Course Details

Course Code(s):
MSDEHWTFAD
/
MSDEHWTPAD
Available:
Part-Time
Full-Time
Intake:
Autumn/Fall
Course Start Date:
September
Duration:
1 Year FT or 2 Year PT
Award:
Masters (MSc)
Qualification:
NFQ Level 9 Major Award
Faculty: Science and Engineering
Course Type: Taught, Professional/Flexible
Fees: For Information on Fees, see section below.

Contact(s):

Name: Dr Louise Kiernan
Email: louise.kiernan@ul.ie Telephone: 353 (61)233686
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Express Interest

Register your interest here for more information or to be notified when applications are open.

Brief Description

The MSc in Design for Health and Wellbeing is focused on the design and innovation of medical technologies, products, service systems and human experiences to solve a variety of healthcare challenges. It is based on working and co-designing with stakeholders right across healthcare, from hospitals to mental health services, public health, and the wellbeing of consumers in society.

Through a practical, multidisciplinary approach you will learn by doing and work directly with clinicians and industry partners. In the design studio, you will hone your creative, problem-solving skills, and apply design methods to develop healthcare solutions.

With full-time and part-time options, the MSc in Design for Health & Wellbeing offers a flexible schedule to suit you, whether you want to advance your career in industry, switch career disciplines, or build on your undergraduate discipline.

This unique interdisciplinary programme draws on the complementary expertise from the School of Design, the School of Medicine, the Kemmy Business School and on the healthcare expertise of The University hospital Limerick group.

See examples of student work:

https://www.ul.ie/scieng/schools-and-departments/school-design/designul-2021/msc-design-health-and-wellbeing

The Masters is delivered predominantly in a design studio environment, cultivating a culture of creativity, peer learning and transdisciplinary exploration. The program is project focused with continuous assessment. The core design modules are based on collaborative problem solving, creativity and human centred design processes to rapidly research, synthesise and prototype solutions.

You will learn how to conduct design research in a clinical setting to uncover healthcare needs to create a design guide. You will apply ideation techniques to then generate ideas which will be further developed into refined solutions. You will develop expertise in ethics, good clinical practice for medical device design and medical device regulations.

You will learn about entrepreneurship and the analytical and conceptual skills required to establish a new innovative venture. You will also learn about the concepts of health and wellbeing, illness, disease and disability, the determinants of and influences upon health, and health inequalities and protection. Moreover, you will learn about anatomy and physiology in emergent care, the causes, risk factors and symptoms associated with different types of disease profiles along with the different types of treatments.

You will work across healthcare disciplines with external partners. Through clinical immersion in a hospital or other clinical settings you will collaborate with clinicians and other stakeholders to gain context-specific insights and define clinically relevant needs. You will also work with leading companies within MedTech to develop cutting edge solutions.

If you want to explore, if you want to experiment, if you want to innovate, then apply here.

There are also alternative exit routes/awards for students to avail of :

  1. Full-Time – Graduate Diploma in Design for Health and Wellbeing after Spring semester on completion of 60 credits.
  2. Part-Time – Graduate Diploma in Design for Health and Wellbeing after Spring semester of year 2 on completion of 60 credits.
  3. Full-Time – MSc in Design for Health and Wellbeing after Summer semester of Year 1 on completion of 90 credits.
  4. Part-Time – MSc in Design for Health and Wellbeing after Summer semester of Year 2 on completion of 90 credits
Autumn Semester - Full time  Spring Semester - Full time Summer Semester - Full time
  • Entrepreneurship – Establishing International Ventures
  • Design Research
  • Anatomy and Physiology in Emergent Care 1

 

(30 ECTS)
  • Human Factors in Health Systems
  • Introduction to Health and Health Promotion
  • Ideation and Representation
  • Concept Development and Evaluation

(30 ECTS)
  • Design Project (30 credits)

 

 

(30 ECTS)
Autumn Semester Part-time Year 1 Spring Semester - Part-time Year 1 Summer Semester - Part-time Year 1
  • Entrepreneurship - Establishing International Ventures
  • Design Research

(15 ECTS)
  • Human Factors in Health Systems
  • Ideation and Representation

(15 ECTS)

 
Autumn Semester - Part-time Year 2 Spring Semester - Part-time Year 2 Summer Semester Part-time Year 2
  • Anatomy & Physiology in Emergent Care 1

(15 ECTS)
  • Introduction to Health and Health Promotion
  • Concept Development and Evaluation

(15 ECTS)
  • Design Project (30 credits)

(30 ECTS)

Students will work across domains and at the borders of design and other disciplines. The approach will be based on real-world challenges linked with industry and community partners. Through this real-world approach students will learn to identify opportunities and innovate solutions that have a positive impact on individual, as well as public, health and wellbeing. Foundation knowledge in design processes build to specific expertise as applied to the are as health and wellbeing. The curriculum focuses on experimentation, exploration to develop critical thinking, independent learning and an ability to bring new processes and thinking to this emergent global area.
 

The minimum entry requirement to the programme is a 2:2, (Level 8 - National Qualifications Authority of Ireland) undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in a relevant or appropriate subject as outlined below, or equivalent prior learning that is recognised by the University as meeting this requirement.

Applications are welcome from students of non-design backgrounds who are interested in innovating solutions for tomorrow’s health and wellbeing challenges and opportunities. Examples include, but are not limited to, technical disciplines (science & engineering), business, medicine and allied health professions, and social sciences.

Where applicants are non-native English language speakers, certified achievement in TOEFL or IELTS Standard English Language Competency Test will be required.  An interview may be part of the admission process

WHAT TO INCLUDE WITH YOUR APPLICATION

  • Qualification transcripts and/or certificates (including certified English translations if applicable)
  • A copy of your birth certificate/passport
  • A curriculum vitae.
  • Statement of Interest: Applicants should describe their key areas of interest in the area of design and health and wellbeing. (500 max words). You may also include the following in your application (optional). Examples of previous work: Applicants can submit a digital portfolio showing samples of relevant student or professional work produced in the last five years. Visual work, analytic reports, proposal documents etc. may be included. 
  • If your qualifications have been obtained in a country where English is an official language this will suffice
  • If this is not available, the following additional documents must be provided:
    • English translation of your qualification(s)/transcripts
    AND
    • English language competency certificate

For more information Click Here

Applicants may be called for an interview. The interview normally takes 20-30 minutes and includes a review of the applicant’s application documentation.

Part Time:

EU - €4,798 per annum

Non- EU - €11,200 per annum

Full Time:

EU - €7,166 per annum

Non- EU - €18,002 per annum

Further information on fees and payment of fees is available from the Student Fees Office website. All fee related queries should be directed to the Student Fees Office (Phone: +353 61 213 007 or email student.fees.office@ul.ie.)

Please click here for information on funding and scholarships.

Graduates of this programme will have advanced design skills setting them up for innovation roles to lead the development of new health solutions across diverse applications and industries. Graduates have a high employment rate and are currently working in design practices, medical technology companies, hospitals and other healthcare settings.


Example careers include working in:

  • Product and medical device innovation
  • UX/UI design for healthcare
  • Service & systems design
  • Design project manager
  • Design Researcher
  • Human factors specialists
  • Regulatory affairs specialist
  • Business model design or design entrepreneurship
Eoin Martin

Eoin martin

“Lecturers were so supportive, prepared, and approachable in all aspects of the course from the theory to the application of skills in immersion/observation, ideation, concept development and prototyping right through to validation and verification. I am now applying these skills to my everyday role as Manufacturing Engineer with DePuy Synthes. If you are unsure of what area of design you want to pursue, I could not recommend this course highly enough. It can provide you with a myriad of career opportunities and/or further study as the skills you acquire from the MSc. in Design for Health and Wellbeing are transferable across several areas.”