MSc in Leadership and Innovation in Healthcare
€13,750/€22,000
Expand your capacity to effectively manage and lead in diverse healthcare settings, develop innovative skills to transform healthcare delivery and progress as a reflective practitioner.
Masters
2 years
Online - Part-time
90 ECTS
September 2025
About
Develop a strategic mindset and gain the skills necessary to implement evidence-based leadership and management practice with the MSc in Leadership and Innovation in Healthcare from RCSI Graduate School of Healthcare Management.
This programme is designed to develop your leadership competencies and management skills as a healthcare professional, and provide you with the tools needed to manage in your environment, notwithstanding limited resources, increased demands and budget restrictions. Combining academic rigour, practical experience and in-depth self-analysis it will provide you with the opportunity to develop and enhance your knowledge of concepts, theories, research and best practice relating to leadership in healthcare settings, and training in the use of associated models and tools.
The focus is firmly on leadership, addressing the main issues and problems healthcare professionals experience in recognising, assessing, managing and overcoming daily challenges. This programme is delivered in a digital format via our online teaching platform, making it accessible to busy healthcare professionals wherever they may be working. It is part-time, and runs for two years.
Develop your personal leadership qualities
Investigate excellence in service management and strategic planning
Discover best practice for leading change and innovation
Consider how to foster creative and collaborative environments
Build in-depth knowledge of how to undertake quality healthcare research
Apply theory to practice with a research project conducted in your organisation
Suitable for
This programme is for clinicians, doctors, nurses, interdisciplinary health and social care professionals, healthcare managers and administrators and those working in the wider healthcare sector who wish to develop their leadership and management capabilities and take the next step in their career. Personnel in allied health businesses such as medical supplies and equipment, the pharmaceutical sector and healthcare regulation should also find the programme highly relevant.
What you will learn
Develop leadership qualities and strategies to influence and persuade teams effectively.
Understand team leadership, build rapport, and create effective, motivated work teams
Learn to lead and manage healthcare services, focusing on service excellence and strategic initiatives
Master change models, lead innovation, and implement effective change strategies in healthcare
Explore strategies, tools, and techniques for effective strategic planning and implementation in healthcare
Develop future-oriented leadership skills to create collaborative, innovative healthcare environments
Gain in-depth knowledge of research principles and methods to investigate healthcare innovation and change
Demonstrates your competencies through a Leading and Innovation or Change Project
What our students say
Testimonial
"The course ignited a renewed enthusiasm for learning which has continued since the programme concluded. I gleaned much about leadership and the challenges associated with managing teams."
"What made the course truly valuable was its practical focus – everything I learned could be applied to real-world healthcare settings. It equipped me with the tools to drive change and lead teams effectively."
"The course has significantly nurtured my creative thinking, empowering me to overcome challenges instead of becoming mired by them. I feel much more confident about my career and my capacity to make a meaningful impact on patient care."
"This programme was just at the right time for me – I was transitioning into research and I didn't have the training when it came to leadership, so the programme gave me the knowledge to lead beyond the clinical environment."
Faculty highlight
Biography
Dr Gloria Kirwan
Dr Kirwan is a registered social worker in Ireland and previously worked as a social worker in a range of health and social care settings. She currently serves as editor of three journals.
Find out more
Register your interest
Course information
This programme will provide you with the skills and knowledge to:
- Develop the personal and professional capacity to lead in healthcare organisations.
- Critically appraise modern leadership theory and practice, and develop the ability to apply leadership approaches that are at the forefront of informed best practice in healthcare.
- Analyse and synthesise complex management and leadership problems and deploy a range of people management skills, particularly in relation to the management of multi-disciplinary and trans-disciplinary teams.
- Examine the role of health economics, quality improvement, financial management, human resources management and the principles of governance in leading effective innovative services.
- Demonstrate the ability to challenge assumptions and question processes, policies and procedures in healthcare, at individual and organisational levels.
- Develop as a reflective practitioner with the skills, insight, confidence and awareness necessary to identify and implement evidence-based innovative management and leadership practices.
- Develop a strategic mindset, understand the theoretical underpinnings of strategic leadership and demonstrate the capacity to deploy a range of strategic methodologies.
- Recognise the importance of leadership and innovation and develop the capacity to effectively manage and lead in a diverse healthcare setting.
The MSc in Leadership and Innovation in Healthcare will be facilitated in a digitally engaged format via our online teaching platform and will be delivered though a blend of online content and activities and live interactive sessions, to offer a collaborative and supportive student experience.
Our experienced team have the skills and technology to provide a rich and engaging online experience and will be on hand to smooth your course for success as you commence your studies, no matter what your level of technical ability.
You will have the opportunity to become part of an international, healthcare focused, learning community, as you are supported to engage through collaborative group work, team building and networking opportunities – benefiting from each other’s experience in a safe and supported environment.
| Module name | Description |
|---|---|
| Module 1: Developing and Demonstrating Personal Leadership Qualities (10 ECTS) |
The aim of this module is to provide you with a knowledge and understanding of how to develop your leadership competencies and capabilities through lectures, guest speakers, seminars, readings and assignments. In this module you will develop and demonstrate personal leadership qualities; learn how to effectively manage yourself in order to understand how you can influence and persuade your team and those around you, and understand how your actions influence your ability to get things done. |
| Module 2: Working with and Leading Others (10 ECTS) |
In this module you will develop an understanding of leading teams and how to ensure effectiveness and build rapport among team members. This learning will contribute to the advancement of your skills and knowledge in building and developing effective work teams that are motivated and can achieve excellence in performance. |
| Module 3: Leading and Managing Services (10 ECTS) |
This module will provide you with an understanding of the nature of service and the factors that contribute to excellence in leading and managing services in healthcare. You will develop an understanding of the healthcare structures and your competing demands, the development of a culture of service excellence, the various activities involved in the analysis, formulation and implementation of strategic initiatives. |
| Module 4: leading Innovation and Change (10 ECTS) |
This module focuses on the models of change, recognising the key triggers of change, how to effectively lead and implement change and innovation in healthcare and overcome resistance to change. This learning will assist in the advancement of your skills and knowledge in understanding the need for change and the most effective strategies for the successful implementation of change and innovation. |
| Module 5: Strategic Planning and Implementation (10 ECTS) |
This module will introduce you to the current strategies, practices and a selection of best practice frameworks, tools and techniques for strategic planning and implementation in healthcare. You will develop an in-depth understanding of the various activities involved in the analysis, formulation and implementation of strategic initiatives. |
| Module 6: Developing a Future-Oriented Mindset (10 ECTS) |
This module will provide you with competencies in the role of leadership in healthcare by developing a future-oriented mindset that advance tomorrow’s leadership skills and qualities today. In this module you will develop skills to lead and develop creative and collaborative working environments in a complex healthcare system.
|
| Module 7: Research Methods and Methodology (10 ECTS) |
This module will provide you with an in-depth knowledge of the principles of good research and recognition of the range of tools and concepts that are necessary in healthcare research. You will gain the knowledge and skills to understand and use a range of methods and decide on appropriate research designs and methods to investigate your chosen research problems in innovation or change in healthcare. |
| Research Project (20 ECTS) |
Leading and Innovation or Change Project. In order to fulfil the requirements for a MSc degree, you must complete the seven modules outlined above and conduct a research project in your organisation. Participants on our MSc programmes in the past have produced considerable developments in their organisations and many projects have resulted in significant improvements, substantial cost savings and publications in management journals. |
The below timetable is provisional and subject to change.
A confirmed timetable for the 2025-26 academic year will be provided in due course.
| Semester | Module | Start date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orientation Module 1 Module 2 |
8 September 2025 22 September 2025 3 November 2025 |
| 2 | Module 3 Module 4 Module 5 |
5 January 2026 16 February 2026 30 March 2026 |
Your learning on each module is assessed by one of a number of methods: examination, individual assignment or team assignment and case studies.
We are proud to be a recognised University of the National University of Ireland (NUI). All RCSI programmes are accredited by the NUI.
Recognition by Ministries and bodies in all jurisdictions must be determined by the individual applicants.
We are pleased to confirm that a number of our recent graduates who are domiciled in the United Arab Emirates and in the Kingdom of Bahrain have successfully had their certificates recognised by the Ministry of Education in their respective countries.
Admissions
To be eligible for the programme you must:
- Hold a bachelor degree. If you don’t hold a bachelor degree, please see the recognition of prior learning pathway outlined below.
- Be working in the healthcare industry.
- Meet the English language requirements (unless exempt): IELTS score of 6.5, Duolingo 105-110, or equivalent score on another standardised test. Please see below for list of exemptions.
If you do not have an undergraduate degree at Level 7 or above you may still be eligible to apply through recognition of prior learning (RPL). RPL is the assessment of knowledge, skills and competence previously acquired.
Learning occurs in many contexts which include work, involvement in social and community activities, or learning through life experience generally. RPL does not give credit for experience as such; rather it considers the learning that was acquired as a result of the experience.
RPL may be used to gain:
- Admission to courses/programmes where a person may not have obtained the standard entry requirements.
- Exemptions from course modules which duplicate the learning outcomes an individual has already demonstrably acquired through prior learning.
Exemptions may apply:
- If you have completed your school or undergraduate studies (three or more years) through English in a country where English is the majority native language.
- If you have completed your school or undergraduate studies (three or more years) in an English speaking institution in a country where English is not the majority native language and where an IELTS score of 5 or more was a requirement for admissions to the programme.
- If you have been working in a country (three years or more) where English is the majority native language or for an employer where English language is the official language.
- Graduates of an RCSI undergraduate, Masters or professional diploma programme in Dublin and Bahrain.
Please note: Certified proof must be uploaded as part of your application.
EU applicants
- Year 1: €8,800
- Year 2: €4,950
Non-EU applicants
- Year 1: €14,000
- Year 2: €8,000
| Year 1 | Date | EU | Non-EU |
| 1st payment | On acceptance of offer | €2,200 | €3,500 |
| 2nd payment | 30 November 2025 | €2,200 | €3,500 |
| 3rd payment | 31 January 2026 | €2,200 | €3,500 |
| 4th payment | 31 March 2026 | €2,200 | €3,500 |
| Year 2 | Date | EU | Non-EU |
| 1st payment | 12 September 2026 | €2,475 | €4,000 |
| 2nd payment | 31 January 2027 | €2,475 | €4,000 |
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.
How to apply
Applications for the MSc in Leadership and Innovation in Healthcare are now open for autumn 2025. There is only one intake each year, starting in September.
Please ensure to attach the following supporting documents with your application:
- Clear copy of a valid passport.
- Copies of your academic transcripts/degree
- Copy of your CV
- English proficiency test (If required)
Already begun your application? Complete it via our application portal now.
Continue your application