Aim

This Masters' in Ageing & Public Policy critically examines demographic ageing from a public policy perspective, and is driven by a commitment to research-led interdisciplinary education. It assesses existing approaches and future directions to secure effective and fair ageing societies.

This MSc is a new innovative, interdisciplinary programme that delivers sought after transferrable and topic specific skillsets, and which incorporates an applied project and placements at national public, NGO and private organisations. The MSc is available on a full-time or part-time basis and is intended to be delivered as both an in person or a remote access programme.

International Programme Distinctiveness

• First programme of its kind in Ireland, and one of the first that is available internationally.
• Hosted at an internationally recognised research centre - Irish Centre for Social Gerontology
• Delivered in collaboration with international policy experts (AGE Platform Europe; HelpAge International).

Why Ageing, Why Now

1. With the world’s older population projected to double by 2050, population ageing is recognised as a global challenge for sustainable development, and one of three major transformations facing the European Union, and the social, economic and health systems of its states.
2. The Sustainable Development Goals 2030 Agenda and the forthcoming European Commission Green Paper on Ageing testify to how ageing can create sustainability and equity challenges in every major policy domain – social protection, health, finance, housing and environment, employment, etc.
3. Despite extensive political commitment to finding innovative means to adapt to demographic change, existing efforts are often uncoordinated and ad-hoc with increasing evidence of growing inequalities amongst older e COVID-19 pandemic has only further not only exposed weakness in ageing-related policy, but also the neglect of the diversity of needs and preferences of the ageing populations.
4. There is a marked gap in graduate labour force skills, and capacity, to help public agencies, civil society organisations and private companies to address these challenges and to capitalise on the opportunities within ageing societies.

Graduate Skills

Provides topic specific and transferable skills sets including:

• In-depth knowledge of ageing related policy
• In-depth knowledge of public policy systems
• Capacity for critical thinking and theorizing
• Ability to assess and evaluate public polices
• Research, data and analytical methods
• Ability to apply data analysis techniques to real world policy challenges

Career Opportunities

Graduates will have in-depth analytical skills sets which will enhance their employability in general and age specific public policy e Masters in Ageing & Public Policy provides topic specific and transferable skills sets including:

• In-depth knowledge of ageing related policy
• In-depth knowledge of public policy systems
• Capacity for critical thinking and theorizing
• Ability to assess and evaluate public polices
• Research, data and analytical methods
• Ability to apply data analysis techniques to real world policy challenges