Business Studies
The BA (Hons) in Business is designed to give a clearly structured business education that provides a solid foundation for success in a business career. This programme provides a strong grounding in fundamental business concepts, ideas, practices and methodologies.
| 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
3 years
Specific Subjects or course requirements
2 H5 + 4 O6/H7 to include Maths & English or another language.
Leaving Certificate General Entry Requirements
Selection of CAO applicants will be made on the basis of points. Your points will be calculated by adding together the points scored in the best of six subjects in a single sitting of the Leaving Certificate. The results of two sittings at Leaving Certificate (or equivalent examination) can be combined for the purposes of meeting the subject requirements for minimum entry. DBS currently awards bonus points for Honours maths students. Please note that bonus points will only apply where Mathematics is counted as one of the best six subjects for the applicant.
Leaving Certificate Vocational Progamme LCVP
Distinction 66
Merit 46
Pass 28
Points Calculation Grid
Applicants can use their link module for points allocation as one of their six subjects for the purpose of calculating points and it will therefore count as a passing subject.
QQI FET Applicants General Information
Minimum entry requirements for graduates of FETAC awards is a full FETAC award at Level 5 on the NFQ and which includes a Distinction grade in at least three modules. A full FETAC award normally consists of eight modules. A record of achievement/component certificate does not meet minimum entry standards. FETAC Level 5 awards will be accepted in any discipline. Further details can be obtained from the Admissions Office.
Careers / Further progression
Career Opportunities
Due to the broad spectrum of subjects studied, career opportunities for business students are numerous. The wide-ranging nature of knowledge and skills gained by business graduates makes them an attractive proposition for any prospective employer. A range of employment opportunities is possible in areas such as HR, business analysis, project management, sales, operations, ICT, finance and general management. Graduating students wishing to pursue further qualifications can proceed to postgraduate programmes up to Masters level or to programmes leading to professional qualifications.
Further information
Students who are applying to programmes as mature applicants will be required to be over the age of 23 as on 1st January in the year of entry. Mature students may apply through the CAO or directly to the college. They are not required to do both. Mature students are assessed on basis of age, educational standard and work experience to date.
All applicants presenting other qualifications should contact the Admissions Office directly to discuss their eligibility criteria.
Please note DBS is an independent college and therefore fees apply.
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
Overview
The BA (Hons) in Business is designed to give a clearly structured business education that provides a solid foundation for success in a business career. This programme provides a strong grounding in fundamental business concepts, ideas, practices and methodologies. Graduates will, upon completion of this programme, have the necessary knowledge, skills and attributes to enter the business world professionally and/or progress to a management role within a general or specific field or sub-field of business. Throughout the programme, learners will acquire business acumen to strategically appraise business opportunities and challenges and effectively integrate into decision-making roles with an organisation. The BA (Hons) in Business will create graduates capable of dealing with diverse intrinsic and extrinsic opportunities and challenges in the business world and do so in a creative fashion promoting business sustainability and growth. Graduates will be also be in a position to take up further Level 9 postgraduate studies.
Aims and Objectives
The programme aims to create a well-rounded business graduate whose insights will guide and inform strategic business decisions designed to increase productivity, profitability and an organisation’s value and market share.
The specific programme objectives are to:
1. Provide learners with a strong base of contemporary business knowledge through theory, concepts and methods constituting an in-depth academic grounding in the core disciplines and skills, and related areas, required for a career in general business.
2. Imbue learners with appropriate expertise in the major aspects of the essential business disciplines and an awareness of the means by which the frontiers of the disciplines can be expanded and new knowledge appraised.
3. Develop in learners a methodical and rational approach to business problem solving and decision making, with the capability to apply acquired knowledge and skills to practical business situations.
4. Develop in learners a range of intellectual skills, encompassing reasoning and evaluative skills and communication skills that develop as fully as possible their interpersonal abilities.
5. Develop learner capacity to organise information, argue, negotiate and defend conclusions and to present them in a clear and coherent fashion.
6. Encourage learners to deal with knowledge in a critical and analytical way, with the capacity and confidence to evaluate ideas and opinions underpinned by qualitative and quantitative research findings.
7. Provide learners with the opportunity to also specialise in a sub-field of business learning and to increase their knowledge and skills in this specialised area of Management, Project Management, Human Resource Management, Information Systems, Cloud Computing, Psychology or Law. This specialism is in addition to the objectives outlined previously.
Programme Structure
Students study common subjects in their first year. This honours degree course offers students considerable flexibility in their choice of second and third year subjects. This allows students to choose electives, and orientate their studies towards preferred subjects. A wide choice is available from a range of electives across disciplines. Students of the general Business degree must choose their two electives from different disciplines.
Year 1
(Core Modules)
• Maths & Stats for Business
• Business Context and Organisation
• Marketing Essentials
• IT Essentials
• Economic Perspectives
• Learning to Learn
• Introduction to Business Finance
Year 2
(Core Modules)
• Management
• Financial Management
• Business Information Systems
• Business Ethics and Research Practice
• Advanced Economic Perspectives
Options (Choose 2)
• Psychology
• Social Psychology
• Principles of Business Law
• Employee Relations and the Law
• Organisational Behaviour for Managers
• Selling and Sales Management
• Project Planning and Control
• Project Feasibility
• Database Design
• and Cloud Technologies
• Cloud Marketing and Sales
• Business Programming
Options (Choose 2)
• Psychology
• Social Psychology
• Principles of Business Law
• Employee Relations and the Law
• Organisational Behaviour for Managers
• Selling and Sales Management
• Project Planning and Control
• Project Feasibility
• Database Design
• and Cloud Technologies
• Cloud Marketing and Sales
Year 3
(Core Modules)
• Strategic Management
• Global Business
• Human Resource Management
• Capstone Project
Options (Choose 2)
• Organisational Psychology
• Personality and Individual Differences
• Human Resource Development
• Contemporary Performance Management
• Corporate Law and Governance
• Advanced Business and Commercial Law
• Project Planning Techniques
• Project Management and Evaluation
• Data Management and Analytics
• Performance Management (Accounting)
• Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship
• Cloud Networking and Security
• Cloud Platform Development
• Business Intelligence and Visualisation
• Business Systems Analysis
Teaching and Assessment
The BA (Hons) in Business is taught mainly through lectures and tutorials, with students taking responsibility for a significant amount of study outside scheduled class contact times. Assessment takes a variety of forms, including essays and reports, individual and group assignments and formal examinations. The majority of subjects are assessed through a combination of coursework and examination.
Award & NFQ Level: Level 8 (Honours Bachelor Degree)
Award Title: BA (Hons) in Business
Award Type: Major
Transfer Learners
Students holding a relevant certificate, ordinary degree on the NFQ or other relevant qualifications may qualify for entry to the second or third year of the degree programme.
T: +353 (0) 1 4177500
E: admissions@dbs.ie