Bachelor of Arts Social Science

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Course Overview
Key Facts
Course Outline
Further Education
Why Choose This Course?
Course Fees
Find Out More

An Animated Introduction to Social Science

Entry Points (2023)

347

Course Overview

Do you see yourself at the forefront of tackling some of the most crucial and pressing social, ecological and economic issues of our times? Do you regard yourself as ambitious and driven, with a strong disposition towards leadership, innovation and thinking and acting differently about local, national and global issues? Then the contemporary and innovative BSc (Social Sciences) Degree programme is for you!

“It’s a mark of our humanity that we want to understand how we live in society!”

The BSc (Social Science) programme is aimed at motivated school leavers and mature students who have a strong penchant for the study of some of the most fundamental issues and concerns for modern society and the environment. The programme strongly focuses on the applied nature of the Social Sciences and will equip students with practical research skills, in addition to focussing on career development and readiness, and further educational opportunities. There is an international fieldtrip in year two, a significant workplace internship in year three, and dissertation or research project component in year four, giving students practical real-world experience and knowledge of working in areas of Social Scientific inquiry. The growth in interdisciplinary study and research is building crucial knowledge and supporting the national capacity to respond to complex societal challenges by providing new solutions that cannot be provided by one discipline alone. This pioneering interdisciplinary Social Sciences degree programme draws on key strengths of Schools and Disciplines right across the College of Arts, university-wide Research Institutes and Centres, and innovation and entrepreneurial programs right across the University. Supporting and advocating the value and need for social scientific research to key decision-makers and policy designers, in addition to community activism and advocacy, forms an intrinsic part of the Social Sciences programme ethos.

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 Grades 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 2024

A Level Grades (2023)

universityofgalway.ie/alevels

Average intake

QQI/FET FETAC Entry Routes

5 (More Info)

Closing Date

NFQ level

Mode of study

ECTS weighting

Award

CAO

GY123

Course code

Course Outline

YEAR ONE

Introduction to the Study of Social Sciences
Digital Skills for the Social Sciences
Introduction to Sociology
Practicing Sociology
Introduction to Politics
Practicing Politics
Digital Citizenship
Introduction to Economic Policy
Geography in Practice
Principles of Human Geography
Principles of Physical Geography

YEAR TWO

Introduction to Sustainability
Research Methods for Social and Political Science
Cooperative Learning and Group Research Methods
Social Issues and Policy Responses
Sociology of Health
European Politics
Introduction to GIS
Theory and Practice in Geography
Political & Cutural Geography: Identity, Race and the Nation
Classical Social Thought
Modern Political Thought

YEAR THREE

Professional Skills and Pathways for Social Scientists
Megatrends
Work Placement for Social Scientists
Research Placement for Social Scientists
International Work Placement for Social Scientists
Global Engagement (study abroad)
Space, Place and the Irish Landscape
Economics of Public and Social Policy
Biogeography
Development and Change
Aimsir agus Aeraid/ Weather and Climate
Equality, Diversity and Collective Action

YEAR FOUR

Research Seminar in Social Sciences
Research Project Design and Development
Geographical Perspectives on Rural Change
Political Sociology
Migration, Mobility and Belonging
Thinking Politically: The Power of Ideas
Contemporary American Politics
War and Representation: Spaces and Politics of the Media
Comparative Public Policy
European Women's Studies

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 1 (60 Credits)

Year 2 (60 Credits)

Year 3 (60 Credits)

Year 4 (60 Credits)

Further Education

Graduates will be eligible to apply to a range of MA programmes including the MA in Public Policy, MA in Politics and Sociology, MA in Gender Globalisation and Rights and MA in Community Youth and Family

Environment, Society, and Development (MA)

Rural Futures Planning and Innovation (MA)

Journalism (MA)

Social Work (MA)

For a full list of further study options at University of Galway please see here

Why Choose This Course?

Career Opportunities

CAREER PROSPECTS

The BSc in Social Science prepares students for careers in government bodies from local to EU and international levels; Irish and global NGOs; community and international development; security and crime prevention; urban planning and sustainability; business

and industry; human resources, marketing and public relations; journalism and media; education and social research.

Applied Learning

A distinctive feature of the BSc in Social Science is a strong focus on the applied nature of the social sciences, which equips students with practical skills in designing, conducting, and disseminating research. The skill set acquired by students enables them to be proactive leaders across multiple societal, cultural, economic and policy domains where interdisciplinary research ability is in demand. An eight month work placement in Year Three provides real world experience and interactions with programme partners that enhance the employability of graduates of the course.

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Who’s Suited to This Course

Students who choose the BSc (Social Sciences) degree programme at NUI Galway are innovator and potential leaders seeking to understand and tackle the most challenging social, ecological and economic issues in contemporary society. They are frontrunners in informed decision-making pursuing accurate and feasible solutions to global issues and concerns based on fundamentally sound empirical evidence and research. The programme gives students the tools to address and tackle these grand societal concerns and problems and Social Science graduates offer a wide range of skills that are invaluable to present-day employers across the public, private and third sectors. These include the ability to understand complex issues in a holistic manner, on individual and cultural and societal levels; research, analyse and evaluate data critically; question flawed assumptions; understand people, institutions and their relationships; understand processes of change; make reasoned arguments; communicate concisely and clearly and solve pressing problems with ingenuity and a passion to do good.

What do social science graduates do?

Learning Outcomes

Transferable Skills Employers Value

Work Placement

Study Abroad

Related Student Organisations

Course Fees

Fees: EU

€5,598 p.a. (€5,738 p.a. including levy) 2024/25

Fees: Tuition

€2,598 p.a. 2024/25

Fees: Student Contribution

€3,000 p.a. 2024/25

Fees: Student levy

€140 p.a. 2024/25

Fees: Non EU

€18,500 p.a. (€18,640 p.a. including levy) 2024/25

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.