Course Title: Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Social Care
This course is approved by CORU
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Social care workers provide professional individual or group care to clients with personal and social needs, in a caring, compassionate, non-judgmental way. Client groups include children and adolescents in residential care; young people in detention schools; people with intellectual or physical disabilities; people who are homeless; people with alcohol/drug dependency; families in the community, older people, and asylum-seekers/refugees.
Social care work is based on interpersonal relationships. It requires empathy, strong communication skills, self-awareness and an ability to use critical reflection. Teamwork and interdisciplinary work are also important.
This course will familiarise you with the latest concepts and theoretical developments in the relevant academic disciplines, and help you to develop as a self-aware, reflective, altruistic, empathic social care professional. You’ll develop skills relevant to social care practice and benefit from supervised exposure to social care practice, using three practice placements. These will help you to make an informed choice as to which area of practice you are best suited.
Subjects studied include social care work with older people and people with disabilities, social policy and social justice, psychology and human development, professional practice, law in social care work, safeguarding children and vulnerable adults, working with communities, social policy-making and social psychology.
TU996 is a full-time course and students are required to attend lectures, in person, 5 days per week.
Work Placement
You will undertake a work placement in Years 1, 2 and 3. Practice Placement days:
- Year 1 - Wednesday
- Year 2 - Thursday and Friday
- Year 3 - Block placement from February to May
Find more detail in the recent book chapter Understanding social care.
Leaving Certificate Requirements
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Minimum Number of |
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Subjects |
Higher |
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6 |
2 H5's |
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Minimum Grade in |
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Maths |
English OR Irish |
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O6/H7 |
O6/H7 |
Additional Requirements/InformationFirst Aid training is mandatory for all First-Year students on this course. It will be arranged by the Department at a cost of approximately €100 per student. Please note that first aid fees are not covered by SUSI grants. Students must undergo Garda Vetting. They must complete the required documentation, including a full list of all previous addresses, in order for clearance checks to be made. Currently, Irish addresses are vetted by the Garda Vetting Bureau at no cost to the student. Applicants must fully and honestly complete the Garda vetting form. Failure to disclose a criminal conviction automatically renders what may appear to be a very minor offence, unrelated to children or minors, to be a serious breach of TU Dublin regulations. The College policy on Garda vetting can be found on our Student Resources page. |
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QQI/FET Requirements
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QQI/FET Award Required |
Additional Requirements |
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Level 5: 1 OF THE FOLLOWING AWARDS:
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DISTINCTION(S) REQUIRED: |
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Level 6:
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DISTINCTION(S) REQUIRED: |
In addition to the QQI minimum entry requirements, QQI quotas and QQI points apply. The max QQI points awarded is 390. Further details at www.tudublin.ie/qqi
Mature Applicants
Applications from mature students (23+) are welcome. Further details at www.tudublin.ie/mature
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 6.0 overall (or equivalent).
Click on the link below to view an indicative timetable for this course. Timetables are subject to change and up to date timetables will be provided to students on commencement.
View Sample Timetable
Graduates will qualify as social care workers eligible to work with a range of different client groups including children and adolescents in residential care, people with learning or physical disabilities, people who are homeless, people who have alcohol or drug dependency, families in crisis, school completion projects, youth and community projects, family support, aftercare services, older people and recent immigrants to Ireland.
Employer Testimonials
"Over the years many students come on placement to Smyly Trust Services. Many of these students join our teams as social care workers. It is credit to the college for the quality of students that it sends our organisation. The enthusiasm of the students to learn while on placement is energising. Their understanding of the theory and its application to practice is wonderful to see as the profession grows. The support from the college is unconditional, allowing them grow into a professional. The students we get from TU Dublin arrive at the workplace thinking about the needs of young people which is what we want as an organisation."
David Power, Director of Services, Smyly Trust Services
"The BA in Social Care, TU Dublin is a great course. WALK have successfully employed many of its students and graduates. What we love about this course is the level of professionalism we experience from its graduates and their excellent knowledge base. If you are interested in a career in Social Care, this course is invaluable."
Catherine Kelly, Deputy CEO, WALK (Walkinstown Association for People with an Intellectual Disability)
Semester 1
- Sociological Perspectives for Social Care [Mandatory]
- Social Care Work with Older People and People with Disabilities [Mandatory]
- Psychology and Human Development Across the Lifespan [Mandatory]
- Principles of Professional Practice in Social Care Work 1 [Mandatory]
- Health, Well-being and Personal development in Social Care Work [Mandatory]
- Drama in Education for Social Care [Mandatory]
- Introduction to the Art Process in Education & Development [Mandatory]
- Introductory Placement [Mandatory]
- Foundation skills development for social care workers [Mandatory]
Semester 2
- Social Care Work with Older People and People with Disabilities [Mandatory]
- Analysing Social Policy for Social Care [Mandatory]
- Psychology and Human Development Across the Lifespan [Mandatory]
- Principles of Professional Practice in Social Care Work 1 [Mandatory]
- Drama in Education for Social Care [Mandatory]
- Introduction to the Art Process in Education & Development [Mandatory]
- Introductory Placement [Mandatory]
- Law in Social Care Work [Mandatory]
- Foundation skills development for social care workers [Mandatory]
Semester 1
- Social Theories and Contemporary Themes in Society [Mandatory]
- Psychological Perspectives on Mental Health [Mandatory]
- Principles of Professional Practice in Social Care Work 2 [Mandatory]
- Professional Practice Placement 2 (including pre-placement preparation and tutorial support) [Mandatory]
- Working with Communities [Mandatory]
- Practice Issues in Social Care Work [Mandatory]
- Understanding and Facilitating the Art Process in Social Care [Elective]
- Drama Education for Practice in Social Care [Elective]
- Understanding and Facilitating the Art Process in Social Care [Elective]
- Drama Education for Practice in Social Care [Elective]
Semester 2
- Psychological Perspectives on Mental Health [Mandatory]
- Principles of Professional Practice in Social Care Work 2 [Mandatory]
- Research Planning & Data Collection [Mandatory]
- Professional Practice Placement 2 (including pre-placement preparation and tutorial support) [Mandatory]
- Social policy-making: Structures and processes [Mandatory]
- Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults [Mandatory]
- Practice Issues in Social Care Work [Mandatory]
Semester 1
- Social Policy and Social Justice [Mandatory]
- Law and Inter Professional Practice for Social Care Workers [Mandatory]
- Social Psychology for Social Care Workers [Mandatory]
- Skills and Approaches to Professional Helping [Mandatory]
- Principles of Professional Practice in Social Care Work 3 [Mandatory]
- Research Planning and Data Analysis [Mandatory]
Semester 2
Advanced Entry was not offered to this course in 2024. We are currently closed for Advanced Entry Applications. The courses that will be open for advanced entry will be listed on the CAO website in January 2025. For information on how to make an Advanced Entry application, please visit our CAO Hub.
While I enrolled in this course with the aim of becoming a qualified social care worker, I have also been provided with the opportunity to massively expand my understanding of the world around me. Modules such as psychology and sociology have greatly altered how I interpret aspects of my own personal circumstances, as well as the circumstances of other people. I have had the opportunity to receive first aid training, and while I haven’t had to put that training to use yet, I reckon it’s still a crucial set of skills to have. I have been able to learn so much about topics which I previously had never even thought about. Outside of achieving a qualification, I believe that this course has provided me with fundamental skills that I will use for the rest of my life.
Oliver Forsyth, Year 2 student
The social care degree in TU Dublin provided me with a solid baseline in beginning my career in the field. The different modules provided valuable information that I was then able to utilise during my placements. In doing placement, I was able to get a great insight into the field and the different areas that I could potentially work in in the future and to find my niche. All of the lecturers made a huge effort in providing support and answering any questions. I began my career as a relief social care worker and I'm currently a social care team leader on an inreach team working with asylum seekers going through the international protection system in Ireland. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience in TU Dublin and made friends for life!
Caoimhe Mulvaney, Social Care Team Leader
On graduation, you may proceed to postgraduate studies leading to the award of MSc, MPhil or PhD at research institutes and universities worldwide.