this session, Prof. Burke will introduce the vision behind the MAPP programme and explain how each module contributes to a deeper understanding of both the science of the mind and the body within positive psychology.

You’ll also meet the passionate faculty who will guide your learning journey, as well as hear about our guest speakers, leading voices in the field, who will enrich your experience with insights from their novel research and real-world applications.

Importantly, Prof. Burke will walk you through the programme’s practical assessments, which are uniquely designed for this master’s degree. These assessments go beyond theory and long assignments. Instead, they offer you the tools to apply positive psychology in meaningful ways, whether in your personal life, your workplace, or within your community.

Before the start of each module, you will attend a module-specific orientation, led by the Module Leader. Each module is led by a dedicated faculty member who brings specialist expertise in their respective area of research and practice. These 'module orientation' sessions are designed to help you understand how the module fits into the broader context of the MAPP programme and what key topics and themes will be explored.

Each induction provides clear guidance and expectations around learning outcomes, assessments, and engagement opportunities, ensuring you are well-prepared and supported at every stage of your academic journey.

Your Programme team will consist of:

• Programme Director: An internationally respected researcher and academic, Prof. Jolanta Burke is widely recognised for her pioneering contributions to the field of positive psychology and wellbeing science.
• Operations team: Suzanne Sullivan, Miriam Holden.
• Module leaders: Prof. Christian van Nieuwerburgh, Prof. Jolanta Burke, Dr Elaine Byrne, Dr Annalise Roache, Lucy Airs, Aine Garvey
• Guest speakers: several in each module, including, Prof. Aaron Jarden, Prof. Tayyab Rashid, Dr Robert Biswas-Diener, Dr Trudy Meehan, Dr Padraic Dunne and many more.

The Programme Director is your academic lead, they are responsible for the running of the programme and may teach some of the modules. The operations team is responsible for all non-academic elements and is available to support you with operational, technical and regulatory matters. Finally, the Module Leader is the academic lead for the module, if you have a question or query about a particular module you should contact the Module Lead first.

Delivery

All modules are delivered through online learning model:

Synchronous (live) sessions: Each week, you’ll take part in live webinars led by programme faculty. These sessions are designed to help you consolidate the knowledge you've gained, explore how to apply it in real-life contexts, engage in meaningful discussions and connect with other students. You'll have the opportunity to ask questions, share insights, and delve deeper into key topics from that week’s content.

To accommodate our global student community, two time slots will be offered each week; one suited to European, East Asian, and African time zones, and another aligned with North American, South American, and Asia-Pacific regions. All live sessions are recorded for flexible access.

Asynchronous (on-demand) content: Each week, you’ll have access to 2-3 pre-recorded lectures designed to introduce and explore key topics. All of these lectures have been professionally recorded in a studio or are of studio-quality, ensuring a high-standard learning experience. We’ve collaborated with online learning specialists to design content that reflects the latest research in digital education and student engagement. Each lecture is approximately 20 minutes long, offering a focused and accessible way to grasp essential concepts, explore further research, and reflect on how the material applies in real-world settings.

Online discussions: This programme is intentionally designed to encourage connection and collaboration among our students. Throughout your studies, you'll have numerous opportunities to engage in online group work and discussions, allowing you to interact meaningfully with fellow students from around the world. 

Our goal is that by the end of the programme, you’ll feel part of a global MAPP community (MAPPsters), a network of like-minded professionals with shared values and interests in positive psychology. These connections often extend beyond the classroom, leading to friendships, collaborations, and even international projects. Not to mention that research shows they support our students’ long-term well-being.

The MAPP learning environment is more than just a course, it's the beginning of a lifelong community of research-based practice.

Schedule

All modules in the MAPP programme are delivered in seven-week blocks, offering a structured yet flexible approach to learning. In Year 1, you'll complete all the taught modules, each introducing a unique dimension of positive psychology. In Year 2, you’ll deepen your understanding, consolidate your learning, and complete your capstone project.

Year 1

• The Foundations of Positive Psychology: This introductory module explores the origins, development, and theoretical underpinnings of positive psychology. You'll learn how the field emerged, evolved, and continues to shape the science of well-being.
• Perspectives on Well-being and Flourishing: This module is a joyful exploration of diverse well-being models, from widely known topics like character strengths, optimism, and relationships, to emerging or less known themes such as psychological capital, or maximisation. This module offers a comprehensive view of flourishing from multiple cultural and theoretical perspectives.
• Practising Well-being: This hands-on module dispels myths about "being positive" and introduces evidence-based strategies to enhance and sustain well-being. You’ll discover practical tools to implement positive psychology in your daily life, personally and professionally.
• Positive Psychology in Context: Explore the systems-based thinking behind positive psychology. This module highlights how environment, culture, and social context influence well-being, allowing for more inclusive, real-world applications of the science.
• The Dark Side of Positive Psychology: We examine the complexities of the human experience by exploring both, the downsides of excessive positivity, and the transformative power of adversity and negative emotions. You’ll also gain insight into resilience, trauma, and post-traumatic growth, critical areas in positive psychology.

Year 2

• Positive Psychology from Head to Toe: While earlier modules weave in body-mind connections, this module offers a deep dive into the integration of physiological and psychological well-being. You'll explore how lifestyle, biology, neurology, and behaviour intersect with positive psychology.
• Research Methods and Methodology: This module prepares you to design and deliver your capstone project. You'll explore a variety of research methods, quantitative, qualitative, mixed, and learn how to apply them to real-world problems in healthcare, education, coaching, or other sectors.
• Capstone Project: This is your opportunity to consolidate everything you've learned and apply it in a format that suits your interests and strengths. Choose from four flexible options:
  • Option 1: Research project
    Conduct an original study and write an academic paper. Ideal for aspiring researchers, writers, or those considering a PhD.
  • Option 2: Oral delivery/presentation
    Design and deliver a talk, webinar, or workshop (e.g. a TED-style talk). Submit your recorded delivery and a reflective report on its development. Perfect for speakers, trainers, or consultants.
  • Option 3: Product development
    Create a tangible product such as an app, board game, book, or educational tool. Submit the prototype and a process report. Ideal for entrepreneurs or anyone interested in innovation and commercial application.
  • Option 4: Workplace intervention
    Design a structured well-being or positive health programme tailored to a specific population (e.g. schoolchildren, healthcare staff, patient groups). Submit a development and implementation report. Perfect for well-being ambassadors, educators, or organisational change-makers.

This flexible structure is designed to acknowledge our students’ diverse professional goals, enabling you to shape your MAPP experience to align with your career path and personal aspirations. Whether you're preparing to lead change in your workplace, pursue further academic research, or design tools that make well-being more accessible, you'll find a meaningful and practical route through the entire programme and the capstone project.

Times Higher Education has excellent guides that offer tips for online study.

You will need the following:

• Laptop or desktop computer
• Stable and reliable internet connection
• Microsoft Word, Microsoft Teams and PowerPoint (or similar) on a laptop/desktop
• Headphones if you are in a noisy environment
• A notebook and pen

The RCSI Student Fees Department manage all matters relating to student fees. If you have any queries in relation to your fees please contact the team directly.

You will be asked to pay your fees at set times during the academic year. The schedule of fees payments are outlined below. 

Invoices will be available on request only to self-funded students. If you are a sponsored student an invoice will automatically be sent to your employer.

We can accept payments via the following routes:

• Debit/credit card: Card payments can be made here. (Please note that a 3% service charge is payable on card payments).

• Electronic Financial Transfer (SEPA):
  - RCSI FEES ACCOUNT, BANK OF IRELAND, 39 ST STEPHEN'S GREEN, DUBLIN 2
  - IBAN No IE75 BOFI 9000 8410 0440 74
  - BIC/SWIFT No BOFIIE2D

Please ensure your name is attached to any bank/online transfer. Once you have your RCSI IT credentials set up in August you may request receipts for fees through the VLE here.

As a reminder please see below for the student fee payment schedule:  

EU applicants

• Year 1: €6,400
• Year 2: €6,400

Non-EU applicants – For a limited time, non-EU applicants can avail of this course at the same rate as EU students.

• Year 1: €6,400
• Year 2: €6,400

RCSI student cards are available on request only.

To request a student ID card, please follow the below steps:

Download ‘Microsoft Power Apps’ via the App Store or Google Play and upload a profile picture. A video guide is available here.

Email helpdesk@rcsi.ie, copying CPHS@rcsi.com and confirm the following:

• that you wish to order a student card
• your name
• student number
• postal address
• that you have uploaded your photo (as per step 1)

RCSI is committed to building an inclusive learning environment. RCSI considers the principles of universal design in the design and implementation of all learning interactions to ensure that learning is accessible to students.

However, for a small minority of students, reasonable accommodations will be required. RCSI is committed to the provision of reasonable accommodations (RA) as a response to meet individual needs and as far as possible to enable full access and participation for any student with a disability, a significant on-going medical condition, or learning difficulty.

Any student seeking reasonable accommodations to support their learning or access needs are required to confidentially disclose their status and discuss their needs to the learning access and facilitation service (LAFS).

If you believe you require a reasonable accommodation, we strongly encourage you to contact the learning access team at learningsupport@rcsi.com so that the learning access team can discuss and explore options with you.

Embarking on postgraduate studies while maintaining a full-time job can be both rewarding and challenging. We are committed to your success and want to provide you with valuable hints and tips to ensure a smooth and enriching journey:

• Balancing act: Recognise that managing work, studies, and personal life requires careful planning. Prioritise tasks, create a study schedule, and set realistic goals to effectively manage your time.
• Module insights: Our courses align with Higher Education Authority (HEA) guidelines. Expect around 200-250 hours of commitment per 10-credit module. This encompasses engaging lectures, tutorials, independent study, and assignments. Some modules may demand more attention, so allocate your time wisely.
• Credit structure: Many of our programme modules are organised into 10 credits each, fostering a balanced learning experience. Notably, the final module in the second year of our MSc carries 20 credits, enhancing your year two achievements.
• Varied workload: Understand that each module has its unique demands. While some may be more intensive, others might be more approachable. Gauge your strengths and allocate time accordingly.
• Faculty support: Our dedicated faculty is here to guide you. Programme directors and the operations team are available to address queries or concerns. Don't hesitate to reach out – we've likely encountered similar challenges before.
• Learn from experience: Recognise that challenges faced during the programme are often shared experiences. Lean on our expertise and seek guidance whenever needed. We're here to ensure your journey is both enjoyable and rewarding.
• Effective time management: Your time is precious. Employ time-management techniques such as the Pomodoro Technique, task batching, or digital tools to optimise productivity.
• Utilise resources: Leverage available resources like online libraries, academic databases, and research tools to streamline your study process.
• Peer collaboration: Engage with fellow students for group discussions, study sessions, and sharing insights. Collaborative learning can enhance your understanding and make the workload feel more manageable.
• Self-care rituals: Amidst your commitments, remember self-care. Regular exercise, healthy eating, sufficient sleep, and relaxation techniques contribute to your overall well-being.
• Celebrate milestones: Acknowledge your achievements along the way. Completing modules or hitting study milestones warrants celebration and motivates you to keep moving forward.
• Stay adaptable: Flexibility is key. Be prepared to adjust your study plan based on unforeseen work demands or personal obligations. Adaptability ensures you stay on track without feeling overwhelmed.

In partnership with your dedication and our expert guidance, your educational journey will lead to academic excellence. Your pursuit of knowledge while managing a full-time job showcases your determination, and we are here to provide the necessary support to help you thrive.

We invite you to join our network and stay connected with us through our various social media channels. By following our profiles, you'll gain access to valuable insights, updates, and opportunities to engage with the RCSI Centre for Positive Health Sciences.

Here are our official social media channels:

• Facebook: Stay up-to-date with our latest news, events, and articles. Like our page and be a part of our vibrant online community.
• Instagram: Explore the visual side of our journey. Follow us on Instagram to see inspiring photos and stories that promote positive health.
• X: For real-time updates, discussions, and insights, follow us to join the conversation.
• LinkedIn: Connect with our professional network on LinkedIn to discover opportunities and industry news. Follow our company page to stay informed.
• LinkedIn Group: If you're looking to engage in deeper discussions and collaborate with like-minded individuals, our LinkedIn group is the perfect platform.

By following us on these platforms, you'll gain access to:

• Engaging content on positive health sciences.
• Announcements about upcoming events and seminars.
• Career and research opportunities.
• Networking with peers and experts in the field.
• Valuable insights and resources to enhance your understanding of positive health.

Join our online community, and let's explore the journey to positive health together. We look forward to connecting with you on social media and fostering a vibrant and supportive community.