Academic Continuing Education in Early Life Care

For a Good Start in a New Life

The period surrounding pregnancy, birth, and the first years of life shapes a child’s future – and presents challenges for families. Topics such as bonding, sensitivity, and developmental support require professionals who provide guidance with knowledge, empathy, and mindfulness.

The Master’s Degree Program in Early Life Care delivers exactly that: in-depth, practice-oriented, and holistic expertise. At its core is a resource-oriented perspective on all family members – with the goal of empowering parents and providing children with optimal support.

The program promotes collaboration on equal footing among different professional groups. Graduates think in interconnected ways, act mindfully, and help create better living conditions for families – right from the start.
A distinctive feature of the Master’s program is its well-founded qualification for leadership roles in the health and social services sectors.

Since 2016, the program has been offered by Paracelsus Medical University (PMU) in joint sponsorship with St. Virgil Salzburg.

From University Program to Master’s Degree Program

Since October 2023, university continuing education programs in Austria have been restructured and are now offered as non-degree Bachelor’s or Master’s programs (BA/MA (CE), BSc/MSc (CE), BPr/MPr). Only the designation of the program has changed. The two-stage structure remains the same, and the curriculum was revised and modernized in 2025.