Education - Primary Teaching
The Bachelor of Education is a four-year, full-time, honours degree (Level 8) designed to qualify students to teach in primary schools.
| Award Name | Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) |
|---|---|
| NFQ Classification | Major |
| Awarding Body | University of Limerick |
| NFQ Level | Level 8 NFQ |
| Award Name | NFQ Classification | Awarding Body | NFQ Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) | Major | University of Limerick | Level 8 NFQ |
Duration
4 years full-time.
Specific Subjects or course requirements
Applicants must be at least 16 years old on 15 January of the year of entry and must have obtained the following minimum grades at a single sitting of the Leaving Certificate examination:
• Grade H5 on a Higher Level paper in not less than three subjects
• Grade O6/H7 in three other subjects (Higher or Ordinary Level)
Applicants must have obtained the following grades, at minimum, in subjects specified:
• Gaeilge - Grade H4
• Mathematics - O4 or H7
• English - O4 or H7
Foundation Level Mathematics does not satisfy the entry requirement in Mathematics.
*Minimum grades required in Gaeilge, English and Mathematics can be obtained at different sittings of the Leaving Certificate Examination(s). The requirement to achieve a minimum of Grade H5 in three Higher Level papers and Grade O6/H7 in three other subjects (Higher or Ordinary Level) must be obtained in a single sitting of the Leaving Certificate Examination.
STUDENT FITNESS TO TEACH FORM
In order to establish students’ fitness to teach, all incoming teacher education students are required to complete a Student Fitness to Teach Form.
GARDA VETTING/CRIMINAL RECORDS BUREAU CHECK
Registration will be conditional upon successful completion of the Garda Vetting/CRB checking process.
Leaving Certificate Vocational Progamme LCVP
Careers / Further progression
Career Opportunities
The Bachelor of Education Honours Degree is designed to qualify students to teach in primary schools. This University of Limerick accredited degree is an internationally recognised qualification and was the first programme of its kind to be accredited by the Teaching Council of Ireland. The programme promotes the personal and intellectual development of students, while providing the professional and academic foundation for a career in teaching.
Further information
If you are at least 23 years old on the 1 January of the year of entry to college, you are considered as a mature applicant. All mature applicants who make an application to the College through the CAO for MI004/MI005/ MI006, and meet the eligibility criteria, will be invited to attend for an interview and an oral Irish test. Candidates are awarded a grade for their performance at the interview and an additional grade for the oral Irish test. The combined score determines the candidate’s place on the order of merit list. Where places remain unfilled after the list of successful first preference applicants has been exhausted, offers may be made to other applicants in order of preference and in accordance with the order of merit. Applicants who get a ‘fail’ grade in either the interview or oral Irish test will be eliminated from the competition. Applicants who have failed the interview on two previous occasions are not eligible to re-apply. Mature applicants who have completed an interview and oral Irish test will be contacted by the College to indicate whether or not they are being offered a place and all places will then be offered by the CAO.
TEACHER EDUCATION ACCESS PROGRAMME FOR MATURE LEARNERS
This programme is designed for mature students who do not hold the minimum entry requirements but who wish to gain entry to the Bachelor of Education. For further information please contact the MIC Admissions Office on T: +353 61204348 E: Admissions@mic.ul.ie
STUDENT FITNESS TO TEACH FORM
In order to establish students’ fitness to teach, all incoming teacher education students are required to complete a Student Fitness to Teach Form.
GARDA VETTING/CRIMINAL RECORDS BUREAU CHECK
Registration will be conditional upon successful completion of the Garda Vetting/CRB checking process.
GCE/GCSE/BTEC APPLICANTS
For further information about minimum grades and entry requirements please contact the MIC Admissions Office at E: Admissions@mic.ul.ie
Entry 2024
Early online application (discounted): Fee €30 Closing Date: 20 January 2024 at 5pm
Normal online application: Fee €45 Closing Date: 1 February 2024 at 5pm
Late online application - restrictions apply (see page 3 2024 CAO Handbook): Fee: €60 Closing Date: 1 May 2024 at 5pm
Change of Mind - restrictions apply (see page 3 2024 CAO Handbook): Fee: Nil Closing Date: 1 July 2024 at 5pm
Exceptional online late application (see page 34 of the 2024 CAO Handbook): Fee €60 Closing Date: 22 July 2024 at 5pm
Be sure to complete any action well in advance of closing dates. You should avoid making an application close to a closing date. No extensions to closing dates will be allowed and all application fees are non-refundable.
LATE APPLICATIONS
Late Applications are those which are received after 5pm on 1 February 2024. The closing date for late applications is 5pm on 1 May 2024, subject to the restrictions listed on page 3 of the 2024 CAO Handbook. The online facility for late applications opens on the 5 March 2024 at 12:00 noon - a fee of €60 applies.
Exceptional Late Applications (Exception to the timetable)
The exceptional closing date of 22 July at 5pm applies only to applicants who are registered as an undergraduate student on 1 May 2024 in any year in any one of the participating HEIs (subject to the exclusions listed below). In order to avail of the Exceptional Late Application facility you must have entered the HEI through the CAO system. This is an exceptional late closing date and all steps must be completed by 5pm on 22 July. No changes may be made after this date.
If you did not enter your current course through the CAO system, you must first contact the Admissions Office of the HEI to which you wish to apply and they will inform you if you may submit an application direct to the institution.
Exclusions:
You may submit a late application only for entry to courses other than your existing course. If you wish to repeat the year in the same course you must arrange this within your HEI.
Mary Immaculate College Limerick, Marino Institute of Education, Trinity College Dublin, University of Limerick and Maynooth University have special procedures in place in the case of current or previous students who wish to apply for entry to another course in the same HEI. Such applicants must contact their Admissions Office to determine the application procedure. However, if you are a student in another HEI and you wish to apply to any of these five HEIs, you should apply through CAO.
Refer to page 34 of the 2024 CAO Handbook on how to make an Exceptional Late Application.
Restrictions
As a CAO applicant you may experience one or more of the following restrictions based on your course choices, your category of application, or restrictions imposed by the HEIs that you wish to apply to. Please read the section on 'Restrictions' on page 3 of the 2024 CAO Handbook carefully. This section includes information on:
General Restrictions
1. Making a late application
2. Making changes to your course choices
Restricted Courses
3. Applying for a restricted course
Mature Applicants
4. Mature applicants
Supplementary Admissions Routes
5. Applying for DARE and/or HEAR
Why study the Bachelor of Education at MIC?
Do you want to become a primary school teacher? If so, our four-year Bachelor of Education programme seeks to equip participants with the competence to teach at all levels of the primary school.
The programme enables students to examine their role as a learner, a teacher, a researcher and a leader. Blending subject-specific pedagogies with modules which interrogate contemporary issues in education, in a context of campusbased and school-based learning opportunities, students are enabled to achieve deep insights into teaching and learning from the initial year of the programme.
Over the course of the programme, students take 54 modules. 51 modules are pre-defined and are taken by all students. These 51 modules form the core programme. The three modules chosen by the student determines the Specialism that the student will graduate with.
What you will study
Year 1 - Learner
During Year 1 of the programme the student will undertake a core programme of study designed around the theme of Learner. During the first semester the student will be introduced to academic life and will be enabled to fully engage in thirdlevel education through a specific programme of study that complements the first suite of academic modules. This year comprises of on campus study and professional placement.
Year 2 - Teacher
During Year 2 of the programme the student will undertake a core programme of study designed around the theme of Teacher. During this year a broad range of subject areas and disciplines will be explored by the student, including the study of Inclusive Education for Children with Special Educational Needs.
Year 3 - Researcher
In Year 3 a broad range of subject areas and disciplines will be explored by the student, including the study of Early Childhood Education.
Year 4 - Leader
This final year comprises on campus study and extended school placement. The student will spend the first semester on school placement engaged in a wide variety of activities. These include being responsible for teaching various class groupings for prolonged periods of time, bringing a particular curricular focus to host schools and learning about aspects of school life outside of the classroom. Students will engage with the infant classes and a class of their choice. During this year, the student will complete a portfolio showcasing samples of work completed over the course of the degree to date. The student will complete research on their practice together with capstone modules that include a focus on leadership and policy in education.
Year 1
Semester 1
• Language Education 1 (English): Supporting Integrated Learning Across the Curriculum
• An Ghaeilge agus Múineadh na Gaeilge 1
• Mathematics Education 1: Developing Critical Mathematical Literacies to make Sense of the World
• School Placement 1: Nurturing the Development of Teacher Identity
• Foundations for Teaching and Learning 1: Schools and Society - where we are, how we got here and where to next
• Creative Technologies 1
• Child as Learner 1: Developmental Psychology, Theory and Practice
Semester 2:
• Language Education 2 (English): Supporting Integrated Learning Across the Curriculum
• Mathematics Education 2: Developing Critical Mathematical Literacies to make Sense of the World
• School Placement 2
• Child as Learner 2: Relationships in Learning (Classroom Communications, Organisation, and Managament)
• Pedagogical Practice 1: Microteaching and Global Citizenship Education
• Foundations for Teaching and Learning 2: Global Citizenship
• Creative Arts Education 1: Inclusion, Integration, Imagination, Innovation
• An Ghaeilge agus Múineadh na Gaeilge 2 (agus Tréimshe Foghlama sa Ghaeltacht 1)
Year 2
Semester 3
• Language Education 3 (English): Supporting Integrated Learning Across the Curriculum
• Mathematics Education 3: Developing Critical Mathematical Literacies to make Sense of the World
• Wellbeing: Physical Education and Social Personal and Health Education 1
• Including Every Child 1 • Local, Global and Environmental Studies 1
• Religious Education 1 (Christian Schools) or Ethical, Multi- Belief and Values Education Patrons’ Curricula 1
• An Ghaeilge agus Múineadh na Gaeilge 3/An Ghaeilge agus Múineadh na Gaeilge 3 (Scoileanna T1)
• Science Education 1: Creating a Scientific Habit of Mind
• Creative Arts 2: Equality, Empowerment, Embodiment, Expression
Semester 4
• Language Education 4 (English): Supporting Integrated Learning Across the Curriculum
• Mathematics Education 4: Developing Critical Mathematical Literacies to make Sense of the World
• Wellbeing: Physical Education and Social Personal and Health Education 2
• Science Education 2: Developing Scientific Connections with the World Around Us
• Religious Education 2 (Christian Schools) or Ethical, Multi- Belief and Values Education Patrons’ Curricula 2
• An Ghaeilge agus Múineadh na Gaeilge 4
• School Placement 3
• Early Childhood Curriculum and Education 1
Year 3
Semester 5
• Specialism 1
• Leading Teaching and Learning through Assessment • Creative Arts 3: Diversity and Diffusion
• Foundations for Teaching and Learning 3: Schools and Society - Equality and Equity in Education; Perspectives on Race, Ethnicity and Social Class
• Early Childhood Curriculum and Education 2: Pedadogical Practice in Early Primary Education
• Pedagogical Practice 2: Transdisciplinary, Inclusive and Global Citizenship Education Methodologies
• Research Methods and Portfolio - Exploring Teacher Professional Growth
Semester 6
• Including Every Child 2: Collaborating for Teaching, Learning and Assessment for Children with Inclusive Special Educational Needs
• Specialism 2
• Foundations for Teaching and Learning 4: Professional Relationships, Partnerships and Communication
• Language Education 5 (English): Supporting Integrated Learning Across the Curriculum
• Creative Technologies 2: STEAM
• Local, Global and Environmental Studies 2
• Language Education 5 (Gaeilge le TFsaG2): Supporting Integrated Learning Across the Curriculum
• School Placement 4: Teacher as Change Agent and Researcher in Action
Year 4
Semester 7
• School Placement 4: Teacher as Change Agent and Researcher in Action
• School Placement 5
• School Placement 6
• Taisce 1: Professional Learning, Practice, and Research
Semester 8: Teacher as Leader
• Specialism 3
• Foundations for Teaching and Learning 5: Child Protection, Professional and Legal Responsibilities
• Foundations for Teaching and Learning 6: Schools and Society - Equality and Equity in Education; Perspectives on Gender, Sexuality and Social Justice
• Taisce 2: Professional Learning , Practice and Research
Bachelor Of Education With A Specialism
Students will pursue a Specialism in either Liberal Arts or Education. This means that students select three modules in a given subject/ area. This allows students to develop their personal interests and talents and to customise their own individual degree paths. These students gain expertise in a specific area of relevance to Primary Education. Examples of the Education Specialisms that are currently on offer include:
• Special Education
• Mathematics Education
• Technology Enhanced Learning
• SPHE
• Language and Literacy
• Primary Geography and Global Education
• Educational Disadvantage (DEIS)
• Early Childhood Studies
• Physical Education
• Teagasc i Suíomhanna Lán-Ghaeilge
• Theology/Religious Education (Joint Specialism with Liberal Arts)
• Visual Arts Education
Alternatively, students may elect to pursue a specialisation in one of the following Liberal Arts disciplines:
• Gaeilge
• Irish Heritage
• German Studies
• Mathematics
• History
• Music
• Theology/Religious Education (Joint Specialism with Faculty of Education)
Gaeltacht Courses - Tréimshí Foghlama Sa Ghaeltacht
All Bachelor of Education students are required to attend two residential placements in the Gaeltacht as part of the programme – Tréimhse Foghlama sa Ghaeltacht 1 agus 2. Tréimhse Foghlama sa Ghaeltacht 1 is taken in Year 1 of the programme and Tréimhse Foghlama sa Ghaeltacht 2 in Year 3. Each placement lasts two weeks. The Department of Education covers the cost of this compulsory course and the cost is currently €750 per placement. Each of these modules is graded with an examination in oral Irish. Students will take an examination in oral Irish after completing the first placement at the end of their first year of Initial Teacher Education. Students must pass this examination in order to continue to the second year of the programme. A repeat of the examination in oral Irish test is provided by the College. All Bachelor of Education students must have completed the two Gaeltacht placements successfully before entering Year 4 of the programme.
Professional Placement
The professional placement element of the programme is designed to meet the Teaching Council’s requirements, and students will spend approximately 24 weeks in schools during the programme. This period will allow students to engage in observation, class-based and whole-school teaching and learning activities. Working in partnership with schools, the placements are designed to enable students to experience all class levels and a range of school types, and the student is guided and empowered along their learning-to-teach journey.
Education Faculty Office
T: +353 61 204906
E: EducationOffice@mic.ul.ie
W: www.mic.ie