Postgraduate Diploma
1 year
Hybrid - Part-time
60 ECTS
September 2025
About
Enhance your career with a Pg Dip in Infection Prevention and Control Nursing from the RCSI School of Nursing and Midwifery to gain a foundation in the clinical expertise needed by infection prevention and control professionals.
This programme provides a foundation for the clinical expertise needed by infection prevention and control professionals to guide our practice, educate, monitor standards, challenge, lead and progress preventative strategies. In addition to subject-specific modules, you will expand your research and leadership abilities and develop critical reflexivity. This one-year fully online programme comprises six modules and runs over two academic semesters.
It is delivered part-time via an active blended learning approach including self-directed learning and live online classes approximately once every week.
Further support is provided through the module lead, programme director and regular online drop-in sessions.
The award title for this course is Postgraduate Diploma Nursing (Infection Prevention and Control).
Explore principles of microbiology in the prevention and control of infection
Discuss how to investigate, control, and prevent the spread of infection
Evaluate technology, administration, and management for infection prevention/control
Devise and update infection prevention/control guidelines
Develop research skills to inform your practice
Enhance your leadership and criticality
Suitable for
This programme is suitable for healthcare professionals in hospital or community settings with an interest in infection prevention and control.
What you will learn
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Course information
This programme will provide you with the skills and knowledge to:
- Demonstrate a critical understanding of a comprehensive range of knowledge in the specialist area.
- Articulate a critical awareness of the latest evidence-based knowledge in the specialist area.
- Demonstrate a range of research and specialist knowledge and skills to the specialist area of clinical practice.
- Select from a broad range of specialist skills and knowledge in the specialist area.
- Act in a comprehensive and often unpredictable variety of professional and ill-defined contexts in the specialist area.
- Take significant responsibility for the work of individuals and groups and lead and initiate activity in the specialist area.
- Critically self-evaluate professional and personal learning needs and those of others within your specialist area of practice and link to related continuing professional development requirements.
- Present a reflective and questioning approach to specialist practice delivery and exhibit professional application of your knowledge in an accountable, responsible and evidence-based manner.
Graduates of this postgraduate diploma who wish to take a further step may enrol onto the Masters programme – the MSc Nursing (Infection Prevention and Control) – and undertake Year 2 of the full programme, completing a systematic review.
The programme will begin in September each year.
This programme is assessed through a range of assessment modalities.
All Postgraduate Diploma programmes offered by the School of Nursing and Midwifery are accredited by RCSI, the National University of Ireland and the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland. Recognition by bodies in other jurisdictions must be determined by individual applicants.
Admissions
Applicants must:
- Hold an NFQ Level 8 qualification. However, applicants who do not hold a Level 8 qualification may still be eligible to join the programme through our supported-entry pathway programme. This is subject to an assessment of prior learning and experience.
- Have an active registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland or other registration in a country in which you are practicing if you are an international student; non-nursing applicants must have an active registration with an appropriate professional body.
- Be working in the specialist practice of the programme for the duration of the programme.
- Provide a clinical learning agreement signed by a director of nursing or designate.
Learning occurs in many contexts including work, involvement in social and community activities, and learning through life experience generally.
Recognition of prior learning (RPL) does not give credit for experience as such – rather, it considers learning that was acquired as a result of the experience. RPL may be used to gain admission to programmes where you may not have obtained the standard entry requirements. This is considered on a case-by-case basis.
Exemptions from programme modules that duplicate learning already demonstrably acquired through prior learning may also be considered on a case-by-case basis.
For more information, please contact the School of Nursing and Midwifery:
- Tel: +353 1 402 2445
- Email: nursing@rcsi.ie
English language requirements for Postgraduate programmes are published here.
If you have completed undergraduate/postgraduate full-time studies in the medium of the English language (three or more years cumulatively) or are registered with the NMBI, you are exempt from these requirements.
The fees for this programme are €6,970. There is an additional application fee of €50, which is non-refundable.
Please note:
- Fee includes all resources, access to our award-winning online learning portal and access to extensive RCSI-only databases.
- Fee includes an NUI fee.
- Fee is payable via the above schedule, where relevant.
- If you have outstanding fees you will not be entitled to receive your grades or be eligible to progress and or graduate (VLE and Library privileges will be withdrawn in these cases).
- RCSI accepts no obligation to refund any fee, or part thereof, in respect of a student who chooses to withdraw from a programme.
- If you choose to withdraw from a programme you are liable for full fees owed for the seat on that programme.
- All NUI parchments are issued in Latin; you will be required to pay an additional fee of €50 to NUI if you wish to have a parchment published in English.
- Fees are subject to review annually.
- If you are being sponsored or funded by your employer you should upload a funding confirmation letter in the document upload section on the application portal.)
Please view our Postgraduate fees policy for more information.
How to apply
Applications for this programme are currently closed. For guidance or further information please contact nursing@rcsi.ie.