Higher Diploma in Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE)

Course Outline

Central to the Higher Diploma in SPHE is the development of facilitation skills which will enable participants to work effectively in many settings including schools.  The core focus on personal development supports participants to discover that when they empower themselves to be well they can support others to reach their potential to be well.

The programme is jointly run by the Department of Health, Sport and Exercise Science and the Department of Adult and Continuing Education in partnership with the HSE.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of the Higher Diploma in SPHE participants will be able to:

§  Demonstrate a basic knowledge of effective facilitation skills, i.e. effective listening, clarification skills, creating a safe environment;

§  Design and deliver an experiential workshop;

§  Demonstrate awareness of boundaries;

§  Access and use the skills of assertive communication;

§  Demonstrate a knowledge of underlying factors which contribute to current health problems and associated risk factors;

§  Identify, own and feel their feelings;

§  Distinguish between expressing feelings in a safe way and acting out those feelings;

§  Identify how relationship with self impacts upon relationship with others;

§  Identify how experiences encountered in formative years affect one’s process in the present    day;

§  Self-evaluate their process and performance;

§  Access and interpret health information.

How is this Programme Structured?

For the award of the Higher Diploma you need to accumulate 60 credits.

* WIT reserves the right to make changes affecting this course without prior notice

The Higher Diploma runs from September to May over two semesters and each semester is 15 weeks long.  The delivery of the course reflects the flexibility required for adult learners and all modules are delivered one evening per week from 7 -10 pm and on three weekends (two residential and one non-residential).  Participants must attend at leave 80% of the course hours in order to pass the course.  This programme may be delivered in a modular form over 2 years and for further information contact the course leaders.

Programme Delivery

Experiential learning is the “methodology” used throughout the course and a maximum of 16 participants will be allocated to each group.  Depending upon the number of applicants, the course may also be offered in outreach centres as well as at the Waterford Institute of Technology.

Entry Requirements

Applicants for this programme must hold a Level 7 or an equivalent qualification.  Participants will be interviewed before being offered a place on this programme and entry onto the course is subject to this interview.  

Applicants who do not hold a level 7 qualification, may access the Institutes’ Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Portfolio option.  Through this Portfolio process applicants will be supported to demonstrate their experiential learning to date.  For more information on this please contact the course leaders. 

RPL pdf

Legacy students who completed the former South Eastern Health Board SPHE programme (1988-1992) or the Extra Mural Certificate in SPHE (1993-2006) have an opportunity to supplement their existing training in order to allow them to achieve a Graduate Diploma in Arts in Social, Personal and Health Education (level 8).  Please download the attached and contact course leaders if you would like more information on this process.

Transition pdf

 All eligible applicants will be called for an interview before an offer of a place will be made.

 Career Opportunities

For all people whose core work involves communication with others; this course is an invaluable asset to the following;

Entry Requirements

Applicants for this programme must hold a Level 7 or an equivalent qualification.  Participants will be interviewed before being offered a place on this programme and entry onto the course is subject to this interview.  

Applicants who do not hold a level 7 qualification, may access the Institutes’ Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Portfolio option.  Through this Portfolio process applicants will be supported to demonstrate their experiential learning to date.  For more information on this please contact the course leaders and simply download the attached form to apply.

 Legacy students who completed the former South Eastern Health Board SPHE programme (1988-1992) or the Extra Mural Certificate in SPHE (1993-2006) have an opportunity to supplement their existing training in order to allow them to achieve a Graduate Diploma in Arts in Social, Personal and Health Education (level 8).  Please download the attached and contact course leaders if you would like more information on this process

How to Apply  Please go to www.pac.ie

Closing date for Receipt of Applications     Thursday 31th May 2012

Application Queries contact:

Postgraduate Administrator,

School of Education and Professional Development,

Waterford Institute of Technology,

College St. Campus,

Waterford . 

Tel:  +353 (0)51 302225

For Further Details please contact

COURSE LEADERS

HDip in SPHE flyer
(PDF, 787KB)