From 3 October, semesterisation and modularisation will be introduced for undergraduate students at RCSI.

Previously, all exams were held at the end of the academic year. This new departure will ensure that the weight of assessment is spread evenly throughout the teaching programme. 

The introduction coincides with an extensive review, and subsequent changes, to the undergraduate medical curriculum that will also come into effect from October 2005. New students will now enter a three semester Junior Cycle, whereby emphasis will be put on clinical medicine as well as the biomedical sciences. This new outcomes-focused programme, which runs over five years, will include themes such as 'Doctor in Society' and 'Personal and Professional Development'.

Professor A. H. Johnson, Dean of Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, said: “We are constantly searching for ways to enhance the quality of our educational and teaching standards and as a result we are delighted to introduce all these new changes.”

Students of RCSI will also now have access to learning at any time following the introduction of a Virtual Learning Environment called ‘Moodle’. The new system will enable students to access all curricular data and learning materials such as lecture notes and interactive-based tutorials. 

Commenting on the new technology, Prof. Johnson said: “RCSI puts a heavy emphasis upon the use of e-learning. This new IT platform will provide an innovative method of teaching for our staff and learning for our students.”