Business and Finance Staidéar Gnó

This course will provide you with a solid grounding in general business and competencies in key areas such as finance, economics and accounting.

You’ll gain knowledge and skills in a broad range of business-related modules, including Accounting, Finance, Management, Marketing and Information Systems, and be able to apply this knowledge to different environments and industries. You’ll also develop good communication and writing skills.

The pace of a Level 6 course means that students gain extensive knowledge of a wide variety of topics and are employable in those areas. Most students take the opportunity to advance to a wide range of Level 8 course in TU Dublin or elsewhere.

Professional Accreditation

Through choosing particular modules, you can start the process of getting accounting exemptions from major bodies such as Chartered Accountants Ireland and ACCA.

For students who progress to TU910 Accounting, this certificate gives you a route to full TU910 exemptions for Chartered Accountants Ireland.

Leaving Certificate Requirements

QQI/FET Requirements

In addition to the QQI minimum entry requirements, QQI quotas and QQI points apply. The max QQI points awarded is 390. Further details at TU Dublin QQI FET Applicants.

Mature Applicants

Applications from mature students (23+) are welcome. Further details at TU Dublin Mature Applicants.

English Language Requirements

If English is not your first language you will need to provide evidence of your English language proficiency as detailed on our website. Applicants for this course should have a minimum IELTS (Academic Version) English Proficiency of 6 overall (or equivalent) with nothing less than 6 in each component.

Many graduates have gone directly to the workplace in a wide range of business administration settings although most will advance on to one of a wide range of Level 8 course in TU Dublin or elsewhere.

Graduates from this course gained employment with

• Accenture
• AIB
• Arvato Finance
• BDO
• Central Bank and Pfizer
• Citi
• Deloitte
• EY
• Facebook
• Google
• HedgeServ
• Indeed
• JP Morgan
• KPMG
• LinkedIn
• Mazars
• Oracle
• PwC

Irish/EU Applicants

Applications from all Irish/EU citizens are made through the Central Applications Office (CAO).

Note: Applicants presenting with the Irish Leaving Certificate or a QQI FET award, regardless of nationality, should apply through the CAO.

The standard closing date to apply is February 1st. Late applications will close on May 1st. For restricted courses, the closing date is February 1st. Please see important dates on the CAO website. For a detailed guide on how to apply, please visit our CAO Hub.

International Students (Non-EU) 

Applications from international students are welcome for this programme. If you meet any of the following criteria, applications should be made directly to TU Dublin via the “Apply Now – Non-EU” link on each programme webpage.

• You hold Non-EU Nationality, and you live in a Non-EU country.
• You hold EU Nationality, but you have not lived in an EU country for 3 of the last 5 years AND you have not attended 5 years primary/secondary education in an EU country.
• You require a Student Visa to study in Ireland

Note: Applicants presenting with the Irish Leaving Certificate or a QQI FET award, regardless of nationality, should apply through the CAO.

For full details on How to Apply, Visa & Immigration Information, Accommodation Information and International Fees, please visit our International Hub.

Application Dates for Non-EU Applicants

Applications for undergraduate courses commencing in September 2026 will open in November 2025. Applications will close in June 2026.

Advanced Entry applications are accepted to this course. For further information on how to make an Advanced Entry application, please visit our CAO Hub. A full list of courses open for Advanced Entry are listed on the CAO website.

To qualify for Advanced Entry applicants must be currently studying, completing, or have successfully completed, studies at Level 6, 7 or 8 in a Higher Education Institution (HEI) or an equivalent, in a related area. You must demonstrate by providing transcripts of results that you have achieved the learning outcomes for each stage you wish to advance past, for example:

• To enter Year 2 via Advanced Entry, you must demonstrate that you have met the learning outcomes for Year 1.

If English is not your first language you will need to provide evidence of your English language proficiency as detailed on our website.

I found the Higher Certificate course to be very appropriate for those who are not quite sure what area of business they would like to choose. It gives a fantastic grounding as a step towards a degree qualification and/or the work environment.

You get a taste of all fields that you could possibly choose from in this course and, after two years, it was clear to me that accounting was what I wanted to do. I am now in the Accounting and Finance degree and a lot of the topics I covered in the certificate have helped me in my studies for my degree.

On graduation, you’ll be equipped to progress through the TU Dublin ladder system to ordinary and honours degree courses in the university or elsewhere in higher education.

This programme also gives a solid foundation for students wanting to pursue TU905 Economics and Finance.

Over 80% of our students progress to a Level 8 degree course at TU Dublin. If you get between 40% and 69%, you can progress to Year 2 of a Level 8 course, and if you get over 70% you may progress to Year 3 of a four-year Level 8 course. Available programmes are Business & Management, Accounting, Economics & Finance, Marketing, Retail & Services Management, Logistics & Supply Chain Management, Human Resource Management.