MSc in Applied Positive Psychology Well-being and Health
€12,800 (EU)/€25,600 (non-EU)
Discover the power of positive psychology with the MSc in Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) Well-being and Health; gain evidence-based tools to boost well-being, foster resilience, and lead meaningful change in individuals, organisations, and communities.
Masters
2 years
Online - Part-time
90 ECTS
September 2025
About
The MSc in Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) Well-being and Health at RCSI’s Centre for Positive Health Sciences is designed for professionals across various industries such as healthcare, education, finance, retail, IT, government, professional services and others who are interested in the application of positive psychology.
This transformative, fully online Level 9 programme offers a deep, research-led exploration of advanced topics such as systems-based well-being, the challenges of applying positive psychology in practice, and real-world healthcare applications.
With flexible learning, live tutorials, and practical assignments, MAPPWH equips professionals to enhance resilience, improve patient care, and lead meaningful change across clinical, organisational, and research settings.
This course is a Level 9 award on the Irish National Framework of Qualifications.
Apply positive psychology to real healthcare settings
Boost personal resilience and emotional well-being
Learn evidence-based strategies for human flourishing
Address trauma and adversity through positive frameworks
Promote systemic change in teams and organisations
Advance your career with a specialised Level 9 degree
Suitable for
This programme is suitable for professionals such as coaches, teachers, lecturers, workplace, well-being champions, policymakers, and many others. Within healthcare, it is suitable for doctors, nurses, surgeons, allied health staff and administrators seeking to apply positive psychology to enhance patient care, professional practice and personal well-being.
What you will learn
Discover the evolution, key ideas and real-world impact of positive psychology today.
Explore what drives well-being and flourishing, from personal to global perspectives.
Learn to apply positive psychology tools to boost well-being in real life and professional settings.
Explore how culture, context and complexity shape global approaches to well-being and strengths.
Explore how adversity, trauma and shadow experiences can deepen well-being and personal growth.
Discover how well-being influences and is influenced by the brain, body, and biological systems.
Gain the skills to design, apply, and evaluate research for evidence-informed innovation and change.
Design and deliver a real-world research project to drive innovation and evidence-informed change.
Faculty highlight
Biography
Prof. Jolanta Burke
Prof. Jolanta Burke is a chartered psychologist and a global leader in positive psychology. At RCSI, she brings a wealth of experience from leading international MAPP programmes, conducting impactful research, and specialising in the practical application of positive psychology. Her latest book, 'The Foundations in Positive Psychology: A Compilation of Key Studies, Theory and Practice', stands as a testament to her expertise in the field.
Find out more
Register your interest
For further information about this course, please register your interest below.
Course information
- Apply core theories and principles of positive psychology in healthcare contexts.
- Evaluate and integrate scientific evidence to enhance personal and professional well-being.
- Design and implement interventions to promote flourishing in individuals and organisations.
- Critically assess the role of adversity, trauma, and resilience in human development.
- Explore systemic influences on well-being at individual, team, and community levels.
- Conduct applied research to address real-world healthcare challenges using positive psychology.
- Progress to doctoral-level research (e.g., PhD or Prof Doc in Psychology, Health Sciences, or Education).
- Advance careers in healthcare leadership, education, coaching, or organisational development.
- Apply their learning to specialist roles in well-being, staff development, or patient care innovation.
- Contribute to policy-making or research in health promotion and mental health.
The programme offers a diverse range of assessment formats designed to accommodate both practitioners and those pursuing academic pathways. These include written assignments, such as reflective essays, research-informed popular articles, and critical portfolios, alongside more applied tasks like video blogs, podcasts, online discussions, and group presentations.
Students engage in case studies, and real-world artefact development, with options to produce published articles, workplace interventions, or practitioner resources. This variety ensures the development of knowledge, skills, and competence across theoretical, applied, and reflective dimensions of positive psychology.
This programme is accredited by the National University of Ireland and RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences.
Admissions
An undergraduate degree at Level 8 on the Irish National Framework of Qualifications is usually required. If you do not hold an undergraduate degree, please see the Recognition of Prior Learning section.
English language requirements for Postgraduate programmes are published here.
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.
The recognition of prior learning (RPL) pathway is outlined here.
If you wish to apply for recognition of prior learning, please complete the essay requirement as per assignment descriptor outlined in the document below.
Exemptions may apply for:
- Applicants who have completed their school or undergraduate studies (three or more years) through English in a country where English is the majority native language.
- Applicants who have completed their 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 IELTS score of 5 or more was a requirement for admissions to the programme.
- Applicants who 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.
- 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.
EU fees
Year 1: €6,400
Year 2: €6,400
Year 1
Deposit: €2,500
Second payment: €3,000
Third payment: €3,000
Year 2
First payment: €2,300
Second payment: €2,000
Non-EU fees
Year 1: €12,800
Year 2: €12,800
How to apply
Applications for the MSc in Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) Well-being and Health are now open for the autumn 2025 intake. There is only one intake each year, starting in September. Please begin your application by completing the form below.
Apply now