Entry Points (2024)
351

Course Overview

Government has a profound impact on our lives and the functioning of society. Government policies affect everything from our health and wellbeing, to the affordability of housing and transport, the quality of the environment and the viability of businesses and voluntary organisations. The BA Government (Politics, Economics and Law) will enable you to better understand public affairs and emerging critical issues and to develop the skills necessary to make a real difference in your chosen career path, whether in public, private or voluntary and non-profit sectors. 

Do you want to better understand how government works and how public policy can be improved? Do you want to examine how democracy, politics, economics and law interact to shape public and social policy? Are you interested in working in a career where knowledge of government, public policy, business and law are important? If so, the BA Government (Politics, Economics, and Law) at University of Galway is for you.

Applications and Selections

Who Teaches this Course

Requirements and Assessment

Key Facts

Entry Requirements

Minimum Grade H5 in two subjects and passes in four other subjects at O6/H7 level in the Leaving Certificate, including Irish, English, another language, and three other subjects recognised for entry purposes.

Additional Requirements

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Duration

4 years

Next start date

September 2025

A Level Grades (2024)

universityofgalway.ie/alevels

Average intake

60

QQI/FET FETAC Entry Routes

2 (More Info)

Closing Date
NFQ level

Mode of study

ECTS weighting

Award

CAO

GY132

Course code

Course Outline

YEAR ONE

  • Introduction to Politics
  • Practicing Politics
  • Introduction to Government
  • Practicing Government
  • Principles of Micro and Macro Economics
  • Skills for Economics
  • Tort Law
  • Irish Legal Systems
  • Legal Skills

YEAR TWO

  • International and Global Politics
  • European Politics
  • Methods for Social and Political Science
  • Modern Political Thought
  • Intermediate Micro and Macro Economics
  • Mathematics and Statistics for Economics
  • Legal Methods and Research
  • Contract Law
  • Constitutional Law
  • Financial Economics
  • Economics of Public Policy
  • Irish Economic History
  • Housing Law & Policy
  • Environmental Law

YEAR THREE

  •  Professional Skills for Government and Policy
  •  Study Abroad
  •  Policy, Lobbying and Advocacy
  •  Work Placement
  •  Government Field Trip
  •  Introduction to Sustainability
  • Green Political Thought
  • Governing the Poor
  •  Design your Life
  • Navigating the Digital World

Study Abroad

There are opportunities to study in another European university in Third Year under the ERASMUS scheme (e.g., in Belgium, Finland, Netherland or Estonia) or to study for one semester at a university in the USA or Canada.

YEAR FOUR

  • Political Liberty
  • Contemporary American Politics
  • Contemporary African Politics
  • Comparative Public Policy
  • Thinking Politically
  • Government and Public Policy
  •  Public Economics
  • Environmental and Natural Resource Economics
  • Health Economics
  • Administrative Law
  •  European Union Law
  •  Criminal Law

Curriculum Information

Curriculum information relates to the current academic year (in most cases).
Course and module offerings and details may be subject to change.

Glossary of Terms

Credits
You must earn a defined number of credits (aka ECTS) to complete each year of your course. You do this by taking all of its required modules as well as the correct number of optional modules to obtain that year's total number of credits.
Module
An examinable portion of a subject or course, for which you attend lectures and/or tutorials and carry out assignments. E.g. Algebra and Calculus could be modules within the subject Mathematics. Each module has a unique module code eg. MA140.
Subject
Some courses allow you to choose subjects, where related modules are grouped together. Subjects have their own required number of credits, so you must take all that subject's required modules and may also need to obtain the remainder of the subject's total credits by choosing from its available optional modules.
Optional
A module you may choose to study.
Required
A module that you must study if you choose this course (or subject).
Required Core Subject
A subject you must study because it's integral to that course.
Semester
Most courses have 2 semesters (aka terms) per year, so a three-year course will have six semesters in total. For clarity, this page will refer to the first semester of year 2 as 'Semester 3'.

Year 2 (60 Credits)

OptionalEC207: Irish Economic History - 5 Credits - Semester 3
RequiredEC273: Mathematics for Economics - 5 Credits - Semester 3
RequiredEC269: Intermediate Microeconomics - 5 Credits - Semester 3
OptionalEC247: Introduction to Financial Economics - 5 Credits - Semester 4
OptionalEC259: Economics of Public Policy - 5 Credits - Semester 4
RequiredEC275: Statistics for Economics - 5 Credits - Semester 4
RequiredEC268: Intermediate Macroeconomics - 5 Credits - Semester 4
RequiredEC269: Intermediate Microeconomics - 5 Credits - Semester 3
RequiredEC268: Intermediate Macroeconomics - 5 Credits - Semester 4
RequiredEC259: Economics of Public Policy - 5 Credits - Semester 4
RequiredLW3161: Advanced Legal Skills - 5 Credits - Semester 3
RequiredLW228: Constitutional Law II - 5 Credits - Semester 3
RequiredLW202: Contract I - 5 Credits - Semester 3
OptionalLW232: Housing Law & Policy - 5 Credits - Semester 4
OptionalLW358: Environmental Law II - 5 Credits - Semester 4
OptionalLW3162: International and Comparative Disability Rights - 5 Credits - Semester 4
OptionalAJ2114: Communicating Through Storytelling - 5 Credits - Semester 4
RequiredLW227: Constitutional Law I - 5 Credits - Semester 4
RequiredLW205: Contract II - 5 Credits - Semester 4
RequiredLW228: Constitutional Law II - 5 Credits - Semester 3
OptionalLW358: Environmental Law II - 5 Credits - Semester 4
OptionalLW3162: International and Comparative Disability Rights - 5 Credits - Semester 4
RequiredLW227: Constitutional Law I - 5 Credits - Semester 4
OptionalSP2117: International and Global Politics - 5 Credits - Semester 3
OptionalSP2122: European Politics - 5 Credits - Semester 3
OptionalSP220: Methods For Social And Political Science - 5 Credits - Semester 4
OptionalSP2123: Modern Political Thought - 5 Credits - Semester 4
OptionalSP2122: European Politics - 5 Credits - Semester 3
RequiredSP2117: International and Global Politics - 5 Credits - Semester 3
RequiredSPSK3101: Politics and Society: Themes and Topics - 5 Credits - Semester 3
RequiredSP2123: Modern Political Thought - 5 Credits - Semester 4
RequiredSPSK3102: Society and Politics: Ideas and Research - 5 Credits - Semester 4
RequiredSP220: Methods For Social And Political Science - 5 Credits - Semester 4

Year 4 (60 Credits)

OptionalEC345: Health Economics - 5 Credits - Semester 7
OptionalEC3105: Econometrics - 5 Credits - Semester 7
OptionalEC369: Money And Banking - 5 Credits - Semester 7
OptionalEC388: Environmental And Natural Resource Economics - 5 Credits - Semester 7
RequiredEC3101: Microeconomics and Public Policy - 5 Credits - Semester 7
OptionalEC3100: Economics and Philosophy - 5 Credits - Semester 8
OptionalEC362: Economics Of Financial Markets - 5 Credits - Semester 8
OptionalEC386: Public Economics - 5 Credits - Semester 8
OptionalEC429: Marine Economics - 5 Credits - Semester 8
OptionalEC3106: Behavioural Finance - 5 Credits - Semester 8
RequiredEC3102: Macroeconomics and Public Policy - 5 Credits - Semester 8
OptionalEC345: Health Economics - 5 Credits - Semester 7
OptionalEC3105: Econometrics - 5 Credits - Semester 7
OptionalEC369: Money And Banking - 5 Credits - Semester 7
OptionalEC388: Environmental And Natural Resource Economics - 5 Credits - Semester 7
RequiredEC3101: Microeconomics and Public Policy - 5 Credits - Semester 7
OptionalEC3100: Economics and Philosophy - 5 Credits - Semester 8
OptionalEC362: Economics Of Financial Markets - 5 Credits - Semester 8
OptionalEC386: Public Economics - 5 Credits - Semester 8
OptionalEC429: Marine Economics - 5 Credits - Semester 8
OptionalEC3106: Behavioural Finance - 5 Credits - Semester 8
RequiredEC3102: Macroeconomics and Public Policy - 5 Credits - Semester 8
RequiredLW4103: Administrative Law I - 5 Credits - Semester 7
RequiredLW503: European Union Law I - 5 Credits - Semester 7
RequiredLW409: Criminal Law I - 5 Credits - Semester 7
RequiredLW4104: Administrative Law II - 5 Credits - Semester 8
RequiredLW504: European Union Law II - 5 Credits - Semester 8
RequiredLW413: Criminal Law II - 5 Credits - Semester 8
RequiredLW4103: Administrative Law I - 5 Credits - Semester 7
RequiredLW503: European Union Law I - 5 Credits - Semester 7
RequiredLW504: European Union Law II - 5 Credits - Semester 8
OptionalSP3208: Contemporary American Politics - 5 Credits - Semester 7
OptionalSP3197: Thinking Politically: The Power of Ideas - 5 Credits - Semester 7
OptionalSP219: Political Sociology - 5 Credits - Semester 7
RequiredSP3207: Public Policy & Government - 5 Credits - Semester 7
OptionalSP305: Comparative Public Policy - 5 Credits - Semester 8
OptionalSP3144: Political Liberty - 5 Credits - Semester 8
OptionalSP3103: European Union: Political Theory and Pol. Economy - 5 Credits - Semester 8
OptionalSP3214: Biosociality and Bioeconomy: The Value(s) of Living Things - 5 Credits - Semester 8
OptionalSP3213: Contemporary African Politics - 5 Credits - Semester 8
OptionalSP4131: Smart & Liveable Cities and Suburbs S2 - 5 Credits - Semester 8
RequiredSP3139: Comparative Government and Politics - 5 Credits - Semester 8
OptionalSP3208: Contemporary American Politics - 5 Credits - Semester 7
OptionalSP219: Political Sociology - 5 Credits - Semester 7
OptionalSP3197: Thinking Politically: The Power of Ideas - 5 Credits - Semester 7
RequiredSP3207: Public Policy & Government - 5 Credits - Semester 7
RequiredSP3208: Contemporary American Politics - 5 Credits - Semester 7
RequiredSP3197: Thinking Politically: The Power of Ideas - 5 Credits - Semester 7
OptionalSP3144: Political Liberty - 5 Credits - Semester 8
OptionalSP3214: Biosociality and Bioeconomy: The Value(s) of Living Things - 5 Credits - Semester 8
OptionalSP3103: European Union: Political Theory and Pol. Economy - 5 Credits - Semester 8
OptionalSP3213: Contemporary African Politics - 5 Credits - Semester 8
OptionalSP4131: Smart & Liveable Cities and Suburbs S2 - 5 Credits - Semester 8
OptionalSP305: Comparative Public Policy - 5 Credits - Semester 8
RequiredSP3139: Comparative Government and Politics - 5 Credits - Semester 8

Further Education

Graduates may pursue postgraduate study in government, public policy and administration, journalism and media, business and management, economics and enterprise or further study and professional training in law. Students with a minor in Law will be exempted from the first year the three-year LLB programme and students majoring in Law may enter third year, subject to achieving a 2.2 award.

Why Choose This Course?

Career Opportunities

CAREER PROSPECTS

The programme lays the foundation for careers in local and national government, business, voluntary andnon-governmental organisations, the EU, UN and global development agencies. The curriculum, combined with on-the-job professional placement and study abroad options, prepares you to work in public administration, policy analysis and research, industrial relations, public relations, journalism, community development, political advising, advocacy and consultancy.

 

STUDY ABROAD

There are opportunities to study in another European university in Third Year under the ERASMUS scheme (e.g., in Belgium, Finland, Netherland or Estonia) or to study for one semester at a university in the USA or Canada.

Who’s Suited to This Course

Learning Outcomes

Transferable Skills Employers Value

Work Placement

Study Abroad

Students can avail of opportunities to study abroad with the Erasmus programme throughout Europe.

Related Student Organisations

Course Fees

Fees: EU

€6,076 p.a. (€6,216 p.a. including levy) 2025/26

Fees: Tuition

€3,076 p.a. 2025/26

Fees: Student Contribution

€3,000 p.a. 2025/26

Fees: Student levy

€140 p.a. 2025/26

Fees: Non EU

€20,500 p.a. (€20,640 p.a. including levy) 2025/26


EU Fees are comprised of Tuition + Student Contribution Charge + Student Levy* €140. *Payable by all students and is not covered by SUSI.  Further detail here.

For 25/26 entrants, where the course duration is greater than 1 year, there is an inflationary increase approved of 3.4% per annum for continuing years fees**.
**Excludes Full-Time EU Undergraduate fees.  These are fixed and do not change.

Find out More

College of Arts, Social Sciences,
and Celtic Studies
t. +353 91 493958
e. collegearts@universityofgalway.ie

Lisa

Lisa Basquel |   BA Government

I choose to study BA Government as I was interested in the multidisciplinary nature of the course with the opportunity to undertake three different subjects. Throughout my time on this course, I have had the opportunity to study in the University of Ottawa in Canada for 6 months, which gave me the chance to gain an international perspective on my studies. One thing I really like about this course is the smaller class size, as it means help is easily accessible from the school and the department. Earlier this year we received funding and support for a student led publication called “The Government Collective” which is something that would have been hard to do if there was a larger class size to cater for. Overall, I’ve had a fantastic experience over the past four years and will look back at my time studying BA Government in University of Galway fondly