Implications of Subject Choice

Agenda To examine the importance of Effective Subject Choice by looking at: Higher Education System - NFQ General college requirements Specific course requirements To explain the procedure of subject choice Questions & ( hopefully !) Answers

Subject Choice Important Decision for each student Some students fail to realise the significance because the L.C. seems so far away

National Framework Of Qualifications The National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) Have you seen this ‘fan’ diagram before?

New National Framework of Qualifications Why? – Compare qualifications internationally/job mobility Levels 1 –10 Junior Cert = Level 3 Leaving Cert = Level 4 / 5 Higher Cert = Level 6 (2 years) Ordinary Degree = Level 7 (3 years) Honours Degree = Level 8 (3/4 years)

Education & Training Levels 10 HETAC Doctorate 9 Masters 8 Degree (Hons) 7 Degree (Ord.) 6 FETAC L6 Higher Certificate 5 FETAC / SEC Leaving Cert 4 3 SEC Junior Cert 2 1 HND

Universities - Only Offer Level 8 Honours Degrees TCD UCD DCU NUI, Maynooth UCC NUI Glaway UL *UU & Queens

Institutes of Technology (IT’s) Offer a wide variety of courses at different levels: Higher Certificate Level 6 (2 years) Ordinary Degree Level 7 (3 years) Honours Degree Level 8 (3/4/5 years) Athlone Blanchardstown Carlow Cork Dublin Dundalk Dun Laoghaire Galway Letterkenny Limerick Sligo Tallaght Tralee Waterford

Other Colleges Some Examples National College of Art and Design American College Dublin Dublin Business School Shannon College of Hotel Management Griffith College Dublin

Requirements for Higher Education General Matriculation Requirements Course Specific Subject requirements Points

General Matriculation Requirements Six subjects for Degree level, 2 or 3 at Honours level - Universities Five subjects at Ordinary level for Higher Certificate/Ordinary Degree to include Maths and Irish or English – Institutes of Technology

Matriculation / Minimum Entry Requirements Cont’d Maths, English & Irish - most commonly required. Some require a Third Language Of the 44 3rd Level Colleges available through the CAO system – 7 require students to have a Third Language: 1. UCD 2. NUIG 3. UCC 4. NUI Maynooth 5. Shannon College of Hotel Management 6. Royal College of Surgeons 7. St. Angels College Sligo Language very useful in today’s world!

Exceptions to Language Rule If exempt from Irish or languages in school Engineering & science courses at NUI Maynooth & Science at UCD Business in Maynooth Nursing NCAD - Art accepted in lieu of language

Other Universities TCD & UL – Maths, English and Irish or a third language. DCU – Maths and either English or Irish IMPORTANT– Wide variety of Degree & other courses available that do not require a third language as long as you have Maths & English or Irish

Course specific requirements Many Honours. Engineering/Computer Science Degrees need Higher Maths Language Courses require an Honours in your chosen language Courses in Science, Medicine (this includes Physiotherapy, Dentistry, Veterinary, Pharmacy, etc.), Nursing, Architecture and some Engineering courses require 1 or 2 sciences Honours Chemistry is required for some Medicine & Human Nutrition courses. For dietetics, Dentistry

Course Entry Requirements The Sciences: Chemistry: Veterinary & Medicine in UCD Pharmacy in UCC and Trinity Dietician in DIT Dentistry and Medicine in UCC Physics: Electronic & Electrical Engineering UCC Theoretical Physics UCD & Trinity Biology: Some Medicine / Veterinary courses Some Hairdressing and Beautician courses

Course Entry Requirements - Sciences Two Science: Many Medical, Paramedical & Science related courses in Trinity – Geography recognised as Science for some courses but not Physiotherapy. Pharmacy, Medicine and Dentistry in UCC. One science subject is required for the following fields: Home Economics teaching, Nursing, Medical, Paramedical, Science, Sports Science and Engineering.

Examples of Specific Course Requirements Medicine (UCC) H4 in Chemistry + HC in Physics or Biology Music (NUI Maynooth) H4 in higher level Maths (HC3) Physiotherapy (RCSI) H4 in a science subject Engineering degrees L8 Honours Maths (H4), 1 science subject Note: Physics is a good indicator for engineering

Other courses have no specific requirements Business subjects are not required for any Business, Commerce or Accountancy courses Technical Graphics (Now called Design and Communication Graphics) is not an essential requirement for Architecture, Architectural Technician, Engineering or Construction courses  Art is not an essential subject for Art College, but a portfolio is

Points System All subjects count equally for entry to college or university Points are calculated from the student’s six best results in one sitting of the Leaving Certificate, maximum 600 points Entry given to those with the highest points for competitive courses LCVP is a Senior Cycle Programme of the Department of Education and Science, designed to give a strong vocational dimension to the Leaving Certificate (established). We have found a small number of students take this option it is dependent on numbers There is a lot of additional work for the student the completion of a portfolio of work experience and work shadowing

Procedure for Subject Choice Students take four optional exam subjects Preference form distributed List six subjects that they wish to take in genuine order of preference Every effort is made to facilitate students. If the combination is unavailable they are given their fifth or sixth preference Note: Limited Resources influence level of choices available!

How can you help? Keep all your options open Be pro-active in their research Encourage discussion with your parents

Its important to: Choose subjects you like Choose subjects you are good at Choose subjects you must have if you have a career or course in mind Choose subjects which would be useful for a particular career Choose a broad range of subjects e.g. a language, a science subject, a business subject, a humanities / Arts subject

Resources www.qualifax.ie www.cao.ie www.careerdirections.ie

Employment Opportunities Outsourcing – jobs in Logistics Backoffice – design, sales & marketing Ageing population – healthcare & pharmaceuticals Software Development/ICT Leisure, tourism & recreational Built environment – surveying, environment & auctioneering Financial services/Compliance officers Childcare

Summary Check any essential subjects Choose subjects they like and enjoy Make a balanced choice e.g. Irish, English, Maths, Language, Science + 2/3 other subjects Keep your options open

**** REMEMBER **** If you take nothing else away from tonight remember - There are consequences to not taking a European Language There are consequences to not taking a Science subject

The World is Your Oyster!