Overview

To become an apprentice in social care you must meet the eligibility criteria for the programme, apply for an apprenticeship vacancy with a Solas approved employer and successfully pass each stage of the recruitment process. 

This programme has made an application for approval by CORU. There is no guarantee that the programme will be approved.

Programme Requirements

For information about modules, module choice, options and credit weightings, please go to Programme Requirements. 

Programme Requirements

¹

Module taught by UCC.

²

Module taught by MTU.

Examinations

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

Programme Learning Outcomes

Programme Learning Outcomes for BA (Hons) in Social Care (Apprenticeship) (NFQ Level 8, Major Award)
On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

• Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of social care theory and practice, incorporating design thinking for problem-solving in diverse care settings and evaluate and integrate concepts from theory, policy, and practice to develop innovative and reflective care strategies.
• Apply sociological, psychological, and legal frameworks to inform evidence-based, client-centered care.
• Leverage work-based learning experiences to deepen understanding of the changing social care landscape to apply practical, digital, creative, diagnostic and supervisory skills to address client needs and challenges in dynamic care environments, including de-escalation skills.
• Demonstrate proficiency in managing interpersonal, including mandated person responsibilities and group dynamics using user-centred approaches, to explore workplace dynamics critically, fostering innovation and promoting the well-being of clients and teams.
• Design and evaluate therapeutic programs and interventions through an innovative, evidence-informed lens which prioritize client goals and evaluate outcomes, integrating reflective and design-based problem-solving, including methods and tools that facilitate service user co-design and co-participation.
• Critically assess and tailor interventions to the emotional, psychological, and social complexities of care contexts.
• Work collaboratively and independently, demonstrating leadership and adaptability in multidisciplinary environments whilst leading and or supporting teams with an emphasis on ethical practice and professional integrity, informed by work-based learning.
• Navigate and influence care environments effectively, fostering innovation and teamwork whilst exhibiting self-awareness and the ability to manage personal and professional growth through reflective and systemic thinking.
• Engage in continuous professional development and reflective practices, informed by feedback and supervision by identifying knowledge gaps and address them through targeted learning and creative problem-solving approaches.

*** Only for Incoming First Years, Repeat First Years, Second Years and Repeat Second Years 2025/2026 ***
*** Click here for Marks and Standards for all other years ***

Marks and Standards

These Marks and Standards should be read in conjunction with the Programme Requirements and the Book of Modules.

Fitness to Practise

All students on programmes subject to Fitness to Practise in UCC will be required to comply with the Fitness to Practise Policy and meet the relevant Fitness to Practise standards, in order to progress to the next year of his/her/their programme. Click here for a list of programmes subject to the Fitness to Practise Policy.

First Year - Marks and Credits

Students are required to take modules to the value of 80 credits.
Total Marks for year: 1600.

First Year - Pass and Progression Criteria

To pass first year and progress to second year, students must have satisfied the Fitness to Practise requirements and must achieve:

1. An aggregate mark of 40% across all modules,
2. A pass mark in the modules SS1013 and SS1014,
3. A pass mark in modules to the value of 80 credits.

Award of Honours in the Degree Award

An honours classification is awarded for the final degree using the final year examination results and marks carried forward from the penultimate year. The aggregate of 33.33% of the penultimate year marks plus 66.67% of the final year marks will be used to calculate the final degree award.

Honours will be awarded as follows:

1. First Class Honours: ≥ 70%
2. Second Class Honours, Grade I: ≥ 60% and <70%
3. Second Class Honours, Grade II: ≥ 50% and <60%
4. Pass: ≥ 40% and <50%

Award of Honours when a student undertakes Study Abroad
When students study abroad as part of his/her/their degree programme, the calculation of the final degree award is based on modules in the Book of Modules only.

Examination Boards

• Provisional marks for Semester 1 examinations are released in January/February of each year. These marks are subject to approval at the University Examination Board.
• Marks for all modules taken in Semester 1 and 2, including those wholly assessed by Continuous Assessment, will be presented to the University Examination Board at the end of Semester 2.
• Marks for module SS1014 will be presented to the Autumn Examination Board.

Supplemental Examinations and Assessment

• Students who fail to achieve a pass standard for the year at the Summer Examination Board for all modules except SS1014, and the Autumn Examination Board for SS1014, must complete Supplemental Examinations and/or Continuous Assessment for those specific module(s), where there is provision to do so.
• Please refer to the Book of Modules for requirements governing the Supplemental Examination and Assessment for individual modules. Note: For some modules there is no Supplemental Examination and Assessment.
• There are special requirements for all Work Based Learning modules. Students who do not pass the Continuous Assessment element of SS1013 and/or SS1014 may complete the Supplemental Continuous Assessment for a Supplemental Examination Board. Students who do not receive a pass judgement on the Clinical Assessment element of SS1013 and/or SS1014 may repeat the module in the next academic year. The module may be repeated only once. Any student who chooses not to repeat or who fails a repeat Work Based Learning module will be be required to withdraw from the programme.
• The marks achieved in the Supplemental Examinations and/or Continuous Assessment of a repeat module are considered at the Autumn Examination Board, or the Winter Examination Board for SS1014.
• A student who is taking the Supplemental Examination for SS1014 will be allowed to provisionally progress to Year 2 pending the outcome of the Supplemental Examination Board.
• The actual mark achieved by the candidate in the Supplemental or Repeat Year Examination will be recorded on the student record (Academic Transcript).
• The maximum mark that will be taken into account for aggregation and progression purposes is a pass level, unless the student has been granted a cap waiver or deferral by the University Mitigation Committee, or a University Examination Board, or has been approved to defer the previous attempt by the University Mitigation Committee.
• At the Autumn Examination Board, marks from all passed modules approved at the Summer Examination Board are carried forward and are combined with the marks achieved in Supplemental Examinations and/or Assessments. The pass and progression criteria are applied to the aggregate mark achieved.

Note: The mark achieved at the last examination/assessment attempt is the mark that is included in the calculation of the aggregate mark for pass and progression purposes.

Study Abroad

• When students study abroad as part of his/her/their degree programme, they will be assessed by his/her/their host university.
• To pass the study abroad period and progress to the subsequent year, a student must achieve a pass standard as applied by the host institution.
• A Pass/Fail judgement will be presented to the UCC Examination Boards:
  • At the Summer Examination Board for students spending Semester 1 abroad.
  • At the Autumn/Winter Examination Board for students spending the full academic year abroad or Semester 2 only.
• For students failing to achieve a pass mark, Supplemental Assessment will be prescribed by the School in UCC, and these results will be presented at a Winter Examination Board.

Exemptions

All passed modules carry an exemption, which is limited to a period of five academic years (or two in the case of Computer Science modules) subsequent to the award of the exemption.

Repeat Year Examinations

Students repeating the year may do so choosing one of the following mechanisms:

1. Students retain module exemptions, if any, and must repeat all failed/absent modules, including those modules where the failing mark previously achieved was greater than the level of compensation (≥ 30%) but who failed to achieve the progression standard for the year (see above). The pass and progression criteria are then applied to the combination of full marks achieved in modules passed at the first attempt, plus capped marks achieved in modules in the Repeat Year Examinations.​

Note: For students selecting different modules not previously taken, there are no restrictions on the marks awarded for those modules at the first attempt in a repeat year. The selection of different modules by the student means that the student foregoes any previous marks achieved in the original modules (including previously passed modules).

2. Students may forego all module exemptions achieved and repeat the year choosing modules to the value of the full 60 credits. In determining pass and progression, there is no restriction on the marks awarded for modules taken at the first attempt of the Repeat Year. Modules taken at the subsequent Supplemental Examination and Assessment are capped at the pass mark.

Subject to capacity, all students - whether they have failed or passed - are allowed to choose this second option, in an attempt to improve his/her/their grade.

Students repeating the final year are eligible for the award of Honours in the first Repeat Year only. Final year students wishing to repeat the year with a view to improving his/her/their degree result may do so only if they have not been conferred.

Three Year Rule

Students must pass/progress within three academic years of the date of first registration for a year, otherwise they cannot continue in the programme.

Terms and Definitions

Programme Description

• The programme description is outlined in the Programme Requirements tab.

Module Descriptions/Assessment

• Module descriptions, including the pass standard for a module, special requirements to pass a module, and assessment elements and their weightings, are contained in the Book of Modules.

Marks and Credits

• A maximum of 100 marks may be awarded for every five credits of a programme.
• Some modules are assessed on a Pass/Fail basis only, i.e. marks are not awarded.

Pass and Progression

• Progression is defined as the permission granted to a student to register in the subsequent academic year for the next set of modules within his/her/their programme of study.
• Compensation is defined as the process by which a student, who fails to satisfy some of the regulations for credit in a specific module, is nevertheless recommended for credit to be awarded on the grounds that the failure is offset by his/her/their performance in the other modules on his/her/their programme of study.