Digital Business & Innovation
Learn how companies leverage digital technologies to innovate, transform and succeed. Whether it’s Big Data, the Internet of Things or Virtual Reality, the world of business is being transformed by digital technology. It’s an exciting time of rapid change that is creating wonderful new opportunities. This four-year course is the first of its kind in Ireland and aims to give you the skills to succeed in a future world of work that is driven by technology.
| Award Name | Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) |
|---|---|
| NFQ Classification | Major |
| Awarding Body | Dublin City University |
| NFQ Level | Level 8 NFQ |
| Award Name | NFQ Classification | Awarding Body | NFQ Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) | Major | Dublin City University | Level 8 NFQ |
Duration
4 years, full-time.
Specific Subjects or course requirements
General Entry Requirements
Applicants must present a minimum of 6 Leaving Certificate subjects at Grade O6/H7, which must include Mathematics and English or Irish. In addition, applicants must present at least 2 subjects at Grade H5.
Additional Requirements
O4 or H6 in Mathematics.
Leaving Certificate General Entry Requirements
Applicants wishing to undertake a Level 8 degree at DCU must be at least 16 years of age on 15 January of the year of entry.
Leaving Certificate Subject Combinations
Certain subjects will not be scored separately if they occur in combination with subjects that are similar in content. In each case, the highest individual grade will be scored. The following 6 groups of subjects are affected by this:
1 Music and Musicianship, Music A, Music B.
2 Economics, Agricultural Economics.
3 Physics with Chemistry - if combined with Physics and Chemistry; only 2 best scored - if combined with Physics or Chemistry; only best scored.
4 History, Economics and Economic History - if all 3 subjects are taken; only the best 2 will be scored.
5 Latin, Classical Studies.
6 Greek, Classical Studies.
Candidates who meet the points requirements but not the specific course requirements, for example H4 in English for the BA in Journalism, are permitted to repeat that subject only to meet the course requirements.
Bonus Points for Honours Mathematics
25 bonus points will continue to be awarded for higher level Mathematics, at grades H6 and above in the Irish Leaving Certificate or equivalent.
Leaving Certificate Mathematics Requirements
DCU does not award points for the subject of Mathematics at Leaving Certificate Ordinary Alternative or Foundation Level. However, these courses will be accepted for admission purposes for the following courses:
DC001 - Bachelor of Early Childhood Education
DC009 - Bachelor of Arts: Joint Honours
DC014 - BA in Jazz and Contemporary Music Performance
DC131 - BA in Communication Studies
DC132 - BA in Journalism
DC133 - BSc in Multimedia
DC155 - BA in Applied Language and Translation Studies
DC231 - BA in International Relations
DC232 - Bachelor of Civil Law and Society
DC235 - BSc in Education and Training
DC238 - BA in Social Sciences and Cultural Innovation
DC291 – Bachelor of Arts – Joint Honours (Media)
DC292 – Bachelor of Arts – Joint Honours (Law)
DC293 - Bachelor of Arts – Joint Honours (International Languages)
DC294 - BA in Climate and Environmental Sustainability
DC295 - Bachelor of Arts – Joint Honours (Politics)
Leaving Certificate Vocational Progamme LCVP
Distinction 66
Merit 46
Pass 28
Please note that LCVP link modules cannot be used as a subject for general or specific course entry requirements, but can be used for the calculation of points.
QQI FET Applicants General Information
DCU welcomes applicants with appropriate QQI-FET (Level 5/6) qualifications. Applicants who have a full National Framework of Qualifications Level 5 award in appropriate qualifications and modules can be admitted on a competitive basis to certain DCU courses.
QQI-FET (Level 5) entry route is a competitive entry route with a limited number of places. A quota of places are offered based on the CAO ranked order of applicants based on performance. For courses with a QQI-FET (Level 5) entry route, approximately 10% of places are retained for QQI-FET (Level 5) applicants. Application is made through the CAO.
Careers / Further progression
Future Careers
Digital Business Analyst
Digital Innovation Management
Technology Consultant
Entrepreneurship
Cloud Computing
Mobile Technologies
Digital Transformation Architect
Chief Digital Officer
Digital Construction Manager
In These Areas
Consultancy
Technology
Entrepreneurship
E-Commerce
Digital Transformation
Software and IT
Telecoms
Innovation
Further information
Mature applicants are those aged 23 years, or above, on 1 January in the year of entry. All candidates (presenting with EU/Non EU qualifications) applying on the grounds of mature years should apply ONLY through the CAO by 1 February.
For many DCU courses, mature application assessment is based on the CAO application and in some instances, an assessment and/or interview. ‘Other’ experience, apart from performance in examinations, may be taken into consideration - this may be work experience, further studies, or other such experience deemed to be relevant to the application. Interviews will take place in April either in person or remotely.
For more information, please contact the Mature Student Officer, orla.stafford@dcu.ie or dcu.ie/mature-students
For general and admission enquiries, please visit dcu.ie/registry/ug-admissions
45
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 DCU?
— Benefit from a deep understanding of how key enabling technologies work, as well as their business, economic, and social impacts
— Combine practical knowledge and experience in applying digital technologies in a range of contexts to achieve business objectives
— Develop an innovation mindset and insights into how to ideate and create new products, services, and markets that leverage digital technologies
— Gain the ability to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to support digitalisation and digital transformation initiatives
— 12-month paid work placement (INTRA) in Year 3
About You
Do you want to be prepared for an exciting and rewarding career in a dynamic and growing field developing smart, connected products, experiences and services? Do you see yourself applying digital knowledge and skills in projects with real world clients whilst learning about and through technology? Then this new and exciting course is for you.
Understanding: Digital Business and Innovation
DCU Business School has drawn on its existing deep expertise in digital business technologies and innovation to create this 4 year course which is designed to prepare graduates with the competencies and skills to leverage digitalisation to innovate and transform businesses and succeed in a future world of work permeated by digital technologies. This course, the first of its type in Ireland is designed in conjunction with industry, will help future proof you with an innovation mindset and industry-relevant knowledge and skills in emerging technologies including: Cloud Computing; Social Media; Big Data Analytics; Mobile Technologies; The Internet of Things; Smart Contracts and Blockchain; and Augmented and Virtual Reality
Course Structure
Unlike more conventional undergraduate courses, the BSc in Digital Business and Innovation will give you practical learning opportunities through the use of technology. It will provide you with regular opportunities to gain experience applying your digital knowledge and skills on projects with real world clients including a 12 month paid work placement (INTRA) in Year 3. For more information, please visit dcu.ie/intra. The course will equip graduates with 2 highly in-demand skills of innovation and digital agility to exploit the ever-increasing opportunities in digital business. The course will prepare you for an exciting and rewarding career in a dynamic and growing field developing smart, connecting products, experiences and services.
With this course, you will learn about, through and with technology in an industry-relevant way. DCU Business School is working with industry partners to innovate the curriculum. It aims to closely replicate real, fast-paced workplace environments, meaning the ways students learn will often be quite different to traditional lecture environments. The course will also move away from traditional modes of assessment (e.g. terminal ends of semester examinations).
There will be touchpoints with industry throughout the year, including hackathons, design sprints, mentoring relationships, and immersive learning experiences in which you will be given real world business challenges or opportunities to sense-check ideas and solutions.
Internship: Yes.
What Will I Study?
Year 1
Critical Thinking for Business | Learning Innovation for Enterprise | Digital Business Ecosystem | Digital Business Tools | Transform Yourself: Self-Awareness | Business Analytics 1 | Accounting for Business | Fundamentals of Economics
Year 2
Digital Business Models | Failure | Digital Lab | Transform Yourself: Personal Agility | Innovators’ Toolkit | Critical Thinking in Action | Project Management for Digital Business | Digital Marketing | New Product Development and Innovation Studies | Data Analytics for Marketing Applications
Year 3
INTRA
Year 4
Challenge-Based Project | Digital Business Leadership and Change | Conscious Innovation | Transform yourself: Future Proof | Innovation Economics | Analytics and Visualization | Business Strategy
Contact Details
Tel: +353 (0) 1 +353 1 700 5265
E: business.dcu@dcu.ie
E: studenthelp@dcu.ie
Visit Us Onlinedcu.ie/DC241