Social Science
The Bachelor of Social Science degree (BSocSc) invites you to study the social, cultural, psychological, political, and economic influences that shape the world we live in.
| 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 or 4 Years
Specific Subjects or course requirements
Leaving Cert 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 O6/H7
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
The Social Science degree is ideally suited to those who are broadly interested in working with people in a social- and community-focused context. Our graduates are employed in a variety of settings and public and voluntary sector organisations, such as community and health services, probation, social care, local government, housing associations, and social service/advocacy groups.
In terms of postgraduate opportunities, a big advantage for Social Science graduates is that they can access a broad range of postgraduate courses in diverse fields including:
* social work
* occupational therapy
* speech and language therapy
* planning and sustainable development
* community and youth work
* social policy and social research
* criminology
* teaching
* marketing and management
* journalism
Students who are interested in person-centred careers – but who may be undecided about what particular area they would like to specialise in – will enjoy space and time to grow and mature and to explore their options. Along the way, the degree enables students to develop valuable transferable professional and academic skills including critical thinking, problem solving, social analysis, writing and research skills.
Further information
Approximate Available Places 10
Find out about the mature entry requirements at https://www.ucc.ie/en/study/undergrad/entryreqs/matureapplicants/
Approximate Available Places Overall 100
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
Are you open-minded? Are you committed to social justice? Do you support and advocate for human rights? Are you interested in a career that promotes people’s wellbeing? Would you like to develop skills to analyse and navigate our supercomplex world?
The Bachelor of Social Science degree (BSocSc) invites you to study the social, cultural, psychological, political, and economic influences that shape the world we live in. If you embrace thinking about complicated and multi-layered social issues - such as mental health, children’s rights, education, disability, drugs and alcohol use, racism, sexual identity, housing and homelessness, equality, sustainability, and criminal justice – then Social Science is for you!
Over the course of three years, Social Science students develop highly valuable skills – including argumentation, problem-solving, critical thinking, writing, analytical, and research skills – that enable them to flourish as learners, people, professionals, active citizens, advocates, and activists.
On the Social Science course, you will examine social issues from many perspectives, and study several subjects including Social Policy, Sociology, Psychology, Philosophy, and Economics. The course is designed on the understanding that this is the first time that most students are encountering the social sciences. As such, students are not expected to have prior knowledge of the various subjects and the first year is focused on introducing you to key concepts and theories.
In the second and third years of the course, you will again take a number of ‘core’ or compulsory modules in social policy, sociology, economics, philosophy, and psychology. You will also be invited to choose (elective) modules of particular interest to you from a large range of possibilities. The course also offers you the chance to develop your practical experience through optional work experience in an organisation of your choice in Ireland or abroad. And, if you are interested in languages, you can also study French, German, Spanish, Italian, or Irish/Gaeilge. This flexibility in design allows you to shape the degree to fit your own specialist interests and career plans.
An exciting and important element of the degree is the opportunity to engage in research about a social issue of special interest to you. Final year students undertake a social research project that they design and carry out with the guidance of an academic and with opportunities to collaborate with local community organisations. Students therefore produce ‘real world’ research that responds to key social issues in the 21st century.
Year 1 Modules
Core
AP1022 Social Psychology
AP1023 Lifespan Development
EC1117 & EC1118 Markets & Government: An Introduction to Economics
SS1017 Politics & Social Policy (1)
SS1018 Politics & Social Policy (2)
SC1012 Introduction to Sociology
SC1013 Key Issues in Sociology
Electives
PH1005 An Introduction to Philosophy & Social Science or
SS1012 Social Practice & the Social Professions
Year 2
Core: Social Policy, Sociology, Psychology, Philosophy, Economics
Electives: Social Policy; Sociology; Statistics; Languages; Philosophy
Year 3
Core: Politics and Social Policy, Social Research Project
Electives: Sociology; Social Policy; Economics; Social Work and Social Services; Sociology and Society; Applied Psychology; Languages; Philosophy; Statistics
Academic Programme Catalogue
See the Academic Programme Catalogue 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.
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/)
Contact Details For This Course
Dr Órla O’Donovan
o.odonovan@ucc.ie
+353 (0)21 490 2790
http://www.ucc.ie/en/appsoc/
Phil O’Sullivan
phil.osullivan@ucc.ie
+353 (0)21 490 2228