Applicants must have a minimum of a Second Class Honours Grade 2 in a primary honours degree (NFQ, Level 8) in one of the following subject areas: biological sciences, nursing, medical and health sciences, public health, and social sciences. Qualified nurses and midwives without a primary degree and who are registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland are also eligible to apply.

Applicants who do not meet the above entry requirements may be recommended for entry to the programme following a review of their individual qualifications and experience under the University Recognition for Prior Learning (RPL) policy.

Technical Requirements
This programme will be delivered wholly online. As such, there are specific technical requirements that you need to meet.
• You will need access to a laptop or desktop (either Mac OS or Windows) running a relatively recent operating system (Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10, or Mac OSX 10.8, 10.9, 10.10, or later). Access to the Canvas Virtual Learning Environment is supported by UCC through IOS and Android apps, which are available from the respective App stores.
• You will need access to a reliable broadband connection with at least 2MB download speeds. You can test your broadband or 4G speeds by visiting http://www.speedtest.net.
• You must have a modern web browser installed. The most reliable options for use with UCC online learning are Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome. Download and installation instructions will be provided. Safari is not suitable.
• You must have Java and Flash Runtimes installed. Download and installation instructions will be provided.
• You will require an Office suite of software (Microsoft Office 2003 or later or equivalent) and a PDF reader (preferably Adobe Acrobat Reader XI or later). Please note that registered UCC students have access to discounted software from Microsoft and Adobe.

To engage productively and successfully with the content, basic technical computer skills such as familiarity with word processing, web browsing, and email is recommended.

For Applicants with Qualifications Completed Outside of Ireland
Applicants must meet the required entry academic grade, equivalent to Irish requirements. For more information see our Qualification Comparison page.

International/Non-EU Applicants
For full details of the non-EU application procedure visit our how to apply pages for international students.
• In UCC, we use the term programme and course interchangeably to describe what a person has registered to study in UCC and its constituent colleges, schools, and departments.
• Note that not all courses are open to international/non-EU applicants, please check the fact file above. For more information contact the International Office.

English Language Requirements
Applicants who are non-native speakers of the English language must meet the university-approved English language requirements.

Closing Date
Rolling deadline. Open until all places have been filled. Early application is advised.

Non-EU Closing Date
Open until all places have been filled or no later than 15 June. Early application is advised.

Start Date: 8 September 2025

This course is typically suited for people with the following Career Interests. If these interests do not describe you, this course may prepare you for work you may not find satisfying.

Social

The Social person's interests focus on interacting with the people in their environment. In all cases, the Social person enjoys the personal contact with other people in preference to the impersonal dealings with things, data and ideas found in other groups.

Many will seek out positions where there is direct contact with the public in some advisory role, whether a receptionist or a counsellor. Social people are motivated by an interest in different types of people and like diversity in their work environments. Many are drawn towards careers in the caring professions and social welfare area, whilst others prefer teaching and other 'informing' roles.