The BSocSc (Hons) is a three-year, full-time honours degree programme during which students are provided with a broad grounding in Social Policy, Sociology, Studies in Psychology, Economics and Philosophy. The First Year offers a foundation in the Social Sciences. The Second and Third Years of the degree emphasise applied learning and include a fieldwork project in the Second Year and a social analysis dissertation/project in the Third Year.

The degree does not, however, provide a professional qualification in any one of the areas covered. Students wishing to become Social Workers or Youth and Community Workers will have to undertake further professional training at Postgraduate level, for example the Master of Social Work (MSW) degree or the MSocSc (Youth Work with Community Arts and Sports Studies) degree. Students wishing to be eligible for postgraduate studies in Sociology must have taken at least 45 credits of Sociology overall in the Second and Third Years, including SC2001, SC3001 and SS3031 (or equivalent).

To be eligible for the award of the BSocSc (Hons) Degree a student will be required to have achieved 180 credits by obtaining 60 credits in each of First, Second, and Third Social Science. A student may not register for more than 60 credits in one academic year.

Entry Requirements and Multi-Level Access

All applications must be made through the CAO in the first instance. Applicants for admission who are under 23 years of age must satisfy the minimum entry requirements of the College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences. Mature applicants (i.e. 23+ years) do not require any formal educational qualifications but are encouraged to undertake a certified programme (e.g. Diploma in Social Studies) before entering the programme. A significant number of places on the BSocSc (Hons) degree will be reserved for mature students as part of a policy of promoting equality of access.

Personal Tutorial System

Each student is allocated a personal tutor from the staff of the Department of Applied Social Studies at the beginning of the programme who will act as academic advisor. Students are encouraged to make contact on a regular basis with their academic advisor throughout their studies.

In First Social Science, students study prescribed modules to the value of 60 credits in the five designated subject areas of Applied Psychology, Economics, Philosophy or Social Practice and the Social Professions, Social Policy, and Sociology.

Programme Requirements

Students take 60 credits as follows:

Applied Psychology: AP1110, AP1149 (5 credits per module)
Economics: EC1117 (5 credits), EC1118 (5 credits)
Philosophy: PH1005 (10 credits) or Social Practice and the Social Professions: SS1012 (10 credits)
Social Policy: SS1017 (10 credits) and SS1018 (5 credits)
Sociology: SC1012 (5 credits) and SC1013 (10 credits)

Module Semester Information may be found here. Module Descriptions may be found here.

Examinations

Full details of regulations governing Examinations for each programme will be contained in the Marks and Standards 2018 Book, and for each module in the Book of Modules, 2017/2018.

Three Year Rule

Students must pass the First University Examination in Social Science within three academic years from the date of first registration for First Year. Failure to comply with this rule means that the student will be ineligible to proceed further with his/her studies. Exceptions to this rule may be granted by the College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences, only for very serious reasons.

Note:

If optional SS coded modules do not reach the minimum registration quota there is no guarantee that they will be offered.

No student may register for Second Social Science until he/she has passed the First University Examination in Social Science. In order to be admitted to the Second University Examination in Social Science, a student must have satisfactorily attended, for at least a full academic year, prescribed modules to the value of 60 credits in all of the themes of his/her programme.

Placements

Students who opt to avail of Placements under this scheme must inform the Department in good time of their intention to do so as special arrangements for assessment will need to be agreed before students are allowed to take up the Placement.

Change of Module

Students wishing to register a change of module must do so via the Student Portal or at the Student Records and Examinations Office no later than two weeks after the start of each Semester, i.e. by Friday, 22nd September 2017 (Semester 1) or Friday, 26th January 2018 (Semester 2). Semester 1 modules cannot be changed in Semester 2. No changes in registration will be allowed after these deadlines.

Programme Requirements

Students take 60 credits as follows:
Economics: EC2151 (5 credits)
Social Policy: SS2003, SS2012 (5 credits per module), SS2018 (10 credits)
Philosophy: PH2032 (5 credits)
Applied Psychology: AP2104 (5 credits)
Sociology and Society: SC2001 (5 credits)
plus 5 credits from the following:
¹SC2002, SC2003, SC2004, ¹SC2012, SC2016, SC2017, SC2018, SC2021, SC2026, SC2027, SC2034, SC2052, CR2002, CR2003, ST2011 (5 credits per module)

plus any 15 credits (not already selected) from the following, timetable permitting:

(a) Social Policy: SS2004, SS2006, SS2007, SS2008, SS2024, SS2025, SS2026, SS2030 (5 credits per module)

(b) Sociology: SC2002, SC2003, SC2004, SC2012, SC2016, SC2017, SC2018, SC2021, SC2026, SC2027, SC2034, SC2052, CR20024, CR20034 (5 credits per module)

(c) Statistics (for the Social Sciences): ²ST2011, ²ST2013 (5 credits per module)

(d) Languages: French, Gaeilge³, German, Spanish and Italian: FR1105 and FR1107 (5 credits per module), GA1002, GE0003 and GE0004 (corequisites, 5 credits each), GE0005 and GE0008 (corequisites, 5 credits each), HS0028, HS0128 (10 credits per module), IT1109 (10 credit module)

(e) Philosophy: PH2002, PH2004, PH2017, PH2018, PH2019 (5 credits per module)

Note:

• ¹Students who wish to register for SC3016 in Third Social Science are required to take SC2002 or SS2012 in second year.
• ²Students who register for ST2013 must also register for ST2011. Students may register for ST2011 on its own.
• ³Students may not take the same Irish language module twice during their programme, e.g. students cannot take GA1002 in Second Social Science and again in Third Social Science. Students who wish to take GA2001 in Third Arts must have passed GA1002.
• 4SC2021 is a corequisite for CR2002 and CR2003; if you take CR2002 or CR2003 you must also take SC2021. SC2021 can be taken on its own.
• Students wishing to be eligible for postgraduate studies in Sociology are advised to take at least 45 credits of Sociology overall in Second and Third Social Science which must have included SC2001, SC3001 and SS3031 (or equivalent).

Module Semester Information may be found here. Module Descriptions may be found here.

Examinations

Full details of regulations governing Examinations for each programme will be contained in the Marks and Standards 2018 Book, and for each module in the Book of Modules, 2017/2018.

Three Year Rule

Students must pass the Second University Examination in Social Science within three academic years from the date of first registration for Second Year. Failure to comply with this rule means that the student will be ineligible to proceed further with his/her studies. Exceptions to this rule may be granted by the College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences, only for very serious reasons.

Only students who have passed the Second University Examination in Social Science and satisfied all other requirements specified for the Second Year, will be permitted to register for Third Social Science. In order to be admitted to the BSocSc (Hons) Degree Examination, a student must have satisfactorily attended, for at least a full academic year, prescribed modules to the value of 60 credits in all of the themes of his/her programme.

Change of Module

Students wishing to register a change of module must do so via the Student Portal or at the Student Records and Examinations Office no later than two weeks after the start of each Semester, i.e. by Friday, 22nd September 2017 (Semester 1) or Friday, 26th January 2018 (Semester 2). Semester 1 modules cannot be changed in Semester 2. No changes in registration will be allowed after these deadlines.

Programme Requirements

Students take 60 credits as follows:

Social Research Project
Social Policy: SS3031 (15 credits)
or Sociology: SC3016 (15 credits)
Economics: EC3151 (5 credits)
Social Policy: SS3049 (5 credits) SS3050 (5 credits)
plus 30 credits from the subject areas listed below (timetable permitting):
Social Policy, Social Work and Social Services: SS3005, SS3006, SS3008, SS3009, SS3010, SS3011, SS3015, SS3016, SS3019, SS3021, SS3027, SS3030, SS3033¹, SS3045, SS3047 (5 credits per module)
Sociology and Society III: 15 credits from CR2002, CR2003, SC3001, SC3003, SC3004, SC3007¹, SC3009, SC3012, SC3017, SC3018, SC3029, SC3036, SC3039, SC3046, SC3057 (5 credits per module)
Applied Psychology: AP3020, AP3113, AP3504 (5 credits)
Languages: French, Gaeilge⁴, German, Italian, Spanish: FR1105² and FR1107² or FR2105 and FR2107 (5 credits per module), GA1002, GA2001, GE0003 and GE0004 (corequisites, 5 credits each), GE0005 and GE0008 (corequisites, 5 credits each), HS0028, HS0128 (10 credits per module) , IT1109 (10 credits)
Philosophy: PH3025, PH3042, PH3044, PH3110, PH3112 (5 credits per module)
Statistics (for the Social Sciences): ST2011³, ST2013³ (5 credits per module)

Note:

1. Students cannot select both SS3033 and SC3007.
2. FR1105 and FR1107 are only available to students who have not already taken French in Second Year.
3. Students who took ST2011 or ST2013 in Second Year cannot select these modules in Third Year.
4. Students may not take the same Irish language module twice during their programme, e.g. students cannot take GA1002 in Second Social Science and again in Third Social Science. Students who wish to take GA2001 must have passed GA1002.
5. Students who took CR2002 or CR2003 in Second Year cannot select the same module in Third Year. SC2021 is a corequisite for CR2002 and CR2003; if you take CR2002 or CR2003 you must also take SC2021. SC2021 can be taken on its own.
6. Students wishing to be eligible for postgraduate studies in Sociology must have taken at least 45 credits of Sociology overall in Second and Third Social Science which must have included SC2001, SC3001 and SS3031 (or equivalent).

Module Semester Information may be found here. Module Descriptions may be found here.

Examinations

Full details of regulations governing Examinations for each programme will be contained in the Marks and Standards 2018 Book, and for each module in the Book of Modules, 2017/2018.

Three Year Rule

Students must pass the BSocSc (Hons) Degree Examination within three academic years from the date of first registration for Third Year. Failure to comply with this rule means that the student will be ineligible to proceed further with his/her studies. Exceptions to this rule may be granted by the College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences, only for very serious reasons.