Public Service Innovation
This programme—the only one in Ireland designed exclusively for employees from the civil and public sector and from local authorities—addresses a field of huge importance: innovation.
| Award Name | Special Purpose Diploma (Level 8 NFQ) |
|---|---|
| NFQ Classification | Special Purpose |
| Awarding Body | National University of Ireland |
| NFQ Level | Level 8 NFQ |
| Award Name | NFQ Classification | Awarding Body | NFQ Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Special Purpose Diploma (Level 8 NFQ) | Special Purpose | National University of Ireland | Level 8 NFQ |
Duration
One year of part-time study.
DELIVERY METHOD:
The programme is delivered through a combination of online webinars and in-person seminars at the IPA. Students are supported in their studies with various online and other resources.
Entry Requirements
Applicants Require:
1. Leaving Certificate (examination from 2017 onwards): Candidates must obtain a pass in at least six subjects accepted for NUI matriculation purposes, with at least Grade H5 in two subjects on the Higher Level and at least Grade H7 (Higher Level) or O6 (Ordinary Level) in four subjects. Papers passed must include Irish, English and a third language. Students applying for the BBS (Hons) must have passed the Mathematics paper.
OR
2. Students of mature years (students over 21 on January 1 of the calendar year of entry) may be matriculated by the IPA for the purpose of entering a course of study.
Special Case Applications
Prospective students who do not meet the requirements under paragraphs 1 and 2 above may qualify for admission by meeting other equivalent requirements. A Special Case Application Form can be requested from:
Dr Denis O’Brien
Registrar
Institute of Public Administration
57-61 Lansdowne Road
Dublin 4
Tel: +353 (01) 240 3600
Email: undergrad@ipa.ie
Subject Accumulation
In some programmes, students may enrol for one or more subjects each year until they complete the programme stage.
Exemptions
Graduates and those with other relevant awards, in particular university, QQI and Technological University awards, may apply for an exemption from a subject(s) or entire stages of certain IPA programmes. Only those who have studied relevant disciplines with be considered for exemptions. Exemptions cannot be awarded in a one-year programme or at the award stage of longer programmes.
Application forms for exemptions are available from the IPA. They must be completed and returned no later than early October 2024. Applications must be accompanied by transcripts of results for each year of previous third-level studies.
Careers / Further progression
Progression
Students who successfully complete this programme can enter the second year of the BA (Hons) programme on completing a bridging programme.
Further information
COMMENCES: September 2024.
€2,600 (includes all matriculation and examination fees), payable in two instalments.
Application Deadline: September 2024.
How to Apply:
1. Go to www.ipa.ie.
2. Download the programme application form and complete it in full.
3. Email that form, along with all the items below, to undergrad@ipa.ie, with the subject heading: Application for: Name of Programme. The items below should be scanned and included as attachments in this email:
- A passport-type photograph.
- A scan of your passport, driver’s license, or birth certificate.
- The fee for the programme or confirmation, including a PO number, that fees will be pad by an employer.
- A scan of your Leaving Certificate or relevant qualification (only if you are under 21).
APPLICATIONS CANNOT BE PROCESSED UNLESS ALL RELEVANT DOCUMENTATION IS INCLUDED.
This programme - the only one in Ireland designed exclusively for employees from the civil and public sector and from local authorities—addresses a field of huge importance: innovation. It responds to the fact that public servants are working in an increasingly complex and challenging environment, one where being innovative has become a necessity rather than an option.
Delivered by a team of public service innovation specialists over four immersive and engaging modules, it will enable students to collaboratively tackle multiple real-world government challenges by applying “design thinking”, a widely used and proven innovation process. Students will develop core innovation skills like empathy, problem framing, ideation, prototyping and iterative testing as well as collaborative skills like nurturing psychological safety
Is This Programme for You?
Yes, if you wish to present as a public servant that understands the theory and practice of contemporary organisational innovation. Graduates will obtain the confidence and skill sets to lead innovative projects and encourage creative approaches to problems and efforts at reform.
Innovation Principles and Applications:
This module explores various behaviours associated with innovation that lead to changes in the ways things are understood and done. It examines different aspects of creativity, innovation skills, collaboration and communication.
Leadership and the Management of Change:
This module aims to establish the nature of innovation, explore various components of, and stages in, the innovative process and assess major innovative practices and techniques. It also assesses the critiques and limitations of innovation.
Innovative Behaviours:
The main aim of this module is to analyse the place of innovation in the work environment and its interactions with leadership and teamwork. It examines the role of leadership in innovation and explores the processes and challenges of leading innovative changes, at both the individual and organisational levels.
Action Learning Project:
A project modules sees students apply what they have learned to an area of work where they believe innovation can be applied. They will participate in peer groups to exchange and analyse information and practice.
Students are assessed by module assignments and by the action learning project. The latter is a capstone project reflecting all the learning throughout the course.
All Correspondence and enquiries should be address to:
Undergraduate Office,
Whitaker School of Government and Management,
Institute of Public Administration,
57-61 Lansdowne Road,
Dublin D04 TC62, Ireland
Telephone: +353 (01) 240 3600
Email: undergrad@ipa.ie
www.ipa.ie