Communication Studies
If you’re interested in communications and media, then DCU is THE place for you! Through the BA in Communications Studies degree here in DCU, you can explore the world of communications while also learning essential basics of media production. This three-year degree will appeal to you if you are curious and have a strong interest in people, society and the media.
| 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
3 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
Minimum of H4 in English.
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
Event Management
Market Research
Academic Positions
Media Production
Public Relations
Publishing
Advertising
In these areas:
Media and Independent Companies
Arts Administration
Public Service
Government Services
Local Administration
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
75
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?
− Explore the world of communication while learning the basics of media production
− Combine a theoretical understanding of communication, media and society with best practice in media production
− The longest-running undergraduate degree of its type in Ireland, with a reputation for academic and creative excellence
− Meet teaching staff with professional experience in electronic and print media as well as in academic research
− Great career prospects in private and public communication institutions in Ireland and abroad
About You
Do you have a strong interest in people, the arts and the media? Are you creative and very curious about how the world of communications works? Do you want a degree that teaches you how to think critically about the world while also offering practice-based modules that will ensure you are a multi-skilled and flexible graduate?
Understanding: Communications
The degree calls for the ability to work as a member of a team as well as the motivation and self-confidence to work alone.
Think of the many ways in which we communicate. We communicate with each other (interpersonal communication). Companies and public bodies use communications to operate effectively (organisational communication) and to interact with the public (public relations, advertising, information campaigns).
Then there’s the media – be it news and current affairs or entertainment, communications inform and help us understand so much of what goes on around us. This course will give you a thorough understanding of the role communications play locally, nationally and internationally by teaching you how to think critically about them in their various forms. Its production-based modules will also develop your creative, analytical and problem-solving skills.
You may not know what career interests you most but the BA in Communication Studies is designed to show you the world of communications to help you decide.
Course Structure
The purpose of the course is to help you understand contemporary communication theory and practice. In other words, how communication works and how it affects daily life. The course is structured around 4 key elements:
− Foundation Modules
− Core Modules
− Production Modules
− Optional Modules
The foundation modules in Year 1 provide a basic grounding in the disciplines you will need for more advanced work in later years. Core modules in Years 2 and 3 help you develop a critical awareness of developments in the areas of communication, media and cultural studies.
The production modules develop your skills in audio, video, imaging, communication and presentation. With your optional modules, you will develop expertise in a number of key areas that reflect your particular aptitudes and aspirations. The final year written dissertation is a sole piece of original academic research carried out by all students. It is considered your capstone project that showcases all you have learned and the skills you have acquired over the course of your studies.
What Will I Study?
The following list includes core and optional modules:
Year 1
Introduction to Communication Studies | Introduction to Social Studies | Critical Thinking and Independent Learning | Analysing Media Visual Texts | Cultural Studies | History and Structure of the Media | Psychology, Media and Creativity | Digital Media Production Skills
Year 2
Audio Production | Photography and Imaging | Media Audiences | Media Writing and Expression | Media and Power | Analysing Advertising | Crime, Policing and the Media | Film History and Theory | Theorising Social Media and Everyday Life | Sport, Media and Society | The Music Industries: Institutions, Technologies and Users | Social Class and the Media Perspectives on the Networked Society | Women Feminism and the Creative and Cultural Industries
Year 3
Applying Communication Theory | Video Production | Communication, Presentation and Performance | Press and Public Relations | Media Law | Television Drama | Dissertation | Communication, Media and Cultural Diversity | Science, Technology and Society | Media, Religion and Society | Uaneen Award: DCU’s Leadership and Engagement Module | Communication, Culture and the Environment
Additional Information
The degree also provides a strong foundation for further study.
Contact Details
Tel: +353 (0) 1 700 8355
E: roderick.flynn@dcu.ie
E: studenthelp@dcu.ie
Visit Us Online dcu.ie/DC131