Health & social care courses in Ireland, online.
Health and social care from care assistant to care manager, studied from Ireland: a QQI Level 5 foundation, the QQI Level 6 Diploma in Health and Social Care, and the BSc (Hons) Health and Care Management top-up from Arden University. From €220 a month. Social care worker is a protected title in Ireland, and these courses do not reach it.
The courses, by level.
Three priced courses, one after the other. The diplomas are about care practice and its management, not clinical training. The 60-credit diploma is the shorter option for people who want the qualification for work.
What you learn.
Care practice at the foundation, the running of care at the diploma, the management of services at the degree. Written assignments, no exams.
FoundationFoundation Diploma in Health and Social CareQQI 5 · About 10 months6 modules
- Responsibilities of a Health and Social Care Worker
- Personal and Professional Development in Health and Social Care
- Effective Communication and Ethical Practice in Health and Social Care
- Health, Safety and Wellbeing in Health and Social Care Settings
- Person-centred Approaches in Health and Social Care Settings
- Effective Handling of Information in Health and Social Care Settings
DiplomaDiploma in Health and Social CareQQI 6 · 10 to 15 months12 modules
- Promoting Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Health and Social Care
- Professional Development and Academic Writing Skills
- Communication in the Caring Professions
- Principles of Health and Safety for Health Professions
- Assessment Processes in Health and Social Care Settings
- Resource Management in Health and Social Care
- Working in Partnership in Health and Social Care
- Managing the Safeguarding and Protection of Vulnerable Individuals
- Health Education and Promoting Wellbeing
- Team Management in Health and Social Care
- Professional Supervision Practice in Health and Social Care
- Research Methods in Health and Social Care
DegreeBSc (Hons) Health and Care ManagementQQI 7–8 · One year5 modules
- Global Health and Sustainability
- Health Analytics and Planning
- Total Quality Management in Health & Care
- Project Management
- Independent Study for Health and Care Management
Who this is for.
People in care who want to move to senior, coordinating and managing roles.
- Care assistants and support workers in Ireland’s homes, hospitals and disability services
- People already managing a care setting without a management qualification
- People entering the sector who need a first qualification
None of these courses registers you as a nurse or a social worker; those are separate professional routes with their own qualifications.
Where it leads in Ireland.
Recruiters’ guides name the roles each level opens. The two figures are Ireland’s, from Eurostat.
Senior Health Care Assistant, or Team Lead
Role titles from the HSE pay scales and the Excel Recruitment healthcare guide.
Eurostat, Structure of Earnings Survey 2022 and Labour Force Survey 2024. Averages for people with any tertiary qualification, not a promise about anyone.
A completed bachelor’s degree opens postgraduate study at QQI Level 9, including Arden University’s MSc Health and Care Management.
Not this one yet: Social Care Worker is a protected title since December 2025, needing NFQ Level 7 and CORU registration.
Entry, in plain terms.
The school confirms your place when you apply; we check it with you on the first call, before you pay anything.
A Junior Certificate, a QQI Level 4 award, or the equivalent, or strong professional work experience in place of them. Age 16 or over.
A Leaving Certificate, a QQI Level 5 award, a QQI Level 5 foundation diploma, or the equivalent, or strong professional work experience in place of them. Age 16 or over.
A QQI Level 6 diploma or an HND in health or social care, or the equivalent, with prior learning consistent with QQI Level 6, a personal statement, and references. English at IELTS 6.0 or evidence that your previous study was in English. Arden University decides.
How QQI levels work in Ireland.
Ireland uses the QQI framework, which numbers levels differently from the EQF. A QQI Level 6 is the same level as an EQF Level 5. Irish NFQ and EQF levels compared →
Health & social care in Ireland: the questions we get.
Is this a nursing qualification?
No. Nursing and social work have their own registration routes. These courses qualify you in care practice and, at degree level, in the management of care services.
Can I study while working shifts?
Yes. Lectures are recorded and there are no timetabled classes or deadlines set by us, so the hours are yours. Most people finish the diploma in ten to fifteen months.
Is the diploma recognised in Ireland?
It is awarded by OTHM, regulated by Ofqual in the UK. On Ireland’s framework the level is its QQI equivalent, under QQI’s own referencing of the EQF, and the certificate is recognised across the EU.
What comes after the BSc?
A completed bachelor’s degree opens postgraduate study at QQI Level 9, including Arden University’s MSc Health and Care Management.
Other subjects in Ireland.
Studying from Malta? The same courses carry EQF levels there. Health & social care courses in Malta →