A new Master's degree in aging and dementia studies was launched this morning by the Parliamentary Secretary for the Care of the Elderly, Justyne Caruana.

The degree forms part of the national dementia strategy, which stressed the need for more training and more specialised people to help dementia sufferers.

It is being provided under the Faculty of Social Well-being and will open in February. It will cost €800 per semester. Applications are already open.

The government is providing scholarships for public sector employees, which it will be partly funding.

As part of the memorandum of understanding between the government and the university, the government will to be providing a number of places for students to receive practice placements under supervision as part of the course.