Conceptualize chronicity, disability, and dependency, identifying differences and relationships from individual, family, community, and systemic perspectives.
• Understand and apply new technologies supporting research and intervention, accessibility, employment, participation, and functionality, with emphasis on sociosanitary entrepreneurship.
• Describe sociosanitary care models, including integrated models, functions, weaknesses, and strengths.
• Understand legal and ethical principles applicable to chronicity, disability, and dependency, and apply reasoning in decision-making processes.
• Master methodological designs, epidemiological indicators, statistical analysis, and interpretation of research results.
• Disseminate research findings through scientific publications adapted to the sociosanitary field.
• Identify sociosanitary resources, levels of intervention, and management applications, including chronic disease prevention and lifestyle promotion.
• Analyze clinical conditions, assessment procedures, and interventions tailored to user needs.
• Design intervention, management, and research programs incorporating innovation, technology, and healthy lifestyle promotion in complex populations.
Formulate the concepts of chronicity, disability, and dependency and adapt current paradigms for their prevention and intervention.
Identify new entrepreneurship opportunities, leading the planning and implementation of innovative and efficient strategies in sociosanitary care.
Advise on the planning and design of public policies related to chronicity, disability, and dependency, as well as the development of sociosanitary care strategies.
Identify risk factors associated with chronic diseases and assess chronic, geriatric, and neurocognitive syndromes, carrying out appropriate interventions at each stage.
Lead plans, models, and innovative strategies related to promoting healthy lifestyles, autonomy, and well-being of chronic patients in contexts of particular complexity, adapted to the multidimensional nature of chronicity, disability, and dependency. Design, plan, and implement coordinated, interdisciplinary, and collaborative intervention processes to efficiently address chronicity situations. Apply new technologies to improve care and support for chronic patients and people with disability and dependency, considering practical, organizational, legal, and ethical implications. Lead communication in chronicity, clinical and sociosanitary management through comprehensive approaches that include the patient’s social and emotional environment. Understand the research process and different paradigms associated with chronicity, disability, and dependency, developing research projects aimed at addressing the problems of people with chronic diseases. Design projects and solutions, identifying emerging challenges and applying them to the real needs of the social and economic environment.Advise on the planning and design of public policies related to the management of chronicity, disability, and dependency, as well as the development of sociosanitary care strategies.
Identify risk factors associated with chronic diseases and assess chronic, geriatric, and neurocognitive syndromes, carrying out the appropriate interventions at each stage.
Identify new entrepreneurship opportunities, leading the planning and implementation of innovative and efficient strategies in sociosanitary care.
Design, plan, and implement coordinated, interdisciplinary, and collaborative intervention processes necessary to respond effectively to chronicity situations.
Design projects and solutions, identifying emerging challenges and applying them to the real needs of the social and economic environment.
Understand the research process and the different paradigms associated with chronicity, disability, and dependency, developing research projects aimed at addressing the problems of people with chronic diseases.
The graduate of this master’s program will acquire advanced knowledge in intervention, management, prevention, and therapeutic care in sociosanitary services for chronicity, disability, and dependency.
Graduates will be able to apply their advanced knowledge and specific competencies in various sociosanitary settings, within the scope of intervention, management, and research.
Specifically, it will enable you to: Conduct research in the field of disability and dependency from an interdisciplinary approach. Lead initiatives and integrate into sociosanitary care centers for chronicity, disability, and dependency. Access the interuniversity Doctoral Program in Health, Disability, Dependency, and Well-being.
El máster consta de 60 ECTS, que se distribuyen en un curso académico dividido en dos cuatrimestres y dos módulos. El primer módulo es común. Su docencia se concentra en el primer cuatrimestre y tiene carácter obligatorio. Consta de 4 materias comunes y otra optativa a elegir entre tres posibles. El segundo módulo, de carácter optativo, ofrece una propuesta distinta según la especialidad elegida (de tres posibles). Su docencia se imparte en el segundo cuatrimestre y consta de 4 asignaturas, además del Trabajo Fin de Máster (TFM) y de las Prácticas Externas. El estudiante elige el itinerario una vez formalizada la matrícula. El itinerario se cursa durante el segundo cuatrimestre. En el primer cuatrimestre se cursarán 27 ECTS y una asignatura optativa a elegir de 6 ECTS, entre tres posibles. En el segundo cuatrimestre se cursarán 27 ECTS, incluyendo el TFM y las prácticas externas.
The master’s program consists of 60 ECTS, distributed over one academic year divided into two semesters and two modules. The first module is common to all students. Its teaching takes place in the first semester and is mandatory. It includes 4 common subjects and one elective subject to choose from three options. The second module is elective and offers different options depending on the chosen specialization (three possible specializations). Its teaching takes place in the second semester and consists of 4 subjects, in addition to a Master’s Thesis (TFM) and External Internships.
Students select their pathway once they enroll. The chosen pathway is completed during the second semester. In the first semester, students complete 27 ECTS plus one elective subject of 6 ECTS, chosen from three options. In the second semester, students complete 27 ECTS, including the Master’s Thesis and the external internships.
The masters are organized by modules. Click on a module for more information.
| Guide | Type | QTR. | credits | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research Methodology and ICT for information search | Compulsory | annual | 9 ECTS | |
| Bioethical-Legal Foundations and Public Health Strategies in Chronicity | Compulsory | 1st | 6 ECTS | |
| Socio-health Study of Chronicity. Disability and Dependency | Compulsory | 1st | 6 ECTS | |
| Technology applied to Disability and Chronicity | Compulsory | 1st | 6 ECTS | |
| Chronicity: Risk Factors. Prevention and Intervention | Optional | 1st | 6 ECTS | |
| Chronicity in Neurological conditions: Bases. Prevention and Intervention | Optional | 1st | 6 ECTS | |
| Bases for Psychosocial Prevention of Chronicity | Optional | 1st | 6 ECTS |
| Guide | Type | QTR. | credits | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management of Social and Health Resources in Chronicity | Optional | 2nd | 3 ECTS | |
| Multidisciplinary Approach to Chronic Pain | Optional | 2nd | 4.5 ECTS | |
| Bases and Principles of Neuroscience and Neurological Rehabilitation | Optional | 2nd | 4.5 ECTS | |
| Multidimensional Study of Respiratory and Cardiovascular Chronicity | Optional | 2nd | 4.5 ECTS | |
| External Practices in Functional Rehabilitation | Optional | 2nd | 4.5 ECTS |
| Guide | Type | QTR. | credits | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Permanent Language and Communication Disorders | Optional | 2nd | 3 ECTS | |
| Intervention in Dementia | Optional | 2nd | 4.5 ECTS | |
| Family Intervention in Disability | Optional | 2nd | 4.5 ECTS | |
| Psychoeducational Approaches for Well-being in Chronicity | Optional | 2nd | 4.5 ECTS | |
| External Practices in Psychosocial Intervention | Optional | 2nd | 4.5 ECTS |
| Guide | Type | QTR. | credits | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research in Neuroscience and Neurorehabilitation | Optional | 2nd | 3 ECTS | |
| Physiotherapy Intervention in Neurodevelopmental Disorders | Optional | 2nd | 4.5 ECTS | |
| Physiotherapy Intervention in Adults and Older People with Neurological Disabilities | Optional | 2nd | 4.5 ECTS | |
| Technological Innovation in Neurorehabilitation | Optional | 2nd | 4.5 ECTS | |
| External Practices in Intervention. Research and Innovation in Neurological Physiotherapy | Optional | 2nd | 6 ECTS |
| Guide | Type | QTR. | credits | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Master’s Dissertation in Functional Rehabilitation | Compulsory | 2nd | 6 ECTS | |
| Master’s Dissertation in Psychosocial Intervention | Compulsory | 2nd | 6 ECTS | |
| Master’s Dissertation in Intervention. Research and Innovation in Neurological Physiotherapy | Compulsory | 2nd | 6 ECTS |
The relevance of disability and dependency has been recognized as a human rights issue since the entry into force of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD, 2008) (https://www.boe.es/buscar/doc.php?id=BOE-A-2008-6963 ).
The World Report on Disability (WHO, 2011, https://www.who.int/es/publications/i/item/9789241564182 ) indicates that over 1 billion people live with some form of disability, accounting for approximately 15% of the global population.
At the national level, the latest disability report derived from the Active Population Survey by the National Institute of Statistics (INE, 2020; https://www.ine.es/prensa/edad_2020_p.pdf?) places the prevalence of disability in Spain at 6.3%. The most recent data from the Olivenza Report (2020-21; https://www.observatoriodeladiscapacidad.info/informe-olivenza-2020-2021-sobre-la-situacion-de-la-discapacidad-en-espana/ ) corroborate these figures and indicate that they are increasing. In the World Report on Disability (2011, https://www.who.int/es/publications/i/item/9789241564182 ), the WHO recommends strengthening and supporting disability research. The research orientation of this program, which aligns with this initiative, will enhance the professional development of those dedicated to chronicity, disability, and dependency.
At the national level, external references for this program include: Expert in Chronicity, Health Promotion, and Personal Autonomy (University of Deusto). Master in Advanced Nursing Practice in Chronicity and Dependency Care (University of Huelva). Interdisciplinary Master in Comprehensive Chronic Care (University of Barcelona). Master in Integrated Care in Chronicity and Aging (Pompeu Fabra University).
These educational profiles are also found internationally: Graduate Certificate in Chronic Condition Management (Flinders University – Australia). Chronic Disease Management (Saint Mary’s University – United Kingdom).Long Term and Chronic Conditions Management (Swansea Un
The preparation of the master’s program report on Chronicity and New Models of Sociosanitary Care is the result of collaborative work among various centers, departments, and areas, which, together with the Vice-Rectorate for Academic Planning and Teaching Innovation at UDC, and prior to defining the composition of the drafting committee, analyzed the possibilities, needs, and profiles of the new degree, also from an interuniversity perspective.
The proposal presented in this report has been subjected to external consultation with professionals and employers from different sociosanitary entities, as well as professional organizations, with the aim of providing feedback and linking it to the real context. Participants included professionals from the University Hospital Complex of A Coruña, the CEFINE Neurological Physiotherapy Center, María Mariño Special Education School, the Bergondo Center for the Promotion of Personal Autonomy, and the Sanitas Residential Center, covering the potential needs in chronicity across all stages of life and from different perspectives. The consulted professionals and managers helped define the profile of the expert professional best suited to meet social needs in chronicity, which formed the basis for establishing the learning outcomes, with some actively participating in the development of the content. A formal report was requested from the Official College of Physiotherapists of Galicia and the Spanish Association of Physiotherapists, as representative bodies of the physiotherapy profession, regarding the potential interest of this program for graduates from this field.
The study is taught by the following teachers:
The masters are organized by modules. Click on a module for more information.
UDC holds student mobility agreements with universities and other third-level institutions across four continents. Students are offered several opportunities each year to apply to study abroad in one of these centres (for a single term or for a whole year), with the guarantee that all credits obtained will be duly recognised in their academic record upon their return.
For each round of applications, the University publishes the list of exchange options available to students and, where relevant, the specific conditions associated with each. Students may also apply to the University for funding for international work experience placements and internships.
Work experience placements are accredited in the student's academic record and the European diploma supplement. Students are free to decide in which host company or academic institution within the EHEA they wish to carry out their placement. To assist them in their search, the University has created an online noticeboard with jobs postings and other news.
Work-study placements in A Coruña are arranged by the International Relations Office (ORI) of the UDC in collaboration with the international relations coordinators in the student’s home university. The general entry criteria, rights and obligations of students, and admission and acceptance procedures for the programme, are regulated by the UDC Mobility Policy.
International mobility in the context of a master’s program lasting one academic year is mainly organized through short-term internationalization programs, offered in virtual, in-person, and blended formats. In this framework, short-term Erasmus+ mobility grants for study purposes stand out, aimed at undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students at the University of A Coruña (UDC). These grants are a key tool to promote the internationalization of the postgraduate program and should be actively promoted among potential students. Currently, UDC runs specific Erasmus+ and Bilateral Agreement programs for 60 ECTS master’s degrees, with calls opening in advance and application and processing deadlines reduced.Dissemination and Access to Information Promotion of these mobility opportunities begins even before enrollment, through digital dissemination of available calls, aimed at both national and international students interested in pursuing a master’s at UDC. This strategy allows future students to plan their participation in academic mobility programs in advance, aligning their educational interests with existing options. Information is also provided on the need to certify proficiency in the language of the host university, detailing the work of the UDC Language Center and the dates of courses or official exams.UDC has a clear and accessible institutional regulation governing student participation in these programs, which can be consulted at: www.udc.es/normativa/academica
The organization and management of international mobility is coordinated between the Vice-Rectorate for Academic Planning and Teaching Innovation, the International Relations Office, the International Relations Committee, and the mobility officers of each center. In the specific case of the Faculty of Physiotherapy, the key figures are the master’s program mobility coordinator and tutor, who channel proposals, initiatives, and requests to the dean’s office and the academic committee. They also provide all academic information to fac