Law & Irish
This course is the only one of its kind in Ireland. The BCL (Law and Irish) degree will introduce you to a variety of diverse and stimulating topics combining the best aspects of a law degree together with study of the Irish language, literature, culture and institutions. It will also develop your analytical and interpretative skills.
| Award Name | Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) |
|---|---|
| NFQ Classification | Major |
| Awarding Body | National University of Ireland |
| NFQ Level | Level 8 NFQ |
| Award Name | NFQ Classification | Awarding Body | NFQ Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) | Major | National University of Ireland | Level 8 NFQ |
Duration
4 Years
Specific Subjects or course requirements
Leaving Certificate Entry Requirements
At least six subjects must be presented. Minimum grade H5 in two subjects and minimum grade O6/H7 in four other subjects. English and Irish are requirements for all programmes unless the applicant is exempt from Irish. Applicants will need to meet the following minimum entry requirements:
English O6/H7
Irish H3
Other Language O6/H7
Leaving Certificate Vocational Progamme LCVP
UCC awards the following points to the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme Link Modules:
Distinction 66 points
Merit 46 points
Pass 28 points
While Link Modules are counted for point scoring purposes they may not be counted as one of the six subjects to satisfy minimum entry requirements.
QQI FET Applicants General Information
Careers / Further progression
Skills and Careers Information
As a joint honours degree, the BCL (Law and Irish) equips graduates for a wide range of careers.
The traditional route for a law graduate is to undertake professional training and qualify as a solicitor or barrister and this course prepares students for entry to these professions. Other options are available to law graduates, including careers in banking, accounting, taxation, insurance, IT, teaching, journalism and the media, which may require further academic and/or professional training.
BCL (Law and Irish) students also develop a strong foundation in legal research and writing, advocacy and legal reasoning. These are transferable skills which are attractive to employers in a wide variety of professions and industries.
You can graduate with a broad-ranging general degree or can opt to tailor your subject choices to specialise in areas such as international law, business law, human rights law, the Irish language etc.
You will also have key Irish-language skills, making you particularly well suited to working in the European Union institutions.
Further information
Approximate Available Places 1
Find out about the mature entry requirements at https://www.ucc.ie/en/study/undergrad/entryreqs/matureapplicants/
Approximate Available Places Overall 16
Entry 2024
Early online application (discounted): Fee €30 Closing Date: 20 January 2024 at 5pm
Normal online application: Fee €45 Closing Date: 1 February 2024 at 5pm
Late online application - restrictions apply (see page 3 2024 CAO Handbook): Fee: €60 Closing Date: 1 May 2024 at 5pm
Change of Mind - restrictions apply (see page 3 2024 CAO Handbook): Fee: Nil Closing Date: 1 July 2024 at 5pm
Exceptional online late application (see page 34 of the 2024 CAO Handbook): Fee €60 Closing Date: 22 July 2024 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 2024. The closing date for late applications is 5pm on 1 May 2024, subject to the restrictions listed on page 3 of the 2024 CAO Handbook. The online facility for late applications opens on the 5 March 2024 at 12:00 noon - a fee of €60 applies.
Exceptional Late Applications (Exception to the timetable)
The exceptional closing date of 22 July at 5pm applies only to applicants who are registered as an undergraduate student on 1 May 2024 in any year in any one of the participating HEIs (subject to the exclusions listed below). In order to avail of the Exceptional Late Application facility you must have entered the HEI through the CAO system. This is an exceptional late closing date and all steps must be completed by 5pm on 22 July. No changes may be made after this date.
If you did not enter your current course through the CAO system, you must first contact the Admissions Office of the HEI to which you wish to apply and they will inform you if you may submit an application direct to the institution.
Exclusions:
You may submit a late application only for entry to courses other than your existing course. If you wish to repeat the year in the same course you must arrange this within your HEI.
Mary Immaculate College Limerick, Marino Institute of Education, Trinity College Dublin, University of Limerick and Maynooth University have special procedures in place in the case of current or previous students who wish to apply for entry to another course in the same HEI. Such applicants must contact their Admissions Office to determine the application procedure. However, if you are a student in another HEI and you wish to apply to any of these five HEIs, you should apply through CAO.
Refer to page 34 of the 2024 CAO Handbook on how to make an Exceptional Late Application.
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 2024 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
Course Outline
This course is the only one of its kind in Ireland. The BCL (Law and Irish) degree will introduce you to a variety of diverse and stimulating topics combining the best aspects of a law degree together with study of the Irish language, literature, culture and institutions. It will also develop your analytical and interpretative skills.
Given the role of the modern law degree, the BCL (Law and Irish) places a growing emphasis on developing not just your knowledge but also your skills base. You are required to take 60 credits in each academic year, combining compulsory and elective modules in law and Irish, and including a skills module.
You will also have the opportunity to study some law modules through the medium of Irish.
Core Modules in First Year:
GA1003 Bunstaidéar ar Theanga agus ar Chultúr na Gaeilge (15 credits)
GA1030 Bunreacht na hÉireann (1937): An Leagan Gaeilge (5 credits)
LW1001 Legal Writing (5 credits)
LW1104 Foundations of the Legal System (5 credits)
LW1112 Constitutional and Institutional Law of the European Union (5 credits)
LW1153 Criminal Law (10 credits)
LW1154 Law of Contract (10 credits)
LW1164 Dlí Bunreachtúil: Institiúidí an Rialtais (5 credits)
Placement or Study Abroad Information
You will have the opportunity spend Year 3 abroad or on a work placement.
Placement opportunities are available in prestigious Institutions such as the Houses of the Oireachtas, the Attorney General’s Office, legal translation projects, as well as with large law firms and other practitioners.
You also have the opportunity to study abroad at the Law School at the University of Montana, which includes assisting with teaching Irish to US students and working in the federal court system in the United States as a judge’s intern.
Academic Programme Catalogue
See the Academic Programme Catalogue (https://ucc-ie-public.courseleaf.com/programmes/) for the complete and up-to-date content for this course. Note that the modules for all courses are subject to change from year-to-year. For complete descriptions of individual modules, see the Book of Modules (https://ucc-ie-public.courseleaf.com/modules/)
Dr Shaoming Zhu, Course Director
ShaomingZhu@ucc.ie
+353 (0)21 490 2090
http://www.ucc.ie/en/lawsite/