Postgraduate Diploma in Science in Quality and Safety (Health and Social Care)

Applications are open for September 2024. 

This Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) is applicable across the public, private and voluntary sector with participants from multi-professional backgrounds including social care, clinical, administrative and practitioner levels.

On completion, students will have developed enhanced contextual, cultural and professional insights into quality, safety and governance.

Graduates will be equipped with a set of skills that will have a direct impact in the safe delivery of health and social care.

Programme Structure

The programme is designed around five key themes: 

1. Towards a new understanding of quality care in contemporary health and social care.
2. Improving service user safety 
3. Enhancing the care experience of service users
4. Developing a systematic approach to quality improvement methodology 
5. Leadership and management as quality improvement drivers in health and social care

See our brochure for more information. 

Download a sample indicative timetable (Sept 21-Apr 23) here.

This programme offers an invaluable opportunity to inform excellence in quality and safety in health and social care.

Graduates will particularly benefit in pursuing a career path in quality management, compliance, general management and person safety roles.

These roles vary across the emerging spectrum of health and social care.

Graduates will advance their career prospects in terms of promotion eligibility and post-graduate training.

This may be in management and or specialist areas such as clinical risk or quality improvement within the health and social care environment.

This is an exciting blended learning approach which includes four residential sessions across each semester in year one.  This offers an opportunity for ongoing networking with your fellow students without placing onerous demands on your employment responsibilities

Entry Requirements

H2.2 in a Level 8 degree in any health or social care discipline or recognised cognate professional qualification, and one full-time year relevant experience which must be in the last five years

How to Apply

Please click here to access a user guide (PDF, 336KB) to enable successful completion and submission of your application.

Postgraduate Diploma Residential Dates

Online Induction for new programme entrants will take place in late September 2023.  Attendance at the induction session if very important. All prospective students must have fully completed their registration process to engage in online induction. 

The residential dates comprise of 16 full days onsite in the ATU Mayo Campus (4 x2 days in Semester 1 between September and December and same in Semester 2 between January and April). These will take place on Thursdays and Fridays every 3-4 weeks. All other material is delivered online (directed learning-asynchronized) that the student undertakes in their own time. Download a sample indicative timetable (Sept 22-May 23)  here. The specific dates for the delivery schedule for Sept 23 onwards will be similar (will be confirmed in Aug 23). 

Many of our student who complete the postgraduate diploma elect to proceed to register for the full MSc (subject to place availability). In Year 2 of the MSc the student undertakes a single 30 credit module. It typically commences in Autumn and the thesis is submitted in early May. Students are allocated a supervisor for the academic year. Supervision meetings dates/times are agreed by the student and the supervisor and may be held in person or via the ATU MS Teams platform. 

Residential Dates

Download indicative residential timetable here.

Contact Us

Dr Carmel Heaney

Programme Chair

Email: carmel.heaney@atu.ie