M.Sc (Ageing and Public Policy)

Course Overview
Driven by a commitment to research-informed interdisciplinary education, the MSc examines demographic aging from a public policy perspective, critically assessing existing approaches and future directions to secure an effective and fair means of engaging older people in aging societies. 

Students will: analyze critical policy challenges relevant to diverse older populations; assess the role of public policy in the fair and effective allocation of opportunities across the life course; evaluate the readiness of existing policy structures; and assess to what degree the application of policy levers are supporting older people and addressing system sustainability issues. Hosted at the internationally recognised Irish Centre for Social Gerontology, the course comprises of an applied project, and taught modules in the areas of: public policy and the economics of ageing; social exclusion and inequality; international policy; health systems and policy analysis; work, pensions and retirement; and diversity, ageing and the life course.

In completing this program, students will be able to:

• Analyze critical policy challenges relevant to demographic aging and the lived experiences of a diverse older population;
• Assess the role of public policy in the fair and effective allocation of resources and opportunities across the life course;
• Evaluate the readiness and influence of existing policy structures and broader socio-political context on the success of policy implementation;
• Assess to what degree the application of policy levers are supporting older people and boosting system sustainability, or creating new unintended inequalities and system sustainability issues.