Joint Honours - Irish Studies
Irish Studies is an interdisciplinary course that examines the variety and diversity of Irish history, society, cultural practice and the complex processes through which Ireland and Irish identities have been constructed.
| 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
3 years (4 years BA International)
Specific Subjects or course requirements
Leaving Cert Subject Entry Requirements
O6/H7 in English, Irish, a third language and three other recognised subjects
Leaving Certificate General Entry Requirements
• To meet minimum entry requirements (matriculation) on the results of the Leaving Certificate, a student must present at least six recognised subjects selected according to course requirements (see Entry Requirements for each course) and must obtain at least Grade H5 in two subjects and Grade O6/H7 in the remaining four subjects.
• A student may normally combine the results of Leaving Certificate examinations obtained in different years to meet minimum entry requirements. This concession applies to minimum entry requirements registration only; it does not apply to the calculation of points. However, it should be noted that students seeking to enter Medicine must meet the minimum entry requirements, including both Leaving Certificate points and Matriculation, in the same sitting of the Leaving Certificate.
Acceptable subjects
All subjects of the current Leaving Certificate examination are accepted with the following exceptions and qualifications:
1. Gaeilge – Bonnleibhéal (Irish – Foundation Level) will not be accepted for Matriculation Registration purposes.
2. Mathematics Ordinary Alternative/ Foundation Level will be accepted for Matriculation Registration purposes, but not as a substitute for the subject Mathematics in courses for which Mathematics is an entry requirement. Leaving Certificate points are not awarded for either of these subjects.
Applicants presenting Leaving Certificate results from previous years, which include subjects no longer offered, should contact www.ucd.ie/askus for advice with regard to acceptability and any exclusions that may apply.
Combination of subjects not permitted
• The subject “Physics and Chemistry” may not be presented with either “Physics” or “Chemistry”.
• “Agricultural Economics” may not be presented with “Economics”.
• “Classical Studies” may not be presented with “Latin” or “Greek”
Laboratory science subjects
The following subjects in the Irish Leaving Certificate are recognised laboratory science subjects:
• Agricultural Science • Biology • Chemistry
• Physics and Chemistry (Joint) • Physics.
For Science (DN200) only, Applied Mathematics, Geography or Computer Science may also be used as a laboratory science subject.
Assessment of applications
Admission to most undergraduate courses is extremely competitive. Entry is based on the points system for students presenting Irish Leaving Certificate examinations.
Notes
• Minimum points requirements can change from year-to-year as they are dependent on demand for each course, as well as the number of places available.
• 25 additional points will be awarded for a grade H6 or better in Leaving Certificate Mathematics, where that subject is one of the six subjects being counted for points purposes.
• Applicants’ performance in the Leaving Certificate examination is scored on their best results in no more than six individual subjects taken in the Leaving Certificate examination of any one year. This does not preclude an intending applicant from taking school-leaving examinations in two or more years. In this event, the choice of year for scoring purposes will be such as to ensure that each applicant is credited with the maximum possible score.
• It is still possible to achieve matriculation and subject requirements over more than one year. However, for admission to Medicine, applicants must achieve both the required subject grades and the points in the same sitting.
• The subjects and combinations of subjects not permitted for matriculation also apply when computing an applicant’s points score.
• The points scores for Medicine are adjusted when combined with HPAT – Ireland. Please see www.myucd.ie/medicineaddreq
• Note: If you were born outside the Republic of Ireland, you do not require Irish as a subject for entry to UCD. However, you may present Irish as a subject for matriculation to fulfil the requirement to present a language other than English
Leaving Certificate Vocational Progamme LCVP
Grade Points
Distinction 66
Merit 46
Pass 28
Leaving Certificate Applied Programme LCAP
QQI FET Applicants General Information
More than half of UCD undergraduate courses from a broad range of courses accept applicants on a competitive basis with appropriate QQI-FET (Level 5 or 6) qualifications and modules. The minimum requirement is five distinctions in appropriate QQI-FET (Level 5 or 6) qualifications including components specified for the relevant programme.
For more information to to the 'QQI FET Applicants Information' Link below.
Careers / Further progression
Graduate Study
Graduates are prepared to pursue MA and Diploma courses offered by the UCD School of Irish, Celtic Studies & Folklore including the MA Irish Studies and the MA Irish Folklore & Ethnology. Graduates may also pursue MLitt and PhD studies specialising in one of the many areas of the subject.
Careers
Irish Studies graduates develop key skills such as research, critical thinking and writing, that have diverse applications and can lead to employment opportunities in: Journalism and the Media, Tourism, Heritage, Advertising, Business, the Arts, Public Relations, Public Service and Politics.
Further information
Mature Applicants
UCD has a mature entry pathway for anyone who is at least 23 years of age on 1 January of the proposed year of entry and whose school-leaving qualifications are insufficient for admission. For admission in September 2025, your date of birth must be on or before 1 January, 2002.
How do I apply?
For all full-time and some part-time undergraduate degree courses, mature applicants must apply through the Central Applications Office (CAO). The application can be completed online at www.cao.ie. For some courses you must also register for a specific test (HPAT and NMBI Nursing/ Midwifery Assessment test) for details of what is required for each course. For most of our courses, the closing date for application is 1 February 2025. Late applications up to 1 May are not normally considered on grounds of mature years - any exceptions are highlighted on the mature student website.
What information should I provide?
You must complete the mature section on the CAO form fully as this forms a large part of the assessment of your application. You must send supporting documents, such as copies of qualifications to CAO as soon as your application is complete. If you wish you can also send an additional statement of interest or CV. Visit the website below for further information on how to apply and how your application will be assessed.
For more information: www.ucd.ie/maturestudents
Other School Leaving Examinations
See www.ucd.ie/admissions
Open Learning Entry Route
See www.ucd.ie/openlearning
University Access
See www.myucd.ie/universityaccess
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
BA Joint Honours (DN520)
This long established, three-year course gives students the freedom to choose from an unrivalled range of 26 subjects and build their own bespoke degree. Students applying through the CAO select DN520 and choose two subjects. Overall, there are 380 places on the Joint Honours.
Students can add a third subject or choose from a wide range of elective modules at the start of first year during registration. At the end of first year, students commit to their two Joint Honours subjects and study these subjects to BA degree level. Popular combinations include: Film Studies and French, Music and Irish, Art History and History, and History and Greek & Roman Civilisation.
BA International
Students on the BA Joint Honours can choose to spend a full year abroad in third year at one of our partner institutions around the world, making it a 4-year degree. Students who choose this option graduate with a BA International.
Studying Irish Studies as a joint major with:
Art History • History • Celtic Civilisation • Irish/Gaeilge • Drama Studies • Irish Folklore • English • Italian • Film Studies • Linguistics • French • Music • Portuguese • Greek • Greek & Roman Civilisation
Why is this course for me?
Irish Studies is an interdisciplinary course that examines the variety and diversity of Irish history, society, cultural practice and the complex processes through which Ireland and Irish identities have been constructed.
It asks a series of provocative and stimulating questions about ideas of Ireland and Irishness, such as how can we understand the ways in which place, history, culture and society have shaped Ireland, past and present? How do processes of emigration and immigration impact on Irish culture, society and identity? What influence have identity categories such as gender, sexuality, ethnicity and class had on Irish culture, society and identities? Students who take Irish Studies as a Joint Honours three-year degree can combine Irish Studies with 14 different subjects (see above).
What will I study?
Students take core Irish Studies modules, alongside option modules from other Arts & Humanities and Social Sciences subject areas, including Irish, Folklore, Celtic Civilisation, Archaeology, Art History, English, Geography, History, Music and Sociology.
First Year
First year modules introduce students to key areas in Irish Studies. Modules include: Introduction to Irish Studies • Introduction to Irish Cultural Studies • Folklore & the Imagination • Dublin: Its Museums & Collections.
Second & Final Year
Reading Irish Studies • Place, People & Identities • Irish Literature in English • Irish Studies Research Skills • The Forgotten Irish • Heritage Management • Gender, Culture & Society • Kings & Heroes of Early Ireland • Yeats & the Arts • Myth & Tradition • Collectors of Song & Music • Material Culture • Poets, Power & Performance • Reading the Irish Revival • Music in Ireland • Georgian Dublin • Irish Foreign Policy, 1919-73
Third Year
Students attend lectures and seminars each week, as well as engaging in active learning in museums, archives and cultural sites, both on and off campus.
Students who take Irish Studies as a Humanities subject can apply for an internship and/or study abroad.
International Study Opportunities
Exchange opportunities available to third year students include:
• Edinburgh University, UK
• Glasgow University, UK
• University of Toronto, Canada
• University of Otago, New Zealand
• Concordia University, Canada
Irish Studies is a growing discipline, offering other possible international study opportunities in the US, Canada, UK, China, Australia, Europe and South Africa.
Assessment is through a combination of written examinations and continuous assessment, including essays, portfolios, online tasks, presentations and independent research projects.
www.myucd.ie/irish-studies
UCD School of Irish, Celtic Studies
and Folklore
+353 1 716 8385
bairbre.nichonchuir@ucd.ie