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 Arts and Sports Education) 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 or SC2067, and 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 and for further education students (QQIFET) as part of a policy of promoting equality of access.

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: AP1022, AP1023 (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)

Examinations

Full details of regulations governing Examinations for each programme will be contained in the Marks and Standards 2020/2021 Book, and for each module in the Book of Modules, 2020/2021.

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.

UCC Diploma in Social Studies progression pathway

Students who have passed the Diploma in Social Studies from 2020 onwards may register for Second Social Science. Students who wish to progress to Second Social Science should notify the School of Applied Social Studies in writing of their intention to do so by the end of February in their second year of studying the Diploma in Social Studies. Upon successful completion of the Diploma in Social Studies, students who have notified their intention to progress, may register for Second Social Science. 

Placements

Students who opt to avail of Placements under this scheme must inform the School of Applied Social Studies 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. Student placements will not be offered in 2020/2021 due to the implications of the Covid_19 Crisis.

Change of Module

Students wishing to register a change of module must do so via the Student Portal no later than two weeks after the start of each Semester, i.e. by Friday, 9 October 2020 (Semester 1) or Friday, 5 February 2021 (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: SS2012, SS2029, SS2031 (5 credits per module)
plus 5 credits from the following:
SS2004, SS2006, SS2008, SS2025, SS2026, SS2030 (5 credits per module)

Philosophy: PH2032 (5 credits)
Applied Psychology: AP2505 (5 credits)
Sociology and Society¹: SC2001 (5 credits) or SC2067 (10 credits)
plus any 15 or 20 credits (not already selected) from the following, timetable permitting and ensuring htat students are registered for 60 credits in total:

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

(b) Sociology¹: SC2003, SC2004, SC2017, SC2021, SC2034, CR2003 (5 credits per module) and SC2065² and SC2066 (10 credits per module)

(c) Statistics: ST2001 (5 credits)

(d) Languages: French, German, Spanish and Italian: FR1105 and FR1107 (5 credits per module), GE0003 and GE0004 (corequisites, 5 credits each), GE0005 and GE0008 (corequisites, 5 credits each), HS0028³ (10 credit module), IT1109 (10 credit module)

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

Note:

• ¹Students who wish 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 or SC2067, and SC3001 and SS3031 (or equivalent).
• ²In order to be eligible to register for SC3055 in Third Year students are required to take SC2065 or SS2012 in Second Year.
• ³Please note HS0028 (Beginners A!).

Examinations

Full details of regulations governing Examinations for each programme will be contained in the Marks and Standards 2020/2021 Book, and for each module in the Book of Modules, 2020/2021.

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.

Placements

Students who opt to avail of Placements under this scheme must inform the School of Applied Social Studies 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. Student placements will not be offered in 2020/2021 due to the implications of the Covid_19 Crisis.

Change of Module

Students wishing to register a change of module must do so via the Student Portal no later than two weeks after the start of each Semester, i.e. by Friday, 9 October 2020 (Semester 1) or Friday, 5 February 2021 (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 Sociology¹: SC3055 (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, SS3010, SS3011, SS3015, SS3016, SS3019, SS3021, SS3027, SS3033¹, SS3045, SS3047, SS3051 (5 credits per module)
Sociology and Society III¹: 15 credits from CR2002, CR2003, SC3001, SC3003, SC3004, SC3007¹, SC3009, SC3012, SC3029, SC3039, SC3046 (5 credits per module) and SC3058 (10 credits)
Applied Psychology: AP3113, AP3504 (5 credits)
Languages: French, Gaeilge, German, Italian, Spanish: FR1105² and FR1107² or FR2105 and FR2107 (5 credits per module), GA1002 (10 credits), 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, PH3045, PH3048, PH3110 (5 credits per module)
Statistics: ST2001³ (5 credits)

Note:

1. Students who wish 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 or SC2067, and SC3001 and SS3031 (or equivalent).
2. Students cannot select both SS3033 and SC3007.
3. FR1105 and FR1107 are only available to students who have not already taken French in Second Year.
4. Students who took ST2001 in Second Year cannot select this module in Third Year.
5. HS0028 (Beginners A1), HS0128 (Non Beginners A2).  Students can only take HS0128 in third year if they completed HS0028 in second year.
6. Students who took CR2002 or CR2003 in Second Year cannot select the same module in Third Year.

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 2020/2021 Book, and for each module in the Book of Modules, 2020/2021.

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.