Overview
NFQ Level 8, Major Award
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 Classical Social Theory, SC2015 Critical Social Theory, SC3001 Contemporary Social Theory and SC3055 Research Project 2 (or equivalent i.e. SS3031 Social Research Report).
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.
First Year - Social Science
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.
Note:
If optional SS coded modules do not reach the minimum registration quota there is no guarantee that they will be offered.
Second Year - Social Science
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.
NB: Students may not select modules which involve a timetable clash.
BSocSc (Hons) (International) Pathway
The BSocSc (Hons) (International) Pathway is a four-year programme which enables students to study abroad for a year in an approved University outside Ireland.
Third Year - Social Science
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
For information about modules, module choice, options and credit weightings, please go to Programme Requirements.
Programme Requirements
Module List
| Code |
Title |
Credits |
| |
| AP1022 | Social Psychology | 5 |
| AP1023 | Lifespan Development | 5 |
| EC1117 | Markets and Governments: An Introduction to Economics | 5 |
| EC1118 | Markets and Governments: An Introduction to Economics | 5 |
| 10 |
| Philosophy and Social Science an Introduction (10) | |
| Social Practice and the Social Professions (10) | |
| SS1017 | Politics and Social Policy (Part 1) | 10 |
| SS1018 | Politics and Social Policy (Part 2) | 5 |
| SC1012 | Introduction to Sociology (Part A) | 5 |
| SC1013 | Key Issues in Sociology (Part B) | 10 |
| |
| EC2151 | Economics of Social Policy 1 | |
| SS2012 | Research Methods | |
| SS2029 | Politics and Social Policy II (Part 1) | |
| SS2031 | Politics and Social Policy II (Part 2) | |
| 5 |
| Personal Lives and Family Policy (5) | |
| Child Care Policy (5) | |
| Penal Policy and Practice (5) | |
| Social Work 1 (5) | |
| Fieldwork Placement (5) | |
| Social Movements and Health (5) | |
| Special Education and Disability: Principles, Policies and Practices (5) | |
| Critical Social Policy and Environmental Crisis (5) | |
| Communities, Activism and Development (5) | |
| PH2032 | Introduction to Ethics | |
| AP2505 | Psychology of Childhood and Adolescence | |
| SC2014 | Classical Social Theory | |
| SC2015 | Critical Social Theory | |
| 2 | 15 |
| Personal Lives and Family Policy () | |
| Child Care Policy () | |
| Penal Policy and Practice () | |
| Social Work 1 () | |
| Fieldwork Placement () | |
| Social Movements and Health () | |
| Special Education and Disability: Principles, Policies and Practices () | |
| Critical Social Policy and Environmental Crisis () | |
| Communities, Activism and Development () | |
| Women, Confinement and Social Control in Ireland () | |
| Crime, Urbanization and Cities () | |
| The Sociology of Class () | |
| Sociology of Politics, Power, and Ideology () | |
| Race, Ethnicity, Migration and Nationalism () | |
| Sociology of Education/Sociology for Education () | |
| Culture, Art & Literature: Sociological and Anthropological Perspectives () | |
| Sociology of Crime and Deviance () | |
| The Family: Sociological and Anthropological Perspectives (5) | |
| Sociology of the Body, Health and Illness () | |
| Sociology of the City () | |
| Sociology of Memory, Trauma & Collective Denial () | |
| Introduction to Biostatistics () | |
| Introduction to French : Complete Beginners () 3 | |
| French for Near Beginners () |
| French for Near Beginners () | |
| Threshold French () | |
| French for Reading Purposes I () |
| German Language (Beginner Level A1) Part 1 () 4 | |
| French for Reading Purposes I (5) | |
| German Language (Beginner Level A1) Part 2 () 4 | |
| German Language (CEFR-Level A2.1) () 4 | |
| German Language (CEFR-Level A2.2) () 4 | |
| Spanish Language (Beginner Level) () 5 | |
| Non-Beginners' Written and Spoken Italian () | |
| Introduction to Written and Spoken Italian () |
| Reasoning and Argument () | |
| An Introduction to Political Philosophy () | |
| Feminist Philosophy () | |
| Philosophy of Science () | |
| |
| |
| SS3031 | Social Research Report | |
| or SC3055 | Research Project 2 |
| EC3151 | Economics of Social Policy 2 | |
| SS3049 | Politics and Social Policy IV | |
| SS3050 | Politics and Social Policy V | |
| 30 |
| Housing and Homelessness () | |
| Education and Welfare () | |
| Poverty and Social Exclusion () | |
| Communities, Activism and Development () 6 | |
| Social Science and Social Work () | |
| Youth Policy and Practice () | |
| The Politics of Racism (Online) () | |
| Social Perspectives in Mental Health () | |
| Science, Technology and Public Controversy () | |
| Sexuality and Society () | |
| Fieldwork Placement () | |
| Issues in Planning and Sustainable Development () | |
| Critical Perspectives on Age and Ageing () | |
| Social Practice and the Social Professions 3 () | |
| Critical Perspectives on Disability () | |
| Women, Confinement and Social Control in Ireland () 6 | |
| Crime, Urbanization and Cities () 6 | |
| Contemporary Social Theory () | |
| Understanding Globalisation and Development () | |
| The Sociology of Community () | |
| Religion and Civilisation in Sociological and Anthropological Perspective () | |
| Sociology of the Media () | |
| Sociology of the Environment () | |
| Gender, Sexuality and Inequality () | |
| Sociology of Memory, Trauma & Collective Denial () | |
| Sociology of Law: Legal Justice, Human Right and Social Change () | |
| Medical Sociology (5) 11 | |
| Special Educational Needs: Aetiology, Assessment and Intervention (5) | |
| Child and Family Health Psychology () | |
| Introduction to French : Complete Beginners () 7 | |
| French for Near Beginners () |
| French for Near Beginners () | |
| Threshold French () 7 | |
| French for Reading Purposes I () |
| French for Reading Purposes I () 7 | |
| Towards Vantage French () | |
| French for Reading Purposes II () |
| French for Reading Purposes II () | |
| Ceart na Gaeilge idir Scríobh agus Labhairt () | |
| German Language (Beginner Level A1) Part 1 () 4 | |
| German Language (Beginner Level A1) Part 2 () 4 | |
| German Language (CEFR-Level A2.1) () 4 | |
| German Language (CEFR-Level A2.2) () 4 | |
| Spanish Language (Beginner Level) () | |
| Spanish Language (Improver [01] Level) () 8 | |
| Non-Beginners' Written and Spoken Italian () 9 | |
| Introduction to Written and Spoken Italian () 9 | |
| Intermediate Italian Language () |
| Political Philosophy in Theory and Practice () | |
| Professional Ethics () | |
| Social Ontology () | |
| Moral Philosophy in Theory and Practice () | |
| Human Nature and Free Will () | |
| Introduction to Biostatistics () 10 | |
| Total Credits | 110 |
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.
