The Faculty of Education and Health Sciences (EHS) offers an extensive suite of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes on both a full-time, part-time basis and a blended mode of delivery. Programmes in the Faculty, schools and departments are accredited by prestigious statutory, regulatory and Professional bodies (PSRB) such as CORU, Irish Medical Council, NMBI, Teaching Council of Ireland, Psychological Society of Ireland, Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council, Agency for Public Health Accreditation,  Department of Education and Skills, Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists, Association of Occupational Therapists of Ireland, Irish Association of Speech and Language Therapists.

The primary purpose of professional accreditation is to ensure that graduates from specific programs are professionally qualified and competent. The University also recognises that external accreditation of its programs by professional bodies is a crucial component of a quality assurance framework.

The Faculty of EHS considers external accreditation to be a very important marker of quality and prestige and it is a critical requirement for graduates to practice in their discipline field. Across the six academic units, there are 68 accredited undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, 48 of which are accredited by 12 different professional, statutory or regulatory bodies. A register of all PSRB programmes is maintained by the Accreditation and Quality Officer on the EHS Accreditation Hub.

PSRB Accreditation in Faculty of EHS (I have a little video that could go here)

https://web.microsoftstream.com/video/f6352048-8490-4681-a86a-debeb048297d

Accreditation in the University of Limerick

A variety of accrediting bodies conducts professional accreditation of programs offered by the University.  The University does not influence the accreditation process and fully recognises the independence of the accrediting bodies.

Many programmes in EHS schools and departments are accredited by Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Bodies (PSRB) such as;

  1. Teaching Council of Ireland
  2. Medical Council of Ireland
  3. Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland,
  4. Psychological Society of Ireland
  5. CORU - Regulating Health & Social Care Professionals Council 
  6. Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists
  7. Association of Occupational Therapists
  8. Irish Society of Speech and Language Therapists
  9. Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council
  10. Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute
  11. Agency for Public Health Education Accreditation
  12. Department of Education and Skills

A list of Professional Statutory or Regulatory Bodies (PSRB) accrediting programmes in the Faculty of EHS is maintained on the EHS Accreditation Hub

Accreditation and Registration

Accreditation and Registration are two separate and different processes.

  • The purpose of accreditation is to ensure that a program of study meets essential criteria in the training and education of its graduates in particular fields.
  • Registration, however, is the licensing of the individual graduate to work as a professional. Most professional areas require both accreditation and registration
  • During the process of professional accreditation, a program is assessed against predetermined criteria within specific specified categories (for example, objectives, curriculum content, resourcing, staff profile), to decide whether the program meets minimum standards set by the relevant accrediting body.
  • Professional accreditation provides programs conducted by the University with the following benefits: 
    • recognition by employers of graduates
    • adherence to a code of ethics
    • independent quality assurance
    • the currency of curriculum content and standards
    • a standard for national and international comparison o employment mobility for graduates 

Accreditation & Quality Officer

The Accreditation and Quality Officer is responsible for the planning, coordination and support of the various accreditation, and quality, processes and submissions in the Faculty of EHS and has developed various resources to assist schools/departments with the process. 

The EHS Accreditation Hub is used by course directors and administrators to plan, prepare and apply for the professional accreditation of programmes. The hub includes a register PSRB’s and EHS programmes; previous accreditation applications; reports and approval letters from accrediting bodies; supporting documentary evidence; an EHS Accreditation Guidelines Manual which explains the process and planning stages, and instructional videos. The hub resides on the Faculty’s SharePoint site and so is restricted to EHS staff only.

Contact

Ann Marie Kennedy

Accreditation and Quality Officer

ann.marie.kennedy@ul.ie via email or MS Teams