Course profile: higher diploma in learning disability studies

Institution: How long has the course been running? five years.

Course duration: One year, part-time.

What is the aim of the course? To equip professionals to promote the ideals of inclusion and independence in their teams, the service that employs them and in the greater community, says Dr Patricia Walsh, director of UCD's Centre for the Study of Developmental Disabilities.

Who does the course? Mostly qualified professionals - nurses, teachers, therapist and psychologists working in the field of disability.

How many people are admitted to course?

Entry requirements:

A primary degree or equivalent - a nursing qualification for example. "We have people from all sorts of backgrounds - drama for example," Walsh says. "We don't rule out anyone until we have talked to them and found out about their commitment to working in the field."

Course content:

Philosophies and models, life-span development issues, teamwork and partnership, assistive technology, policy and legislation, research practice, barriers to inclusion and an individual research project.

The course is multidisciplinary - lecturers come from a variety of departments including medicine, psychology, sociology, education, engineering and architecture. It is co-ordinated by Prof Annraoi de Paor of UCD's department of electronic and electrical engineering.

Cost: currently under review.

Last year's fee: £1,680.

Contact: Tina Jones, Continuing Professional Education, UCD. Tel: (01) 71668712/8714; e-mail tina.jones@ucd.ie.