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 preparation of a research proposal 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 Postgraduate Diploma in Youth Work. 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 SC2014, SC2015, SC3001 and SC3055 (or equivalent i.e. SS3031).

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.

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)

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 2022/2023 Book, and for each module in the Book of Modules, 2022/2023.

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 first Friday of July at the end of 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.

Programme Requirements

NB: Students may not select modules which involve a timetable clash.

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, SS2007, SS2008, SS2024, SS2025, SS2026, SS2033, SS3009 (5 credits per module)

Philosophy: PH2032 (5 credits)
Applied Psychology: AP2505 (5 credits)
Sociology and Society¹: SC2014 and SC2015 (5 credits each)
plus any 15 credits (not already selected) from the following, timetable permitting and ensuring that students are registered for 60 credits in total:

(a) Social Policy: SS2004, SS2006, SS2007, SS2008, SS2024, SS2025, SS2026, SS2033, SS3009 (5 credits per module)

(b) Sociology¹: SC2003, SC2004, SC2012, SC2017, SC2018, SC2021, SC2027, SC2034, CR2002, CR2003 (5 credits per module) and SC2065², SC3058 (10 credits per module)

(c) Statistics: ST2001 (5 credits)

(d) Languages: French, German, Spanish and Italian: FR0105 and/or FR1005³ or FR1105 and/or FR1107 (5 credits per module), GE0003⁴ and GE0004⁴ (co-requisites, 5 credits each) GE0005⁴ and GE0008⁴ (co-requisites, 5 credits each), HS0028⁵ (10 credit module), IT1102 or IT1109 (10 credits per 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 SC2014, SC2015, SC3001 and SC3055 (or equivalent i.e. SS3031).
• ²In order to be eligible to register for SC3055 in Third Year students are required to take SC2065 or SS2012 in Second Year.
• ³FR0105 is only available to complete beginners and FR1005 is not available to any student who took French beyond JC or equivalent.
• ⁴GE0003 and GE0004 must be taken together. GE0005 and GE0008 must be taken together.
⁵ Please note HS0028 (Beginners A1).

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 2022/2023 Book, and for each module in the Book of Modules, 2022/2023.

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.

Programme Requirements

NB: Students may not select modules which involve a timetable clash.

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, SS3009², SS3010, SS3011, SS3015, SS3016, SS3019, SS3021, SS3030, SS3033, SS3045, SS3047, SS3051 (5 credits per module)
Sociology and Society III¹: CR2002², CR2003², SC3001, SC3003, SC3004, SC3009, SC3012, SC3029, SC3039, SC3046 (5 credits per module) and SC3058 and SC3059 (10 credits per module)
Applied Psychology: AP3113, AP3504 (5 credits)
Languages: French, Gaeilge, German, Italian, Spanish: FR0105³ and/or FR1005³ or FR1105³ and/or FR1107³ or FR2105 and/or FR2107 (5 credits per module), GA1002 (10 credits), GE0003⁴ and GE0004⁴ (co-requisites, 5 credits each), GE0005⁴ and GE0008⁴ (co-requisites, 5 credits each), HS0028⁵, HS0128⁵ (10 credits per module), IT1102⁶ or IT1109⁶ or IT2101⁶ (10 credits per module)
Philosophy: PH3025, PH3042, PH3044, PH3048, PH3110 (5 credits per module)
Statistics: ST2001⁷ (5 credits)

Note:

• ¹Students 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 SC2014, SC2015, SC3001 and SC3055 (or equivalent i.e. SS3031).
• ²Students who took SS3009, CR2002 or CR2003 in Second Year cannot select the same module in Third Year.
• ³FR0105 (Complete beginners) and/or FR1005 (False beginners), FR1105 and/or FR1107 are only available to students who have not already taken those French modules in Second Year..
• ⁴GE0003 and GE0004 must be taken together. GE0005 and GE0008 must be taken together.
• ⁵HS0028 (Beginners A1), HS0128 (Non Beginners A2). Students can only take HS0128 in third year if they completed HS0028 in second year.
• ⁶IT1109 (Beginners) and IT1102 (Non-Beginners) are only available to students who have not already taken Italian in Second Year. IT2101 is only available to students who have successfully passed IT1109 or IT1102 in Second Year.
• ⁷Students who took ST2001 in Second Year cannot select this 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 2022/2023 Book, and for each module in the Book of Modules, 2022/2023.