Modern Language - French or Italian or German or Russian & Social Policy
A modern language plus another subject allows you to combine an interest in languages with an entirely different academic discipline, and gives you intensive training in both.
Social policy is concerned with the ways that states and societies respond to local and global challenges of security, poverty and inequality, education and health, welfare and well-being.
| Award Name | Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) |
|---|---|
| NFQ Classification | Major |
| Awarding Body | University of Dublin |
| NFQ Level | Level 8 NFQ |
| Award Name | NFQ Classification | Awarding Body | NFQ Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) | Major | University of Dublin | Level 8 NFQ |
Duration
4 years full-time
Specific Subjects or course requirements
Minimum Entry Requirements:
Irish Leaving Certificate
To be considered for admission to a degree course at the University applicants must:
Present six subjects, three of which must be at grade 5 or above on higher Leaving Certificate papers.
The six subjects above must include:
A pass in English
A pass in mathematics (or foundation level mathematics)
A pass in a language other than English.
Specific Subjects Required
Social Policy
None
Modern Language
French*, Italian, German, Russian
H4 in selected language or, for beginners, in a language other than English.
* French is not available at beginner’s level.
Leaving Certificate General Entry Requirements
To qualify for admission to an honours degree course at the University applicants must:
1 meet the minimum entry requirements (see below).
2 satisfy course specific requirements (where applicable),
3 where there is competition for places, have good enough examination results to be included among those to whom offers are made (see the Leaving Certificate scoring system or Advanced GCE [A Level] scoring system.
Minimum Entry Requirements:
Irish Leaving Certificate
To be considered for admission to a degree course at the University applicants must:
Present six subjects, three of which must be at grade 5 or above on higher Leaving Certificate papers.
The six subjects above must include:
A pass in English
A pass in mathematics (or foundation level mathematics)
A pass in a language other than English.
Notes:
1 A pass means grade O6/H7 or above in the Leaving Certificate and grade 7 or above in the University matriculation examination.
2 Mathematics at foundation-level is acceptable for minimum entry requirements only, for all courses except nursing or midwifery courses. Irish at foundation-level is not acceptable for minimum entry requirements, course requirements or for scoring purposes.
3 Students may combine grades achieved in different sittings of their Leaving Certificate/Matriculation examinations for the purpose of satisfying minimum entry and/or course requirements, but not for the purposes of scoring. This is not permitted for Medicine.
4 Combinations of Leaving Certificate subjects not permitted:
Physics/chemistry may not be presented with physics or chemistry.
Art and music may not be offered as two of the three higher Leaving Certificate grades for minimum entry requirements, but both may be used for scoring purposes.
Bonus Points for Higher Level Mathematics
All students presenting H6 or above in higher level mathematics will have 25 points added to their score for mathematics. The bonus points will only be relevant where mathematics is scored as one of a student’s six best subjects for points purposes.
An applicant’s six best results from one sitting of the Leaving Certificate will be counted for scoring purposes.
The minimum entry levels (points) for Trinity in recent years are available at: www.tcd.ie/study/apply/admission-requirements/ undergraduate
Age Requirement
Applicants seeking admission in 2026 must have a date of birth before 15 January 2010.
Garda Vetting
Students on courses with clinical or other professional placements may be required to undergo Garda vetting procedures prior to commencing placements. If, as a result of the outcome of the Garda vetting procedures, students are deemed unsuitable to attend clinical or other professional placement, they may be required to withdraw from their course. Students who have resided outside Ireland for a period of 6 months or more will be required to provide police clearance documentation from the country (including different states) or countries in which they resided.
Students who accept an offer will be informed of the procedures to be followed to complete the vetting process (as part of the student orientation information).
Fitness To Practice
Professional courses demand that certain core competencies are met by students in order to graduate and practice professionally after qualification. Trinity has special responsibility to ensure that all students admitted to all professional programmes will be eligible for registration by the relevant professional body upon graduation. It is important to us that our students are able to fulfil the rigorous demands of professional courses and are fit to practice.
Health Screening
Offers of admission to the following courses are made subject to certain vaccination requirements and/or certain negative test results:
Clinical Speech and Language Studies
Orthodontic Therapy, Dental Science, Dental Hygiene, Dental Nursing, and Dental Technology
Medicine
Nursing and Midwifery
Occupational Therapy
Pharmacy
Physiotherapy
Radiation Therapy
Social Studies (Social work)
Full details are available at: www.tcd.ie/study/apply/admissionrequirements/ undergraduate
Leaving Certificate Vocational Progamme LCVP
These modules are accepted for scoring purposes only and are awarded the following points: Distinction 66, Merit 46, Pass 28.
QQI FET Applicants General Information
* indicates results must be achieved in one sitting
Full information on courses with QQI/FET entry routes, requirements etc., can be found under Further Education and Training (FET) at the link below.
Careers / Further progression
Modern Language
In depth study of languages has never been more relevant.
Language and intercultural competence are some of the biggest skills gaps in the Irish labour market.
Our graduates’ advanced language and intercultural skills are sought by multinational giants for their Dublin headquarters.
There is currently an acute shortage of language specialists in the Irish secondary school system.
As Artificial Intelligence (AI) makes it easier for companies and organisations to establish contact with foreign partners, further advancing globalisation, there is an increased need for high-level multilingual staff who can manage international teams, take legal responsibility for translations, and conduct multicultural negotiations. Ever advancing AI may indeed replace a basic command of a foreign language, but fluent critical thinkers are, and will remain, in ever higher demand.
Our graduates have successful track records in securing exciting careers in diverse fields such as fintech, diplomacy and tourism, cultural and creative industries, translation and interpreting, journalism and the media, publishing, marketing and finance, as well as second and third-level teaching or the civil service in Ireland and in the EU.
Many go on to take postgraduate courses in areas such as business or law, for which a languages degree is an excellent background.
Our recent graduates are working in Google, Christian Louboutin, Bord Bia, Enterprise Ireland, Central Bank of Ireland, Deutsche Bank, Embassies of Ireland, European Commission, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Arthur Cox and Morgan Stanley.
Social Policy
Graduate skills and career opportunities
Our graduates work with national and international governments; civil society organisations; governmental and non-governmental think tanks; private sector organisations; bilateral and multilateral organisations, and community and social care services. Social policy is a particularly important degree for those interested in pursuing careers in in the public sector, and community and voluntary/not-for-profit sectors at local, regional and international levels. Graduates of social policy in Trinity have secured employment as social and academic researchers, policy analysts, governmental advisors and journalists recruited by organisations that include the United Nations (UN); the World Health Organization (WHO); International non-Governmental Organisations (INGOs); multinational private sector organisations; the civil and public service in Ireland and Europe; the Inner City Organisation Network (ICON), Focus Ireland, the Migrant Rights Centre, and in academia. The Joint Honours Programme in Social Policy provides a solid foundation for specialist postgraduate courses in the areas of social research, social policy and social work, politics and economics, sociology, health, education and a host of related disciplines.
Further information
September 2026
All undergraduate courses at Trinity are open to mature applicants.
Mature student applicants are not required to satisfy the normal minimum entry requirements and are not required to meet competitive academic entry levels (such as Leaving Certificate points), but are considered in the first instance on the basis of how relevant their life, work and educational experiences are to the course(s) that they wish to pursue. In addition, all applicants should demonstrate an interest in and knowledge of their course choice(s).
In order to apply to Trinity as a mature applicant you must:
be an EU applicant
be at least 23 years of age on 1 January 2026
submit a CAO application form to the Central Applications Office (CAO) by 1 February 2026.
Late applications will not be considered from mature students.
CAO applications may be made online at: www.cao.ie
Further information about applying through the CAO as a mature student can be found www.cao.ie/mature
For information on Alternative Entry Routes go to: https://www.tcd.ie/study/apply/alternative-paths-to-trinity/
Entry 2026
Early online application (discounted): Fee €35 Closing Date: 20 January 2026 at 5pm
Normal online application: Fee €50 Closing Date: 1 February 2026 at 5pm
Late online application - restrictions apply (see page 3 2026 CAO Handbook): Fee: €65 Closing Date: 1 May 2026 at 5pm
Change of Mind - restrictions apply (see page 3 2026 CAO Handbook): Fee: Nil Closing Date: 1 July 2026 at 5pm
Be sure to complete any action well in advance of closing dates. You should avoid making an application close to a closing date. No extensions to closing dates will be allowed and all application fees are non-refundable.
LATE APPLICATIONS
Late Applications are those which are received after 5pm on 1 February 2026. The closing date for late applications is 5pm on 1 May 2026, subject to the restrictions listed on page 3 of the 2026 CAO Handbook. The online facility for late applications opens on the 5 March 2026 at 12:00 noon - a fee of €65 applies.
Restrictions
As a CAO applicant you may experience one or more of the following restrictions based on your course choices, your category of application, or restrictions imposed by the HEIs that you wish to apply to. Please read the section on 'Restrictions' on page 3 of the 2026 CAO Handbook carefully. This section includes information on:
General Restrictions
1. Making a late application
2. Making changes to your course choices
Restricted Courses
3. Applying for a restricted course
Mature Applicants
4. Mature applicants
Supplementary Admissions Routes
5. Applying for DARE and/or HEAR
Why Modern Language plus another subject?
A modern language plus another subject allows you to combine an interest in languages with an entirely different academic discipline, and gives you intensive training in both. You will be part of an active and progressive global community of international students based on an iconic Dublin city centre campus, but will also have a lifechanging opportunity to study abroad.
Do you enjoy…
Getting to know and understand other places, people and cultures?
Learning languages to the level where you are competent, confident and fluent?
Engaging with the cultural, linguistic, social and political diversity in the world and acting as a mediator between cultures?
Joint Honours
You can study a modern language and another subject as a Joint Honours, where both subjects are studied equally or as a Major/Minor, or where you study one subject more than the other for example 60%/40%.
What is Social Policy?
Social policy is concerned with the ways that states and societies respond to local and global challenges of security, poverty and inequality, education and health, welfare and well-being. It examines the different roles of government, the family, civil society, the market, and international organisations in the regulation and provision of social protection and rights through services that include social housing, poverty reduction measures, educational supports, migrant and refugee supports, pensions, health and social care programmes. The Joint Honours programme in Social Policy engages with a wide range of policy actors to identify and reduce inequalities in access to services experienced by social groups defined by socio-economic status, race, ethnicity, migration status, gender, sexual orientation, disability and age, at local and global levels.
This programme in social policy will equip you with a range of highly transferable skills that will continue to be of benefit to you throughout your career. You will critically appraise evidence and information, while resolving complex problems with competencies that help you to identify and mediate competing interests and perspectives that are crucial to the formulation of social policies in our world.
Do you enjoy...
Contemplating how we can make our societies a better place to live?
Using evidence to make decisions which affect people?
Learning about how to develop long-term policy solutions to current social issues and problems?
Social Policy: The course for you?
Are you curious about global social, political and economic issues like poverty and inequality? Climate change, migration and displacement? Health and the global burden of disease? Are you searching for a course that demands both academic and vocational qualities? Do you have a desire to make a difference in our world? If you have answered yes to these questions then social policy may be the subject choice for you! Social Policy is multidisciplinary, international and applied and offers a wide range of careers at community, national, regional, and global levels.
Your degree and what you’ll study
The fundamental aim of the degree programme is to give students a thorough training in the systematic study of social policy, contemporary social issues and how policy works. Teaching methods include lectures, seminars and group project work utilising innovative approaches enhanced by digital technologies. Assessment is by a combination of continuous assessment, written submissions, class presentations, examinations real-world relevant assignments such as policy case studies or ministerial briefings and a final year Capstone project.
Modern Language plus another subject
Your degree and what you’ll study
Please see the entries for the specific subjects in this prospectus. In each of your two subjects you will have typically 8-12 contact hours per week. All students complete a Capstone – an independent research project – in their final year.
The pathways available for combining the two subjects are Single Honours, Major with Minor, and Joint Honours. There may also be an opportunity to take a subject up as a New Minor Subject from second year.
Study abroad
Immersing yourself in the language and culture of another people is not only an enormously fun and formative experience, it is also one of the most valuable ways of achieving fluency and getting to know about the local people, politics, history and culture. The year abroad is likely to prove one of the highlights of your degree.
Single Honours students spend an exciting third year of study abroad (compulsory, expect for those studying Irish), while Joint Honours students can choose to spend a year or a semester in their third year in one of our partner universities. At a minimum, you will be required to spend two months in each of the countries the language of which you are studying.
We have exchange agreements with Universities from Paris and Bordeaux to Vienna and Seville, from Florence and Milan to Hamburg and Tallinn. For more information on study abroad destinations and requirements visit: www.tcd.ie/global/mobility
Social Policy
First and second years
In first year you will take introductory modules in Social Policy Concepts and Poverty, Welfare and Justice and skills-based modules on Accessing and Reviewing Scholarly Literature in the field of Social Policy as well as a module in Critical Analysis and Argument Development.
The second year places greater emphasis on social policy issues offering modules including Policy Issues in Human Services; Social Policy in Action, and two new modules Labour Markets Activation Policies and Qualitative Methods for Social Policy. You will also be given the opportunity to take modules from other programmes across the university under the Approved Module and Trinity Electives model. This can include other social science modules such as Economy of Ireland; Economics of Public Policy; History of Political Thought; International Relations; Comparative Politics; Introduction to Irish Family Law; French, German, Russian, Polish language, and Trinity Electives. In first and second years students typically have two lectures and one tutorial per week for each module.
Third and fourth years
The choice of modules available in third year typically includes modules such as Global Social Policy, Youth and Society, Aging and Intergenerational Relations, and Quantitative Methods for Social Policy.
Again in third year, student have the option to take modules from other programmes across the university under the Approved Module and Trinity Electives model. Third year students also have the option to study abroad in a European or international university.
The choice of modules available in fourth year will include Eco- Social Policy, Disability and Global Human Rights, Social Citizenship in the 21st Century and Crime and Justice – Theories, Responses and Contemporary Debates. In fourth year, students will have an opportunity to complete their Capstone in Social Policy. A Capstone is a significant (20 ECTS) project or dissertation, undertaken with the guidance of a supervisor, that provides you with an opportunity to showcase the knowledge, skills and competencies which you have acquired over the course of your undergraduate study.
Study abroad
Students have the opportunity to study abroad in their third year at prestigious universities in Europe through the Erasmus programme as well as through non-EU international exchanges. You may participate in full-year or half-year exchanges with partner institutions in countries such as Sweden, France, Malta, Finland and the Czech Republic. In addition, you can compete for a smaller number of places on university-wide non-European exchanges with partners in Australia, Singapore, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Brazil, Canada and the USA in your third year. Most partner universities offer their courses through English. Further information on student exchanges can be found at: www.tcd.ie/global/mobility
www.tcd.ie/langs-lits-cultures
E undergraduate.sllcs@tcd.ie