Psychology
This exciting three-year B.A. (Hons) in Psychology degree provides learners with a comprehensive range of the theory and application of this discipline. This course is accredited by The Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI).
| 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
Minimum Entry Requirements:
Honours Degree (Level 8): Two grade H5 and four grade H7/O6 including English, Irish or a foreign language.
Mathematics is only required for the B.A. (Hons) in Psychology (PC414) with a minimum grade O6.
Leaving Certificate General Entry Requirements
A number of courses at Carlow College, St. Patrick’s require students to undertake placements with external agencies. In such placements, students will assume positions of trust and be in contact with the public. To ensure the protection of the public, and justify public trust and confidence, the College is committed to ensuring that students undergo Garda Vetting, in line with standard national practice.
Programmes for which Garda Vetting is required are:
• B.A. in Applied Social Studies (Professional Social Care)
• B.A. (Hons) in Applied Social Studies (Professional Social Care)
• B.A. (Hons) in Arts & Humanities (if enrolled in the Catechetics & Teaching Placement Module)
• B.A. (Hons) in English & History (if enrolled in the Career Practice Module)
Carlow College uses the Garda Síochána National Vetting Bureau (GSNVB) which, where applicable, may liaise with the Police Service of Northern Ireland Vetting Service to assess the suitability of applicants for admission to such programmes. Garda Vetting includes Police Vetting in respect of other jurisdictions
Bonus Points for Mathematics: 25 additional points will be awarded for Higher Level Mathematics at grades H6 and above.
Leaving Certificate Vocational Progamme LCVP
LCVP modules can be counted in place of a Leaving Certificate. CAO points are awarded as follows:
Level CAO Points
Distinction 66
Merit 46
Pass 28
Leaving Certificate Applied Programme LCAP
The LCA does not meet the minimum entry requirements for programmes at Carlow College, St. Patrick’s. Holders of the LCA may gain entry through QQI-FET level 5/6 award schemes.
QQI FET Applicants General Information
Minimum Entry Requirements:
• Ordinary Degree (Level 7): a full QQI FET (Level 5 or 6) award with a minimum FE grade equivalent of 178 CAO points
• Honours Degree (Level 8): a full QQI FET (Level 5 or 6) award with a minimum FE grade equivalent of 243 CAO points
• All FE applicants will be required to have a full level 5 award in a programme ‘linked; to the Carlow College degree to which they are seeking entry.
Please visit www.cao.ie for details of the scoring scheme.
Linked QQI & FET Programmes
Carlow College, St. Patrick’s, annually reviews our Linked Further Education programmes for the purposes of entry to our degree programmes. As this list is continuously updated, we encourage QQI-FET applicants to see the full listing of relevant QQI-FET Awards for entry to our degree programmes at the link below.
Careers / Further progression
Career Prospects
Graduates can pursue professional psychology careers following postgraduate study, including Clinical Psychology, Educational Psychologist, Forensic Psychologist, Behavioural Psychologist and Counselling Psychologist.
There are many related careers in which a Psychology degree offers graduates a strong entry point. These include Teaching (including in early years, further and adult education), Special Needs Assistant (SNA), Careers Advisor, Marketing and Market Research, An Garda Síochána, Immigration Officer, Human Resources, Coaching, Mediation and Sports and Exercise Coach.
Further Study
This degree is the first stage to professional training in the area of psychology. To pursue a professional career in psychology, postgraduate study in a PSI accredited course is required.
This course is accredited by The Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI).
Further information
There are no limits on the number of places offered to Mature Applicants with Carlow College. This applies to all courses at Carlow College, St. Patrick’s.
Minimum Entry Requirements
The sole requirement for application as a mature student is age. Applicants must be aged 23 years or older on or before the 1st of January of the year of entry to a full-time undergraduate degree programme. Mature Applicants must apply through the CAO before the 1st of February for all full-time undergraduate programmes.
Mature applicants for the B.A. (Hons) in Psychology will also be required to do Mathematics computation test, such as WIAT III or similar, which will be arranged by the College.
40
€4,750 annually+ €150 Protection Insurance annually + QQI Certificate (one-off) €200
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
Course Outline
This exciting three-year B.A. (Hons) in Psychology degree provides learners with a comprehensive range of the theory and application of this discipline. It is designed to meet the guidelines of the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) ensuring that six core aspects of psychology (Biological Basis of Psychology, Child Developmental Psychology, Social Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Individual Differences and Research Methods) are delivered across the programme.
Three reasons to study this course:
• Three-year programme allowing for an expedient pathway to employment or further study.
• Dissertation and seminar module in Year 3 provides students with the opportunity to carry out supervised research with the guidance of one-to-one supervision.
• Programme content designed to meet the guidelines of the Psychological Society of Ireland.
Who is this programme for?
This programme is for individuals interested in making a positive difference in the lives of others. Studying psychology allows the learner to explore what it is to be human, and to examine how and why we think, feel, and behave in the ways that we do. The academic pursuit of psychology will interest the individual who studies simply to learn more about a particular topic, or for those planning to pursue postgraduate study.
This course is accredited by The Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI).
Programme Structure
The programme is designed so that each year of the programme builds incrementally upon the last.
Year One
During Year 1, students cover a range of foundation and introductory modules. For example, students will be provided with opportunities to study The Psychology of Gender and Sexuality, Introduction to Psychology and Crime, and Introduction to Statistical Analysis in Psychology.
Year Two
During Year 2, students will consider more advanced and applied subjects such as Applied Criminal Psychology, Advanced Social Psychology, Advanced Research Methods and Statistics in Psychology as well as Counselling and Cyber Psychology.
Year Three
In Year 3, students undertake an independent research project whilst also studying modules such as Personality Psychology, Psychology and Self-Control, Clinical Psychology and Neuropsychology.
(0)59 9153200
infocc@carlowcollege.ie
College Street, Carlow,
Co. Carlow R93 A003