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Accessibility & LanguageCardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (MSc)
MSc (Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation)
Course Overview
This postgraduate programme equips students with the knowledge and skills required to make meaningful contributions to cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation practice. The course addresses disease-specific theory and practice components together with a strong focus on research, integrated care approaches, evidence-informed innovation in rehabilitative service delivery and the latest evidence-based implementation of best-practice guidelines and healthcare policy. Whilst the main focus is cardiovascular and pulmonary disease prevention and rehabilitation, key learning outcomes achieved apply to chronic disease management more widely.
Unique features of this programme include:
- Flexible learning: The course uses a dual delivery approach (with a fully online option available) by incorporating scheduled tutorials and workshops coupled with the directed study. This enables students to simultaneously maintain professional roles in clinical practice or manage other commitments whilst completing their studies.
- Delivered in partnership with the National Institute for Prevention and Cardiovascular Health (NIPC): This partnership enables an exceptional opportunity for students to interact with leading experts as well as engage in cutting-edge research and further opportunities in cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation.
- Interdisciplinary expert teaching faculty: Students from a variety of backgrounds from all over the world interact with international leaders and clinical specialists from medicine, nursing, nutrition, exercise, behavioural medicine, and public health.
As reflected within the speciality of cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation, this programme is interdisciplinary in nature and designed predominantly for health care practitioners. The course focuses on current evidence-based delivery of cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation practices, behavioural change strategies, lifestyle approaches to risk factor modification, psychosocial health, and medical management of cardiovascular risk factors. Outcome measures, health technology, and innovation in service design also feature strongly to enable programme uptake and high-quality delivery.
This programme aims to provide nurses, physiotherapists, dietitians, GPs, hospital doctors, psychologists, occupational therapists, and other health professionals interested in or working with people with cardiovascular and pulmonary conditions the knowledge to provide high-quality care as well as an array of career opportunities in clinical care transformation, research, academia, and industry. Students are supervised in designing an original research project which addresses a specific research question in any aspect of cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation. Contributors are drawn from clinical departments at the University Hospital Galway, scientific and healthcare disciplines at the University of Galway, the Croí clinical team, and an array of established national and international partnerships.
Scholarships available
Find out about our Postgraduate Scholarships here.
Applications and Selections
Applications are made online via the University of Galway Postgraduate Applications System.
Who Teaches this Course
This course is delivered by an interdisciplinary teaching faculty of leading experts and clinical specialists in cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation. The Programme Board comprises of:
Dr Jennifer Jones
Programme Director and Specialist Physiotherapist in Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation
Prof Francis Finucane
Consultant Endocrinologist, UHG and Specialist Lead for Endocrinology, Saolta Group
Professor Derek O’Keeffe
Consultant Endocrinologist and Expert in Diabetes and Technology & Innovation
Professor Gerard Flaherty
Preventive Cardiology and Medical Education, University of Galway
Professor David Wood
Adjunct Professor in Preventive Cardiology, University of Galway
Professor Catriona Jennings
Nurse Specialist and Senior Researcher, University of Galway
Professor Wael Tawfick
Vascular Surgeon, UHG and Clinical Lecturer, University of Galway
Ms Siobhan Teague
Senior Cardiac Physiologist, Health Service Executive
Ms Gloria Avalos
Lecturer and Research Fellow, University of Galway
Dr Rachel Garrod
Specialist Physiotherapist in Pulmonary Rehabilitation
Dr Mandy Jones
Specialist Physiotherapist in Respiratory Physiology and Pulmonary Rehabilitation
Dr Lisa Hynes
Health Psychologist and Head of Health Programmes, Croí Heart and Stroke Centre
Ms Suzanne Seery
Senior Specialist Dietitian in Cardiovascular Health
Ms Irene Gibson
Specialist Nurse in Health Promotion and Prevention / Management of Chronic Diseases
Dr Yvonne Finn
Lecturer in Clinical Medicine, University of Galway
Dr Susan Connolly
Consultant Cardiologist, Clinical Lead in Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation
Ms Noeleen Fallon
Specialist Nurse in Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation, Past President of the Irish Association of Cardiac Rehabilitation (IACR)
Dr Marwa Said
Family Practice Physician
Dr Marah Elfghi
NIPC Fellow, Past graduate of MSc Preventive Cardiology
Professor Bill McEvoy
Professor of Preventive Cardiology, University of Galway and Consultant Cardiologist, UCHG
Requirements and Assessment
Assessments are carried out across all modules via MCQ, written papers, essays, assignments, poster preparation and a dissertation.
Key Facts
Entry Requirements
Successful applicants will possess at least a Second Class Honours, Grade 1 degree (or equivalent) in a health care discipline or related subject area (e.g., medicine, nursing, physiotherapy, dietetics, sport and exercise science, clinical or health psychology, pharmacology, health promotion, public health, etc). For those who do not hold a primary degree at the required level, consideration will also be given to applicants with relevant work experience, background knowledge, and skills.
Entry to the Master’s programme is conditional upon achieving at least 60% in the core compulsory modules of the Postgraduate Diploma that take place in Semester 1. Candidates coming to Ireland from abroad or who do not have a degree from Ireland, or the UK will be asked to provide evidence of an acceptable result in one of the recognised English language proficiency tests, e.g., IELTS total score of 6.5 (or equivalent). Prospective candidates may be interviewed as part of the selection process. This usually takes place remotely via telephone, Teams or Zoom.
Additional Requirements
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
Duration
1 year, full-time
Next start date
September 2025
A Level Grades ()
Average intake
20
QQI/FET FETAC Entry Routes
Closing Date
Please view the offer rounds website for information.
NFQ level
Mode of study
ECTS weighting
90
Award
CAO
Course code
MSC-CPR
Course Outline
The MSc in Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation involves students participating in a number of Level 9 modules totalling 90 ECTS.
In Semester 1 students participate in three core modules (total 30ECTs):
- Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Disease (10 ECT)
- Research Methods (10 ECT)
- Reflective Clinical Practice (Part 1 Semester 1 & Part 2 in Semester 2) (10 ECT)
In Semester 2 students are required to complete 30 elective ECTs from the following options:
- Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (30 ECTS)
- Lifestyle Risk Factor Modification (30 ECTs)
- Tobacco Cessation in Noncommunicable Disease Prevention and Management (10ECTs)
- Diet and Weight Management in Preventive Medicine and Cardiovascular Health (10ECTs)
- Physical Activity and Exercise in Chronic Disease Management (10ECTs)
- Pharmacotherapeutic Approaches in Cardiometabolic Medicine (10 ECTS)
- Cardiac Rehabilitation (30 ECTS)
Across all three semesters, students work on a primary Research Project (30 ECTS) that is submitted as a ready-to-publish article at the end of the programme.
The course starts in September and finishes in August, covering teaching and clinical placement components. Structured weekly directed study is coupled with a schedule of group-based lectures, tutorials, and interactive workshops. These group-based sessions are delivered online via live sessions and are timetabled for Thursdays and Fridays (3 pm – 8 pm) with occasional Saturdays (10 am – 3 pm). Students working simultaneously in a clinical setting can complete their studies using a fully online option, enabling access to the programme from their home country. International students with a Tier 2 Visa choosing to reside in Ireland during their studies and those not working in clinical practice are required to complete a weekly timetable of face-to-face activities that take place in a range of clinical settings.
Each module has associated assessments. At the end of Semester 1 online examinations are run for these modules. The remainder of the course has assessments in the form of essays or equivalent—e.g., written assignments, presentations, and case reviews.
Glossary of Terms
Credits
You must earn a defined number of credits (aka ECTS) to complete each year of your course. You do this by taking all of its required modules as well as the correct number of optional modules to obtain that year's total number of credits.
Module
An examinable portion of a subject or course, for which you attend lectures and/or tutorials and carry out assignments. E.g., Algebra and Calculus could be modules within the subject of Mathematics. Each module has a unique module code e.g. MA140.
Subject
Some courses allow you to choose subjects, where related modules are grouped together. Subjects have their own required number of credits, so you must take all that subject's required modules and may also need to obtain the remainder of the subject's total credits by choosing from its available optional modules.
Optional
A module you may choose to study.
Required
A module that you must study if you choose this course (or subject).
Semester
Most courses have 2 semesters (aka terms) per year, so a three-year course will have six semesters in total.
Year 1 (90 Credits)
Required MD576: Reflective Clinical Practice - 10 Credits - Semester 1 & 2
Required MD577: Research Project - 30 Credits - Semester 1 & 2
Required MD1802: Research Methods - 10 Credits - Semester 1
Required MD1811: Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Disease - 10 Credits - Semester 1
Optional MD578: Lifestyle Risk Factor Modification - 30 Credits - Semester 2
Optional MD1800: Cardiac Rehabilitation - 30 Credits - Semester 2
Optional MD1803: Tobacco Cessation in Noncommunicable Disease Prevention and Management - 10 Credits - Semester 2
Optional MD1804: Diet and Weight Management in Preventive Medicine and Cardiovascular Health - 10 Credits - Semester 2
Optional MD1805: Physical Activity and Exercise in Chronic Disease Management - 10 Credits - Semester 2
Optional MD1810: Pharmacotherapeutic Approaches in Cardiometabolic Medicine - 10 Credits - Semester 2
Optional MD1812: Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation - 30 Credits - Semester 2
Why Choose This Course?
Career Opportunities
There is an array of employment opportunities in public health, health promotion, healthcare management, academic and research settings and the pharmaceutical industry. Graduates of the course with a clinical background will also specifically benefit from career advancement in the speciality of cardiac rehabilitation, pulmonary rehabilitation and integrated care programmes more broadly.
Who’s Suited to This Course
Learning Outcomes
Transferable Skills Employers Value
Work Placement
Study Abroad
Related Student Organisations
Course Fees
Fees: EU
€9,250 p.a. (€9,390 p.a. including levy) 2025/26
Fees: Tuition
€9,250 p.a. 2025/26
Fees: Student levy
€140 p.a. 2025/26
Fees: Non EU
€18,500 p.a. (€18,640 including levy). 2025/26
EU Fees are comprised of Tuition + Student Contribution Charge + Student Levy* €140. *Payable by all students and is not covered by SUSI. Further detail here.
For 25/26 entrants, where the course duration is greater than 1 year, there is an inflationary increase approved of 3.4% per annum for continuing years fees**.
**Excludes Full-Time EU Undergraduate fees. These are fixed and do not change.
Find out More
Programme Director:
Dr Jennifer Jones
Senior Lecturer in Preventive Medicine and Cardiovascular Health,
College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences,
University of Galway
Director of Education and Training,
National Institute for Prevention and Cardiovascular Health (NIPC).
T: +353 91 893 299
E: jennifer.jones@universityofgalway.ie
Programme endorsements
Professor David Wood | Weight Management Clinic Director
This new Masters course in Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation is uniquely tailored to meet the clinical knowledge and skills of all members of the multidisciplinary team—doctors, nurses, dieticians, physiotherapists, physical activity specialists, occupational therapists, psychologists and others—by providing a modern approach to interdisciplinary working in supporting cardiac and respiratory patients to achieve healthier lives.in Connect with Professor David
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Other programmes also offered within this suite of courses in Preventive Medicine and Cardiovascular Health include:
