Computer Science Linguistics & a Language - French Irish or Spanish
If you enjoy problem solving, conceptual analysis, mathematics, language learning and are interested in combining topics in creative and insightful ways, then this may be the right course for you. It appeals to students with strengths in analytical reasoning and an affinity for mastering languages, but who do not want to choose between arts and sciences. Project work pursued throughout provides scope for personal expression.
| 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 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.
Specific Subjects Required
H4 Mathematics
H3 In French or Spanish or Irish
Students choose one language from French, Spanish and Irish.
Students must present one of the above grades in their chosen language.
Leaving Certificate General Entry Requirements
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
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
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.
Careers / Further progression
Graduate skills and career opportunities
Since the course began in 1985, graduates have moved on to careers that reflect CSLL’s diversity. Graduates are qualified to work as language specialists, in the language and speech technology sector, as information technologists or software specialists in any of the IT, banking, translation, publishing or multimedia sectors. Some work as software engineers. Some have careers in professional translation; others in education. About 65% of graduates work in software engineering (often language oriented), whether in a mainly English-speaking country, or in a country where the language of the degree focus is the native language. About 25% pursue research careers and a number of graduates now hold academic staff positions in Ireland and abroad. Another 10% move into technical translation. Some are employed in government services, e.g. the European Patent Office and the Irish Diplomatic Corps.
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: 20
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 Computer Science, Linguistics and a Language?
The Computer Science, Linguistics and a Language (CSLL) degree is an integrated, interdisciplinary programme. CSLL students learn computer science, study linguistics, the scientific study of language and speech, and study a specific language (with a choice of French, Spanish or Irish).
There is an emphasis on the intersection of these subjects, on computational and empirical approaches to language, knowledge of which is important to the ever-growing fields of speech and language technology, such as machine translation, speech synthesis and recognition.
All the component disciplines are pursued to a high level, equipping CSLL graduates to pursue a very wide range of careers, such as in computing in general, in roles requiring skills in a particular language and in the speech and language technology area.
Computer Science, Linguistics and a Language: The course for you?
If you enjoy problem solving, conceptual analysis, mathematics, language learning and are interested in combining topics in creative and insightful ways, then this may be the right course for you. It appeals to students with strengths in analytical reasoning and an affinity for mastering languages, but who do not want to choose between arts and sciences. Project work pursued throughout provides scope for personal expression.
Your degree and what you’ll study
In the first two years, you will study computer science, linguistics and your chosen language, exploring areas where computers and the science and practice of language meet. Students complete increasingly complex projects in each year of the programme. The final year offers opportunities for more in-depth interdisciplinary work, or for specialisation in the classical core of the constituent disciplines.
First year and second year
In first year there is a comprehensive introduction to computers, how to program them and certain fundamentals of how they really work, with no prior knowledge assumed. The second year builds upon this with more advanced programming, a study of fundamental data structures and algorithms and specifically an introduction to computational treatments of language: computational linguistics. Linguistics modules introduce the scientific study of how the sounds, words and syntax of languages are structured and of the processes involved in human communication. These encompass both theoretical and computational elements (such as Speech Science and Phonetics, Computational Morphology). As mathematical tools are on occasion required, in support of this there are also mathematics courses. In CSLL’s third stream, modules from the language departments provide for the detailed study and mastery of the productive and receptive skills of a specific language as well as Area Studies, which typically explores the culture and society of the country/ies of that language.
Subject areas include
First Year:
Computer Science:
Mathematics
Introduction to Programming
Representations and Computation
Linguistics:
Introduction to the Study of Language (General Linguistics)
Introduction to Phonetics and Phonology
Introduction to Syntax
Language:
Written, oral and aural language fluency
Area Studies
Second Year:
Computer Science:
Discrete and Continuous Mathematics
Data Structures and Programming Techniques
Natural Language Processing
Linguistics:
Syntactic Theory
Introduction to Speech Science
Formal Semantics
Instrumental Phonetics
Computational Morphology
Statistics for Linguistics
Language:
Written, oral and aural language fluency
Third and fourth years
You study the three streams of CSLL in third and fourth years, either at Trinity or abroad (in 3rd year) under the Erasmus programme. Module choices allow you to personalise to individual strengths. Relating to language, there are advanced modules such as Computational Linguistics (involving Speech Recognition and Machine Translation), Speech Analysis and Synthesis, and Human Second-Language Acquisition. Then of wider relevance there are such modules as Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Vision and Computer Graphics. You also proceed to advanced study in your chosen language, perfecting your skills in translation, essay writing and oral presentation. There is a fourth year Capstone project: it may be interdisciplinary, or it may focus on just one of the three contributing streams.
Study abroad
The programme has Erasmus exchange agreements which allow you to pursue CSLL’s three streams at a university abroad in the third year. Besides excellent technical modules, this gives you a great opportunity to develop language skills and experience life abroad. Students of French or Spanish spend the third year at a university abroad and for students studying Irish this is also a possibility
www.scss.tcd.ie/csl
E undergraduate@scss.tcd.ie