Expand+Application Deadline: September 2022.

By Email (preferred method)
Please download and complete the application form on www.ipa.ie and email it, along with the items listed below, to undergrad@ipa.ie

By Post
Alternatively, you can complete...

Hide-Application Deadline: September 2022.

By Email (preferred method)
Please download and complete the application form on www.ipa.ie and email it, along with the items listed below, to undergrad@ipa.ie

By Post
Alternatively, you can complete the application form at the end of this prospectus and, including the items listed below, return it by post.

What to Provide (email or post)

Applicants must provide:
• Their full name (this is the name that will appear on any future award parchments).
• A passport-type photograph.
• A photocopy of their passport, birth certificate or driving licence.
• A photocopy of their Leaving Certificate or relevant qualification (only if you are under 21).
• The fee for the programme or confirmation, including a PO number, that fees will be paid by an employer (please contact the Undergraduate Office).

Applications Cannot Be Processed Unless All Relevant Documentation is Included.

Expand+Applicants Require:
1. Leaving Certificate (examination from 2017 onwards): Candidates must obtain a pass in at least six subjects accepted for NUI matriculation purposes, with at least Grade H5 in two subjects on the Higher Level and at least Gr...

Hide-Applicants Require:
1. Leaving Certificate (examination from 2017 onwards): Candidates must obtain a pass in at least six subjects accepted for NUI matriculation purposes, with at least Grade H5 in two subjects on the Higher Level and at least Grade H7 (Higher Level) or O6 (Ordinary Level) in four subjects. Papers passed must include Irish, English and a third language. Students applying for the BBS (Hons) must have passed the Mathematics paper.

Or

2. Students of mature years (students over 21 on January 1 of the calendar year of entry) may be matriculated by the IPA for the purpose of entering a course of study.

Special Case Applications
Prospective students who do not meet the requirements under paragraphs 1 and 2 above may qualify for admission by meeting other equivalent requirements. A Special Case Application Form can be requested from:

Dr Denis O’Brien Registrar Institute of Public Administration 57-61 Lansdowne Road Dublin 4 Tel: +353 (01) 240 3600 Email: undergrad@ipa.ie

Subject Accumulation
In some programmes, students may enrol for one or more subjects each year until they complete the programme stage.

Exemptions
Graduates and those with other relevant awards, in particular university, QQI and Institute of Technology awards, may apply for an exemption from a subject(s) or entire stage of certain IPA programmes. Only those who have studied relevant disciplines with be considered for exemptions.

Exemptions cannot be awarded in a one-year programme or at the award stage of longer programmes.

Application forms for exemptions are available from the IPA. They must be completed and returned no later than early October 2022.

Applications must be accompanied by transcripts of results for each year of previous third-level studies.

Expand+The Programme
This four-year, part-time programme combines study of subjects critical to contemporary public management in all sectors with subjects particular to healthcare management. In addition to learning about the economic, legal and HR issu...

Hide-The Programme
This four-year, part-time programme combines study of subjects critical to contemporary public management in all sectors with subjects particular to healthcare management. In addition to learning about the economic, legal and HR issues that affect public administration broadly, students obtain specialised knowledge about health administration, health planning and healthcare in other countries. This highly regarded qualification includes two interim awards – at Certificate and Diploma level. If students do not wish to take all the subjects in one year, they can study just some of them and take the programme on a phased basis.

Is This Programme For You?
This degree will be of real value to those working in health administration at a national or regional level in health or hospital services. As they will take a mix of common and stream subjects, potential students will be interested in placing healthcare management in a broad economic, legal and organisational context.

Expand+Year 1 – Certificate in Public Management:
The first year is both a stand-alone qualification – Certificate in Public Management – and part of the four year degree programme.

Economics
This introductory-level course explains the mai...

Hide-Year 1 – Certificate in Public Management:
The first year is both a stand-alone qualification – Certificate in Public Management – and part of the four year degree programme.

Economics
This introductory-level course explains the main theories and principles of economics. No prior knowledge of economics is presumed. The course covers both micro and macroeconomics and addresses such topics as the laws of supply and demand, how market prices are reached and monopolies and competition.

Law
Public servants must understand the fundamentals of the legal system. This course focuses on the fundamentals, explaining the Irish legal system and the main provisions of the Irish Constitution. Students explore, among other topics, the structure of the court system, practice and procedure in the courts and the rights that the Constitution affords citizens.

Politics, Government and Public Administration
This course is divided into two parts. The first is largely concerned with the institutions of government and the Irish political system. The Irish institutions and systems are compared to those in other countries. The second part of the course focuses on Ireland’s system of public and social administration, explaining how the civil service is organised and the management of social welfare services, healthcare, education and housing.

Principles of Management
This course provides a solid grounding in the key principles of modern management theory. It explains the origins of contemporary management science and details the most important elements of management, including leadership, HRM and change management.

Year 2 – Diploma in Public Management:
The second year is both a stand-alone qualification – Diploma in Public Management – and the second stage of the four-year degree programme.

Health Policy and Planning
This course offers an overview of policy and planning in the Irish health system. It examines the historical development of the system, the impact of demographic changes, and current structures for governance, service delivery and regulation. It also analyses the roles of key stakeholders, important policy developments and the challenges in planning and implementing health policy.

Economics
This course builds on the fundamentals of economics explored in the Certificate year by exploring both micro and macro-economics in greater depth. Students will learn about the economic rules and theories that relate to the operation of markets, the distribution of wealth, the allocation of resources, labour supply and inflation.

Organisation and Management
An organisation’s structure is a determining factor in its operation. This course explores current thinking on organisational structure and the role of management in the creation and maintenance of the most appropriate structure. Among the specific topics addressed are the different schools of organisation theory, the design of effective organisations and the significance of the internal culture and the external environment to an organisation’s work.

Social Policy
This course explores key areas of social service provision in Ireland, including health, education, housing and social welfare, as well as the development of the welfare state in Ireland and internationally. It also reviews the role of the voluntary sector, equality policy, and ‘life cycle’ policies, including policies addressing children, older people and those with a disability. The module covers trends in social services and compares the approach in Ireland with that in other countries.

Year 3
Governance and Management of Quality in Healthcare
How Are Quality And Safety Enacted And Protected Within The
Irish Healthcare System? This Course Answers That Question By
Analysing National And Local Approaches To The Governance And
Management Of Quality, Including Risk Management, Clinical
Audit And Accreditation Systems.

Economics
This year’s course focuses on public sector economics, a field that is plainly critical to public servants at various grades. The topics addressed include economic growth, forecasting and planning, the finances of central and local government and the principles of taxation.

Financial Management
This course provides students with a clear understanding of standard accounting techniques and the proper management of an organisation’s finances. Designed for those who do not possess a background in accounting, it addresses, among other things, double-entry book-keeping and the measurement of profits.

Administrative Law
Administrative law is a public law subject that deals with the lawful exercise of power by government and state agencies. It explains how public bodies can affect the lives of citizens. Students will examine the laws regarding the civil service, the separation of powers, judicial review and legal compliance.

Year 4:
Health Economics
This course considers the economics of healthcare provision. It explores such topics as the nature of the healthcare market, how health insurance affects the cost of healthcare and public and private provision of healthcare.

Comparative Healthcare
This course examines international trends in healthcare policy, explores healthcare policies and priorities in other OECD countries and policy trends in the EU, compares Irish and international policies and examines the possible relevance of reforms elsewhere for the Irish system.

Strategic Management
Strategic management is the study of how organisations meet their objectives and effectively respond to change. This course focuses on strategic management in the Irish public sector, but it covers concepts common to both public and private sector organisations.

Public Policy-Making
This module examines different ways of understanding policy-making processes, the different influences, and the actors involved. It reviews discrete ‘stages’ within the policymaking process, such as framing and agenda setting, policy formulation, and implementation, as well as themes such as public service reform. Significant attention is paid to the different influences and constraints that exist on policy making and the implementation of policy, such as the role played by ideology, globalization, and international relations.