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Social Studies - Social Work

Higher Education CAO
TR084

The B.S.S. is a professional degree designed for students who wish to become social workers and who believe they have the personal attributes and motivation for social work.

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
Course Provider:
Location:
Dublin City Centre
Attendance Options:
Daytime, Full time
Qualification Letters:
B.S.S. (Hons)
Apply to:
CAO
CAO Points Round 1
Year Points
2024 444
2023 462
2022 485
2021 497

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 you must:

Present six subjects, three of which must be at grade 5 or above on higher Leaving Certificate papers or at least grade 5 in the University matriculation examination.

The six subjects above must include:

A pass in English.

A pass in mathematics (or foundation-level mathematics (see note 2)) and a pass in a language other than English
OR
A pass in Latin and a pass in a subject other than a language.

Special entry requirements
See health screening, page 224 Undergraduate Prospectus 2025.

Students will be required to undergo Garda vetting, see page 224 of the Undergraduate Prospectus 2025 for further details.

On successful completion of this programme, students will have acquired and demonstrated the necessary knowledge, skills and ethical base for professional social work and will have satisfied the requirements for an honours social science degree. Graduates will also be eligible to apply for registration as professional social workers with CORU. www.coru.ie/health-and-social-careprofessionals/ registration/how-do-i-apply- for-registration

Leaving Certificate General Entry Requirements

Admission Requirements 2025

To qualify for admission to an honours degree course at the University you must:

1 meet the minimum entry requirements (see above).
2 satisfy course specific requirements (where applicable), see above.
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 or at least grade 5 in the University matriculation examination.

The six subjects above must include:
› A pass in English.
› A pass in mathematics (or foundation-level mathematics (see note 2)) and a pass in a language other than English OR
› A pass in Latin and a pass in a subject other than a language.

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.

› Biology and agricultural science may not be presented as two of the six subjects required for minimum entry requirements, and they may not be presented together to satisfy course specific requirements. However, both may be used for scoring purposes.

› 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. Applicants may combine results from the Leaving Certificate and the Trinity matriculation examination of the same year 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 2025 must have a date of birth before 15 January 2009.

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

Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme Link Modules
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

QQI/FETAC Qualifications
There is an entry route to a number of degree programmes in Trinity for applicants presenting appropriate QQI/FET Level 5 or 6 Major Awards. Applicants presenting distinctions in five modules can be considered for admission.

Full information on courses with QQI entry routes, requirements etc., can be found at the link below.

QQI FET General Information Link

QQI FET Entry Requirements

Careers / Further progression

Graduate skills and career opportunities
As a Social Studies graduate of Trinity, you are eligible to apply to register as a professionally qualified social worker with CORU. Your qualification will be recognised in many other countries. You also have a good Social Science degree that allows you to move into policy, media, research or NGO project work. As a social worker, you can continue your professional development through postgraduate courses and can move into management, research or training.

Course Web Page

Further information

Mature Students
All undergraduate courses in 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 (see page 216 TCD Undergraduate Prospectus 2025)
› be at least 23 years of age on 1 January 2025
› submit a CAO application form to the Central Applications Office (CAO) by 1 February 2025

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.

For information on Alternative Entry Routes go to: https://www.tcd.ie/study/apply/alternative-paths-to-trinity/

Places 2024: 45

Entry 2025

Early online application (discounted): Fee €30 Closing Date: 20 January 2025 at 5pm

Normal online application: Fee €45 Closing Date: 1 February 2025 at 5pm

Late online application - restrictions apply (see page 3 2025 CAO Handbook): Fee: €60 Closing Date: 1 May 2025 at 5pm

Change of Mind - restrictions apply (see page 3 2025 CAO Handbook): Fee: Nil Closing Date: 1 July 2025 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 2025. The closing date for late applications is 5pm on 1 May 2025, subject to the restrictions listed on page 3 of the 2025 CAO Handbook. The online facility for late applications opens on the 5 March 2025 at 12:00 noon - a fee of €60 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 2025 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

What is Social Studies?
Social Studies is a professional degree designed for students who wish to become social workers and who believe they have the personal attributes and motivation for social work.

This degree combines an academic social science degree with professional social work training. Graduates are eligible to apply for registration with CORU (Irish Social Work Registration Board) and once registered can access employment in a wide range of social work posts in Ireland. Graduates can also apply for registration in the UK and internationally.

Social work is a profession concerned with supporting and helping people in a variety of situations and settings. People who use social work services include young and adult offenders, children, families, older people, people with mental and physical illness and disability, homeless people, unemployed people, ethnic groups, Travellers and people with drug and alcohol problems. Ultimately, social work aims to support people to live more successfully, within their communities by helping them to find solutions to their problems.

Do you enjoy…
Helping others?
Communicating with people and listening to them?
Learning to cope with stressful situations?

Social Studies: The course for you?
Social Studies could be the right course for you if you wish to work in a caring and challenging profession. Most importantly, it is the right course for you if you have the ability to problem solve, a willingness to make challenging decisions alongside a strong desire to effect positive change.

Your degree and what you’ll study
This course introduces you to a range of social science subjects in the first year, and then increases the number of social work subjects in the following three years. Teaching methods are varied, interactive and draw on your personal and practical experience. Assessment includes written examinations, essays, case studies, projects, and placement reports.

First and second years
First year subjects include Introduction to Social Work, Psychology, Social Policy, Sociology, Economic Policy and Political Science. Optional courses in either French or German are also available. In first year, there are approximately 13-15 hours in lectures, three to four hours in tutorial classes and several hours in the library each week. If you have had no relevant practical experience before starting the degree, we ask you to do 30 hours (around two hours per week) volunteer work during first year to build your practical experience and help you to apply what you are learning to a real-world situation. First year students are also provided with the opportunity to undertake a six-week placement related to the course.

In second year, core subjects are Social Work Theory and Practice, Law for Social Workers, Social Policy, Psychology and Social Research. The social work modules involve field trips to relevant organisations and services. In addition, students undertake a ten-week placement during this academic year.

Third and fourth years
Third and fourth year subjects include: Family and Child Care Studies; Social Policy; Sociology; Mental Health; Equality Issues; Group Work; Human Rights Law; as well as Social Work Theory and Practice, including counselling skills and practice workshops.

Practice placements are an integral part of the programme. In each of the four years you will have a placement in a different social service agency, under the supervision of an experienced practitioner. These placements provide you with practical experience and an opportunity to apply and develop the skills and knowledge that you have acquired at Trinity.

Placements are arranged in settings such as child and family welfare teams, hospital social work departments, child and family centres, probation service and community development projects. They account for around 30% of your course time (220 days) over the four years and take place at the end of each of the first and second years and mostly in term time in the third and fourth years. You are supported in your professional development by an individual social work tutor who meets you regularly and visits you on placement from third year onwards.

Study abroad
Overseas placements are possible (but not obligatory) within the course structure for those who are interested in experience in another country (such as the UK, Canada, and Australia). Further information on student exchanges can be found at: www.tcd.ie/study/study-abroad/outbound/options

www.tcd.ie/swsp/undergraduate/social-studies
Email: social.studies@tcd.ie

Course Provider:
Location:
Dublin City Centre
Attendance Options:
Daytime, Full time
Qualification Letters:
B.S.S. (Hons)
Apply to:
CAO
CAO Points Round 1
Year Points
2024 444
2023 462
2022 485
2021 497