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1. Study
2. Adult Continuing Education
3. Study At ACE
4. Part-time Masters Programmes
5. Mindfulness Based Wellbeing

Course Fact File

Code	MSCMBW
Duration	Two years
Teaching Mode	Part-Time
Qualifications	MSc
NFQ Level	Level 9
Fees	€10,600 Year 1: 5,300 Euro. Year 2: 5,300 Euro. See Fees and Costs for full details.
Closing Date	Round One: 26 June 2026
Venue	UCC Campus / Online Blended
Start Date	September 2026

Course Outline

This MSc in Mindfulness -Based Wellbeing trains students to teach mindfulness in schools, the workplace, and everyday life. Mindfulness can assist in developing greater resilience, stress reduction, and self-regulation, while at the same time fostering greater self-awareness and better engagement with people, teams, challenges, and opportunities.

Year one of this programme explores the foundations of mindfulness, examines eastern philosophy of mindfulness, and considers how it engages with western psychology. It explores the central themes incorporated in Mindfulness-Based interventions and develops an appreciation for their inclusion. The attitudes of mindfulness are explored while the student is challenged to reflect on and contextualise the role of mindfulness practice in everyday settings, and particularly in their own life and in their own personal mindfulness practice. Part one offers the student the opportunity to choose between receiving training on the teaching of mindfulness in school settings or in Organisational / workplace settings.

Year two of the programme explores the role of self-compassion in mindfulness while also exploring Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT). It examines the role of mindfulness in the therapeutic setting and in the building and maintaining of productive relationships. Finally the student is trained to teach Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT / MBSR). Please see below a short introductory video on the course.   

Course Details

YEAR 1 

 Foundations of Mindfulness (10 Credits)

 Mindfulness Teaching and Personal Practice (15 Credits)

And either:                            

 Teaching Mindfulness in Schools (20 credits)

                                    or

 Teaching Mindfulness in the Workplace (20 credits)

 

YEAR 2 

 Mindfulness Based Interventions and Relationships (15 Credits)

 Research dissertation on the Teaching of MBCT / MBSR (30 Credits)

 

Course Queries

For any other Academic Queries, Programme timetable and Course Content Queries not listed on this page, please contact the Programme Coordinator:

• Dr Pat O Leary at p.oleary@ucc.ie,  087 3298052

For Online Application Support please click here. 

If you require further assistance with your online application please contact the Programme Administrator Noreen Delea at n.delea@ucc.ie. 

 

Course Practicalities

Lecture Schedule:

Evening online classes will generally take place on Monday or Friday evenings from 6.30pm to 9.30pm.

Weekend lectures in year one (four in total) and a year two retreat will be face-to-face. Most other evening and day workshops will be delivered online. (Year two retreat will cost approximately €300 in addition to fees for food, accommodation etc). 

Garda vetting will be completed.

How is the course assessed? 

There is continuous assessment through assignments and mindfulness logs.

Who teaches this course? 

Dr Pat O’Leary, Pascale De Coninck, Dr. David Shannon, Eluned Gold, Susan Barrett,  Anne Kirwan, Karen Benn and Blanca Pages are the core lecturers on this programme, as well as a number of guest lecturers who are experts in the field of mindfulness. 

Why Choose This Course

This programmes trains the student to teach mindfulness in schools or in the workplace and to teach Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy programmes (MBSR / MBCT).

The Post Graduate Certificate will equip the student to teach mindfulness in schools or in workplace settings in year one, while in year two, the Post-graduate Diploma further deepens knowledge and practice.

Completion of the MSc trains students to teach the full MBSR or MBCT programmes in both face-to-face and online settings. This MSc brings together a team of lecturers with extensive experience in delivering mindfulness training across diverse settings and to a wide range of audiences. The fostering of well-being in schools is now a central value in educational settings. The workplace, too, is increasingly conscious of its duty of care to all its employees. Having a mindfulness trainer as part of a staff offers a cost effective way of providing wellbeing support to employees in the workplace or to students in schools.

Classes are delivered in the evenings, over weekends, one-day workshops and during a residential training retreat. Students on this programme not only develop a strong personal practice but also learn to teach mindfulness and to facilitate mindfulness groups. Students should have access to a group with whom they can deliver mindfulness training as part of their preparation in year one and two. 

 

Skills and Careers Information

On completion of this MSc programme the student will have learned the skills required to teach mindfulness training in a diverse range of settings. This training prepares the student to engage with wellbeing within their current place of work or to deliver training in Mindfulness-Based Interventions, including in wellbeing, to other audiences. 

Many of our past students have started their own mindfulness business, delivering wellbeing and mindfulness interventions in a variety of settings.

This programme will support you in developing your own private mindfulness practice and, as a consultant practitioner, in identifying and researching areas of specialisation that complement your particular area of interest within the mindfulness domain.  

Requirements

Programme Entry Requirements:

Applicants should:

• Hold a level eight honours degree or a Postgraduate Certificate in Mindfulness Based Practice (Level 9) or equivalent qualification within a relevant field such as health care, education, social care, family care or workplace development.
• Have completed a teacher-led 8-week mindfulness course (Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy or Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction)
• Have a regular meditation practice of mindfulness meditation, preferably as taught in MBSR and MBCT.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL):

Applicants whose primary degree is not within the disciplines listed above may still apply through RPL. These applicants should have at least five years of relevant professional experience within within a relevant field such as health care, education, social care, family care or workplace development.

• If you wish to apply via RPL, you must select “Yes” to the RPL question when completing your application in UCC Apply.
• As part of the application, you will be required to submit:
  • A Personal Statement outlining your motivation for applying and detailing relevant work or life experience.
  • Any other relevant supporting documentation evidencing your prior learning - please refer to the  for details on appropriate evidence.

Interview:

An interview forms an important element in assessing a candidate’s suitability for the programme, final decision on the inclusion of a candidate onto the programme will be determined by this process.

Fees and Costs

Total cost of the MSc: €10,600

• Year 1: €5,300
• Year 2: €5,300

Programme Payment:

• Applicants pay 50% of the year one fee (€2,650) on application.
• This fee is fully refundable if the programme does not run or you are not offered a place on the programme.
• The remaining 50% of the year one programme fee is due by 31 Jan

For further information on fees and financial supports please click here. 

How To Apply

• Application Statement
• Birth Cert or Passport
• Passport Photograph 
• English Language Test Report [if applicable]
• Transcripts [if applicable]
• 50% of the year-one fees are required to complete your application

To Apply for this course please follow the steps below:

1. Create and account/login to UCC Apply by clicking the Apply Online button below.
2. Start a new application - you must choose Adult & Continuing Education
3. On the tab Academic Level, select the following options:
   • Academic Level: Adult Continuing Education (ACE at UCC)
   • Course Type:  ACE Part-time Courses
   • Academic Programme: Mindfulness Based Wellbeing - MSc

To obtain a step-by-step application guide with visual prompts, please contact the Programme Coordinator.