EUniWell’s joint degree “Well-Being oriented Healthcare” successfully accredited
EUniWell has officially received accreditation of its new joint master’s programme in “Well-Being oriented Healthcare”, marking a transformative step in reimagining healthcare education across Europe. The programme is an international, part-time, practice-oriented master’s programme for healthcare professionals who want to place well-being at the centre of care. It prepares students to look beyond isolated diseases and to consider the physical, mental, social, and spiritual dimensions of health. It also gives them the opportunity to learn with peers from different countries, professions, and healthcare systems.
The accreditation, conducted by the agency AQAS, assessed the programme according to the criteria of the European Approach for the Quality Assurance of Joint Programmes, ensuring full alignment with European standards for interdisciplinary and internationally recognised higher education. As a result, the outcome will now be recognised across the participating countries.
The expert panel described the programme as “highly innovative” and highlighted that, by “leveraging the specific expertise of each partner, the curriculum offers a disciplinary depth that would be impossible for a single institution to achieve alone.”
The application portal will open in mid-July, with applications accepted until 3 September.
Become an advocate for change
At a time of rapid demographic change and increasing demand for person-centred care, this innovative master’s programme places well-being at the heart of healthcare. It equips healthcare professionals with the knowledge, skills, and ethical framework to deliver comprehensive, compassionate, and sustainable care that supports not only patients but also caregivers, families, and healthcare providers.
The curriculum integrates biomedical science with psychosocial, mental, spiritual, and ethical dimensions of well-being, reflecting the complexity of human experience. Drawing on disciplines including medicine, nursing science, psychology, philosophy, and social sciences, the programme fosters an interdisciplinary understanding of well-being across the lifespan – especially critical in an ageing society.
The programme will bring not only an important added value to its students and their professional environment, but also help healthcare systems become more resilient and sustainable. It will prepare graduates to face future challenges by providing high-quality comprehensive and global treatment that fosters well-being and quality of life.
Designed for working professionals
The programme is tailored for healthcare practitioners worldwide who hold a bachelor’s degree and have at least 12 months of professional experience. These may be
- physicians, nurses, psychologists, physiotherapists, healthcare managers, medical educators, care professionals, public health professionals, professionals in palliative care, gerontology, mental health, rehabilitation, or community health
The programme is designed as a part-time programme covering 2 years, with mainly virtual delivery to enable professionals to continue working while studying in their home country.
Key features include:
- Four mandatory short-term mobility periods (6 days each) in Cologne, Budapest, Murcia, and Florence, offering immersive experiences in diverse European healthcare systems and research environments.
- A comparative European perspective, enabling students to critically reflect on national healthcare models and best practices.
- A strong focus on practical application, with students developing real-world strategies to implement person-centred, well-being-oriented care in their own settings.
- A wide international network of peers sharing a joint vision for future healthcare practices.
Upon successful completion, graduates will receive a joint degree awarded by the partner universities, a “Master of Well-Being oriented Healthcare”.
European by design and connected to practice
The master’s programme is a jointly developed educational offer by partner universities collaborating within the European University Alliance “European University for Well-Being”, EUniWell. The five partners have been cooperating in medicine and healthcare for the past five years, sharing complementary strengths.
- University of Cologne
- University of Murcia
- Semmelweis University
- University of Florence
- University of Santiago
All five partners are experienced in offering healthcare education, with strong medical and/or healthcare faculties, and they have joined forces in advancing education and healthcare by providing this innovative, international and interdisciplinary integrated curriculum. Each partner brings unique foci and complementary expertise to the consortium and the partners complement each other along the biopsychosocial model and the analysis of determinants of well-being.
Led by Academic Coordinator Prof. Dr. Maria Cristina Polidori, Professor of Ageing Medicine and Geriatrics and Head of Ageing Clinical Research head at the University of Cologne, the programme includes experts from medicine, nursing science, psychology, philosophy, and the social sciences to move beyond a narrow focus on isolated diseases and molecular medicine towards a holistic understanding of health and well-being.
Get ready and prepare your application
Application is managed by the University of Murcia and opens mid-July.
The application process includes a screening of applicants’ eligibility (i.e. document check) followed by a virtual (group) interview with the academic programme leads to learn about the applicant’s motivation to join the programme.
Applicants are required to hand in the following documents:
- An application form
- An outline of a project to be pursued in the degree programme
- Certificate(s) of degree(s)
- Proof of professional experience of at least 12 months (in form of e.g. confirmation/certification by an employer, letter of recommendation etc.)
- Proof of English language skills (in form of an official certificate not older than 2 years at the date of application)
Selection will be based on a weighted assessment of the grade of the bachelor’s degree and the interview (40% each) and the project sketch (20%).
The tuition fees for the entire programme are 5.000€ (excluding costs for travel and accommodation during the short-term mobilities and administrative fees at the partner institutions).
Further information
Visit the programme's landing page for further information: www.euniwell.eu/what-we-offer/educational-offer/professional-masters-degree-programme-well-being-oriented-healthcare
If you are interested in the partners’ research, the following media outlets offer a glimpse into their work:
- Prof. Dr. Maria Cristina Polidori in the German tv documentary on “My life – My Age: Who determines how old I am?” (Mein Leben – Mein Alter: Wer bestimmt, wie alt ich bin?) – only available in German
- Prof. Dr. Fiammetta Cosci in her EUniWell Open Lecture on “Well-Being, Health and Ageing: psychological well-being and resilience”
- Prof. Dr. Maria Cristina Polidori in her EUniWell Open Lecture on “Principles of Ageing Medicine for the rapidly changing society of the 21st century”
Contact
If you are interested in the programme, either as a potential student or an employer looking for career support for your staff, please contact Dr. Dorothee Groeger (Programme Coordinator) or Prof. Dr. Cristina Polidori (Academic Coordinator) via master-health[at]euniwell.eu
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