| Code | SS6809 |
|---|---|
| Duration | 10 weeks |
| Teaching Mode | Part-Time |
| Qualifications | Professionally Assessed |
| NFQ Level | Level 9 |
| Fees | €1086 See Fees and Costs for full details. |
| Closing Date | Opening for registration early 2025. Register your interest at the link above to receive info |
| Next Intake | September 2025 |
| Course Delivery Method | Online |
| Venue | Online
|
| Start Date | September 2025 |
Course Outline
Competency in understanding and addressing equality, diversity, and inclusion issues is a key skill for the contemporary workplace. This module explores issues relating to equality, diversity, and inclusion from a rights-based and social justice perspective. The content focuses on several key domains, including race and racism; genders and sexualities; disability, neurodiversity, and mental health; age and ageism; class; and anti-discriminatory praxis, cultural change, and workplace reform.
In this module we examine from a critical stance how equality, diversity, and inclusion are spoken about and addressed – but also challenged, ignored, resisted, rejected, and belittled – in the organisations in which we work and in society more broadly. Students undertaking this module will be supported to think critically about equality, diversity, and inclusion with a view to translating these insights into actions that advance social justice in their organisations, professions, and personal lives.
Course Queries
For Academic Queries and Course Content Queries please contact the Programme Coordinator Brenda Healy at b.healy@ucc.ie.
For Online Application Support please click here.
Course Practicalities
The programme will be delivered online over 10 weeks. This will include 7 weekly asynchronous lessons, which each include pre-recorded lectures and associated reading and learning activities. In each lesson, students examine key concepts relevant to the module’s key themes, drawing on impactful research literature to develop an understanding of how discrimination, inequality, and exclusion are produced and experienced, and how they can be addressed. Lessons include contributions from community-based and activist organisations about people’s lived experiences, with a practical focus on how professionals and colleagues can become better allies and accomplices, access good practice resources, and learn about and engage with relevant support agencies and helplines. Participants are invited to critically reflect on how these issues shape the experiences of the people that they work with and for and to consider how they can develop better practices and strategies to support inclusion, a welcoming workplace, and enhanced agency and advocacy around EDI.
Students will also engage in a one-to-one discussion in an online meeting with an academic staff member who is a research expert in the area of the student’s interest. In this meeting, students have the opportunity to discuss their ideas for enhancing policy and practice in their workplace or profession, thereby benefitting from their research and practice expertise in writing their assignments and in developing good practice.
Three online (synchronous) drop-in sessions will also be facilitated over the course of the 10 weeks.
Students also present their ideas to a group of their peers in a short online presentation.
Assessment
The module is assessed by continuous assessment in the form of a 5,000-word EDI practice portfolio.
Why Choose This Course
Competency in understanding and addressing equality, diversity, and inclusion issues is thus a key skill needed for professionals in the contemporary workplace. On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
- Identify key issues related to equality, diversity, and inclusion with respect to social differences, including race, religion and ethnicity, genders and sexualities, disability, neurodiversity and mental health, age, and class;
- Critically evaluate the concepts of equality, diversity, and inclusion from a rights-based and social justice perspective;
- Articulate a deep understanding about how discrimination, inequality and exclusion are experienced, informed by research evidence and personal accounts;
- Identify skills and practices that promote diversity, equality and inclusion, and scaffold agency and advocacy in various professions and in workplace settings;
- Engage in equality impact assessments of organisations, policies and procedures in professional settings and design solutions to advance EDI in workplace cultures;
- Foster a culture of inclusion where clients and service users feel respected, and that their perspectives and contributions are valued.
Progression
This Microcred module is also a core 10 credit module on the new Masters in Social Policy and Social Justice (Online). Students who successfully complete the Microcred module will be exempt from taking it again should they continue their studies with the Masters in Social Policy and Social Justice (Online). Students should note that the Masters is a completely separate application process.
Students who have gained an award of the Higher Diploma in Social Policy, or the CACE Higher Diploma in Facilitating Inclusion (Disability Studies), will also be considered eligible to apply to undertake the Microcred module.
Requirements
Applicants must have approximately two years of experience of working in an organisational or professional context where equality, diversity and inclusion issues are important concerns. The workplace or profession may be in the public, voluntary and community, or private sector. Applicants will detail employment history in their applications through a CV.
English Language Requirement: All applicants whose first language is not English are required to sit either an IELTS test or a recognised equivalent test. The minimum requirement is an IELTS score of 6.5 or the equivalent TOEFL with no individual section lower than 6.0. In addition to IELTS and TOEFL, several English language tests & examinations are applicable to most of our programmes. Further information on English language requirements can be found at PG English Language Entry Requirements | UCC | University College Cork | Ireland
Fees and Costs
€1086
This programme is HCI funded. Eligible applicants may apply for this funding which will cover 50% of the course fees. You can see eligibility criteria here.
Please note funding for this programme is limited and early application is advised.
How To Apply
Applicants need to be aware of the IT student checklist below before applying:
- You will need access to a laptop or desktop computer running a modern supported operating system with all software updates.
- Some of UCC’s services (e.g. the Canvas Virtual Learning Environment) link to an external site and also have mobile apps for iOS and Android Devices that you may wish to use as part of your studies. However, we recommend using your desktop web browser for submission of assessments.
- You should always use the most current version of your preferred browser. In general, we recommend the Chrome Web browser (Important Note: Internet Explorer will not work with Canvas).
- We recommend a reliable broadband connection with at least 7Mbps or more.
- You will require an Office suite of software (Microsoft Office or equivalent) and a PDF reader. You should always use the latest version of this software. All UCC students will have access to Office 365 which includes software such as Word/Excel/Powerpoint etc. once registered.
During your online application you will be required to upload the following documents:
- Birth Cert or Passport
- Curriculum Vitae
- English Language Test Report [if applicable]
- Transcripts [if applicable]
HCI Funding:
- Please note there are two options to choose from when applying. If you choose the HCI funding option you will be asked to confirm your eligibility. Please note this does not guarantee that you will be awarded this funding. You will still need to pay the 50% fee up front and our finance team can provide invoices should this be paid by your company.
Non-HCI Funding:
- Please note there are two options to choose from when applying. If you choose the non-HCI funding option you will be able to a.) pay your fees b.) fill out the company sponsorhip form which will go to your company for payment.