Masters in Continuing and Palliative Care

General Objectives of the Course

Course goals are:
- To prepare specialized professionals in the area of continuing and palliative care and therefore improved health care quality and symptom relief in end of life.
- To develop and support scientific quality research in the area of continuing and palliative care.

Admission Requirements

Holders of a Bachelor’s Degree, Master’s Degree or a legally equivalent qualification in the areas of Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Psychology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sociology, Social Service, Healthcare Technology and Management, trained in Universities and other Portuguese higher education institutions or institutions with legally equivalent qualification.
After curricular appraisal by the Scientific Council may be accepted exceptionally as candidates and may also register other Bachelors already working in the provision of continuing and palliative care.

Candidates should check the admission requirements available on this site, in addition to the information provided here.

Professional Goals

This study cycle want to create the conditions for the development of a differentiated training that dowry students with skills in the area of Continuing and Palliative care. It also intend to promotes an increase in quality of professional practice, scientific research and in the different areas that it covers.

Mode of Study

Face-to-face

Teaching / Evaluation language(s)

Portuguese

Examination Regulations, Assessment and Grading

As assessment is a pedagogical activity inseparable from the teaching process, its aim is to establish the students' competencies and knowledge, their critical sense, ability to recognize and resolve problems, as well as their written and oral presentation skills. Students may only register for exams for classes they are currently registered for under the terms of number 6 of article 4 of the University of Coimbra Pedagogical Policy. The following are examples of assessment items: Oral or written exams, written or practical work, individual and group projects that may require an oral defense, as well as class participation. Assessment for each class may include one or more of the above mentioned items. Grading is based on a scale of 0 to 20 and a grade of 10 is required to pass. Whenever the grade comprises more than one item, the final grade is calculated by taking into account the relative weight of each item according a formula published in the course outline under the terms of number 2 of article 7 of the UC Pedagogical Policy.

Learning Objectives and Intended Skills

To recognise and justify interventions specificities in of continuing and palliative area in different period of life from childhood to elderly.
- To intervene effectively in order to provide pain and other symptoms relief.
- To effectively communicate with patients and their families, taking in account their social and personal specificities.
- To demonstrate team work capacities.
- To conceive a nurturing and caring quality plane to address the needs of patients with chronic, advanced and progressive disease enhancing quality of life.
- To demonstrate ethical reflection and good review of complexes issues related with clinical practice in continuing and palliative care.
- To prepare a proposal to create, organize and evaluate a continuing and palliative care service.
- To evaluate different organizational and management proposals of a Continuing and palliative care service, and justify their options.

Course Coordinator(s)

Marilia Assunção Rodrigues Ferreira Dourado
mdourado@fmed.uc.pt

ECTS Departmental Coordinator(s)

Ricardo José David Costa Vieira
ricardo.vieira@portugalmail.pt

Recognition of Prior Learning

The recognition of prior learning is carried out according according to the Credits for Previous Learning and Work Experience Policy of the University of Coimbra.

Qualification Requirements and Regulations

The legal framework for the qualification is established by the decrees: Decree-Law nr 74/2006, 24th March, in its current wording.

Graduation Requirements

TThe Master's degree requires the successful completion of all units of study in the study plan, as well as a dissertation or the stage, totalling 120 ECTS.

Access to Further Studies

Master's graduates in Continous and Palliative Care have increased competences for applying to a PhD programme.

Study Programme

Continuous and Palliative Care

Academic year
2025-2026

Course Type
2nd Cycle Studies - Advanced Specialisation Master Programme

DGES Code: M657

Qualification Awarded: Mestre

Duration: 2 Year(s)

ECTS Credits: 120.0

Category: Advanced specialization second cycle

Applications

Call for Applications

Calendar

1st Semester: Start date: 08-09-2025
End date: 19-12-2025
2nd Semester: Start date: 09-02-2026
End date: 21-05-2026

Accreditations

Agência de Avaliação e Acreditação do Ensino Superior: 2022-07-31 a 2028-07-30
Direcção Geral de Ensino Superior: Nº Registo: R/A-Cr 197/2012/AL01; 2022-08-29