MSc in Professionalism in Medicine and Health Sciences

• Define the fundamental principles of professionalism, ethics, and biomedical law, demonstrating an understanding of their significance in promoting health, well-being, and patient safety.
• Describe the core elements of the iCARE model (Compassion, Accountability, Respect, Excellence), explaining their importance in practical healthcare settings and their contribution to sustainable and patient-centred care.
• Apply in-depth knowledge of professionalism, ethics, and the iCARE model to address healthcare challenges, fostering patient safety, well-being, and innovative solutions.
• Analyse barriers to professionalism and iCARE practices in healthcare environments, identifying and evaluating strategies to overcome these challenges and promote equitable access to care.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of professionalism and the iCARE model in fostering high-quality, patient-centred care and contributing to the resilience and improvement of healthcare systems, while enhancing the well-being of patients and professionals.
• Create innovative strategies that integrate professionalism and iCARE principles to enhance healthcare delivery, leadership, and collaboration, aligned with global health priorities.
• Develop advanced interpersonal skills, including leadership and collaboration, to promote professionalism in healthcare environments and contribute to team-based patient care and well-being.
• Apply research methodologies to conduct an original dissertation on professionalism, analysing data, synthesizing findings, and advancing evidence-based practice to improve healthcare outcomes related to professionalism (exclusive to the master's programme option).
• Critically reflect on personal and professional experiences to analyse the formation and evolution of your professional identity, with a focus on promoting self-awareness, well-being, and continuous professional growth.
• Actively develop your professional identity by integrating personal values with professional standards through experiential learning, mentorship, and role modelling to foster excellence in practice and enhance patient and colleague well-being.

The MSc in Professionalism in Medicine and Health Sciences is structured as a progressive learning pathway, allowing students to develop their expertise in professionalism, ethics and leadership at increasing levels of depth and complexity.

All students are admitted to the MSc programme. Completion of Year 1 (60 ECTS) provides the option to exit with a Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip). Students progressing to Year 2 will undertake a research dissertation (30 ECTS) to complete the MSc.

The programme has the following progression options:

Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip) – 60 ECTS
Designed for professionals seeking practical expertise without a research component.

• Six taught modules (60 ECTS)
• Applied projects, case studies, and reflective practice
• Focus on patient-centred care, ethical leadership, and system-wide accountability

Master of Science (MSc) – 90 ECTS
Ideal for professionals aiming to integrate research with professional practice.

• Six taught modules (60 ECTS)
• Research Methods & Dissertation (30 ECTS)
• Structured 16,000-word dissertation
• Application of research to real-world challenges in professionalism, ethics, and leadership

Progression:
Completion of the PgDip is required to advance to the MSc. Students completing Year 1 (PgDip) will have the option to continue to the MSc.

This is a two-year MSc programme consisting of six core modules in Year 1 and a research dissertation in Year 2.

All students are admitted to the MSc programme. However, students who successfully complete Year 1 (60 ECTS) and choose not to progress to the dissertation may opt to exit with a Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip).

Year 1 – Core Modules (MSc Year 1/PgDip exit award)

• Introduction to Professionalism, Ethics and Biomedical Law (10 ECTS): Provides a foundation in professionalism, ethics, biomedical law, research ethics and healthcare regulations, establishing essential principles for ethical medical practice.
• Compassion in CARE (10 ECTS): Explores compassion in patient-centred care, collaborative care, communication, advocacy, bereavement, complaint handling, and self-care strategies for healthcare professionals.
• Accountability in CARE (10 ECTS): Examines professional accountability through the lens of trust, integrity, candour, open disclosure, patient safety, quality improvement, and clinical stewardship.
• Respect in CARE (10 ECTS): Focuses on dignity, confidentiality, equality, cultural competence, interdisciplinary teamwork, leadership, and conflict resolution in diverse healthcare settings.
• Excellence in CARE (10 ECTS): Promotes continuous improvement, clinical judgment, medical leadership, scholarship, innovation, and high standards in healthcare delivery.
• Professionalism in Practice (10 ECTS): Integrates professionalism into healthcare governance, quality improvement, role-modelling, incident reporting, audits, and performance evaluation.

Year 2 – Research Module (MSc Year 2 only)

• Research Methods and dissertation (30 ECTS): Develops advanced research skills and methodologies in professionalism, culminating in a structured dissertation on a selected topic in professionalism, ethics, or leadership.

Semester 1 (8 September 2025 – 19 December 2025)

• Orientation: 8 September 2025
• Module 1 – Introduction to Professionalism, Ethics and Biomedical Law: 22 September 2025 – 31 October 2025
• Module 2 – Compassion in CARE: 3 November 2025 – 12 December 2025

Winter Break: 13 December 2025 – 4 January 2026

Semester 2 (5 January 2026 – 19 June 2026)

• Module 3 – Accountability in CARE: 5 January 2026 – 13 February 2026
• Module 4 – Respect in CARE: 16 February 2026 – 27 March 2026
• Module 5 – Excellence in CARE: 30 March 2026 – 8 May 2026
• Module 6 – Professionalism in Practice: 11 May 2026 – 19 June 2026

Note: This timetable is provisional and subject to change.

About this schedule:

• Structured yet flexible: Each module runs for six weeks, allowing in-depth exploration of professionalism concepts.
• Designed for busy professionals: Balances weekly engagements with self-paced learning.
• Interactive and engaging: Live tutorials, discussion boards, group projects, and reflection activities to ensure a collaborative learning experience.

Formative assessment will include participation in online classroom activities and group work. Summative assessment for the majority of the modules will involve:

• Discussion-board posts 
• Written literature-based assignment
• Individual reflection 
• Group project
• MSc dissertation. 

We are proud to be a recognised University of the National University of Ireland (NUI).

All RCSI programmes, including the MSc in Professionalism in Medicine and Health Sciences, are accredited by the NUI.

Recognition by ministries and regulatory bodies in different jurisdictions must be determined by individual applicants. Prospective students are advised to verify recognition with their respective professional or government bodies.