Psychology
NCI’s BA (Honours) in Psychology is accredited by the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI), the professional body for psychology in the Republic of Ireland. This enables honours graduates of our degree to pursue further professional training in psychology.
| Award Name | Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) |
|---|---|
| NFQ Classification | Major |
| Awarding Body | QQI |
| NFQ Level | Level 8 NFQ |
| Award Name | NFQ Classification | Awarding Body | NFQ Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) | Major | QQI | Level 8 NFQ |
Duration
Three Years Full-Time
Specific Subjects or course requirements
Minimum entry requirements are a grade H5 and above in two higher level subjects together with a minimum of O6/H7 in four other subjects.
A minimum of grade O6/H7 must be obtained in English.
A grade O6/H7 must be obtained in Mathematics.
Leaving Certificate General Entry Requirements
NCI operates the bonus scheme for Higher level Leaving Certificate Mathematics. 25 points will be added to an applicant’s points score for Higher level Mathematics for grades H6 and above.
Leaving Certificate Vocational Progamme LCVP
NCI recognises the LCVP for admission purposes, and results in the Link Modules element of the programme will be considered as follows:
Grade Points
Distinction 66
Merit 46
Pass 28
This is automatically computed by CAO. The Link Modules may be used as one of the six subjects for overall points calculation but will not be considered as a subject for the purposes of minimum entry requirements.
QQI FET Applicants General Information
NCI welcomes applications from students who are presenting QQI (formerly FET/FETAC) Level 5 and Level 6 awards.
For information on how to apply and minimum entry requirements go to the QQI Students link below.
Careers / Further progression
Career Prospects
The degree is accredited by the Psychological Society of Ireland and therefore allows graduates to complete further graduate training within psychology in areas including clinical psychology, organisational psychology, forensic psychology and counselling psychology. Completion of the degree will also facilitate graduates in entering many other professions including human resources, recruitment, management, consultancy and marketing.
Further Study Options
Upon successful completion of the BA (Honours) in Psychology, graduates who have acquired the appropriate entry requirements can progress to postgraduate programmes at level 9 on the National Framework of Qualifications such as the MA in HRM at NCI, as well as clinical, educational, occupational and counselling psychology at other venues.
Further information
National College of Ireland is committed to providing equal access to education and equal opportunities for mature students. Students who are 23 years of age or older on 1st January can apply directly to NCI for entry to full-time education the following autumn. Applications will be accepted until 31st July. However, this closing date is subject to demand and therefore may change. For this reason and to avoid disappointment, it is advised that applications are submitted as early as possible. Further details can be obtained from the Admissions Office at admissions@ncirl.ie.
NCI also welcomes applicants for advanced entry into the second or third year of our full-time programmes. To be eligible for advanced entry, applicants must have undertaken specific courses and obtained certain results. Applicants should check with their individual institution or College of Further Education to find out to which courses this option is available. To find out more information regarding our advanced entry links, please contact Admissions at admissions@ncirl.ie. You can also contact Karen Campbell, School Liaison Officer at karen.campbell@ncirl.ie.
€6,250 per annum payable by the student. (Fees revised annually).
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
About the Course
NCI’s BA (Honours) in Psychology is accredited by the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI), the professional body for psychology in the Republic of Ireland. This enables honours graduates of our degree to pursue further professional training in psychology.
This degree offers a solid grounding in all the core areas of psychology including cognitive psychology, personality and individual differences, lifespan development, social psychology, research methods and biological psychology, as well as specialised topics such as workplace psychology and cyber-psychology.
Graduates of this course understand the principles of psychology and have a broad understanding of human behaviour, know how to critically analyse problems and how to conduct scientific research, and can apply psychology to the workplace, the community and society.
Who is the course for?
This course will appeal to students who have a curiosity about the human mind and who wish to work in a variety of related fields. The course is for school leavers, mature students and graduates of QQI level 5/6 programmes who wish to embark on a course of full-time study.
Course Structure and Award
This undergraduate course is a three-year honours degree run over six semesters with continuous assessment held throughout the course and examinations at the end of each semester. Students complete research projects in their final year of study. These research projects are considered for submission to the Psychology Society of Ireland Annual Student Congress. In 2020, an NCI psychology student was awarded the prize for ‘Best Research Project’ in the undergraduate category at this prestigious and highly competitive national event. In each year of the degree any student with an overall average of 70+ will win a Dean’s Award. On completion you will receive a QQI BA Honours Degree in Psychology at level 8 on the National Framework of Qualifications.
Year 1
• Applied Introduction and History of Psychology
• Introduction to Research Methods
• Social Psychology
• Lifespan Development
• Cognitive Psychology
• Introduction to Statistics
Year 2
• Personality and Intelligence
• Biological Bases of Behaviour
• Applied Statistics
• Coaching Psychology
• Psychology of Learning and Behaviour Analysis
• Applied Research Methods
• Psychology Labs
Year 3
• Final Project
• Health Psychology
• Abnormal Psychology
• Plus four electives*
*Elective Modules Include:
• Criminal Psychology
• Applied Developmental Psychology
• Psychology of Thinking
• Evolutionary Psychology
• Cyberpsychology
• Workplace Psychology
• Contemporary Neuroscience
• Financial Management
• Tools for the Enterprise
• Organisational Development
• Public Relations and Social Media
• Entrepreneurship
• International HRM
• Contemporary Issues in Reward Management
• Ethics and Social Responsibility
Students will also be able to select from a range of non-psychology elective subjects including Organisational Development, Public Relations and Social Media, Entrepreneurship, and International HRM.
All electives are subject to minimum numbers and resource constraints.
National College of Ireland
Mayor Street, IFSC, Dublin 1
Tel: Reception (01) 4498500
Course/College Info: 1800 221 721
Email: info@ncirl.ie
Web: www.ncirl.ie