Social Sciences  (SBU3)

Studying Social Sciences at UCD provides a transformative educational experience that will inform you about the world around you, develop your research skills, teach you to analyse and evaluate information and train you to present that information in a compelling and useful way. The degree is aimed at students who wish to understand the complexities of the social world and environment past and present. Choosing this degree will enable you to develop skills that are in high demand and provide you with a strong foundation for a wide range of careers in public and voluntary sectors, industry, education, media and business and postgraduate study.

We provide a learning environment that supports and encourages the development of critical thinking, problem solving and research skills. We encourage students to adopt a reflective approach to our subjects, and endeavour to provide the basis for meaningful engagement with course content through the use of independent reading, critical thinking, real-world examples, case studies, fieldwork and practical projects. Students’ learning is supported by lecturers and tutors who are committed to excellence in teaching and are academic specialists in their own fields.  

We support our students’ learning through a variety of approaches, including traditional lectures,seminars, computer lab sessions, online classes, fieldwork, group work, labs, other practical and technical sessions and independent learning. Face to face interaction between students, lecturers and tutors is supported by eLearning content, with a small number of modules using blended learning and other online approaches. Assessment strategies are varied, ranging from traditional essays to project plans, oral presentations, dissertations, research project, work based learning and portfolios and poster presentations and reflective field journals.

We believe that student learning should be enriched by the fact that UCD is a research intensive university and will ensure that students have the opportunity to benefit from the research expertise of faculty in our Schools. We are committed to encouraging students to engage actively first and foremost with their subjects, their Schools, the College, with the wider UCD community and with the world beyond the University. Such active engagement will enrich students’ experiences and help them to develop the sense of accomplishment that comes with membership of a vibrant community.

The programme offers students exciting learning opportunities inside and outside of the classroom. We encourage students to spend a semester or an academic year abroad in stage 3. We are also committed to developing opportunities for students to enhance their work-related skills by offering optional 30 credit internship modules or other professional career development opportunities in stage 3.

1 - Demonstrate a broad understanding of the social sciences and their multidisciplinary nature.
2 - Demonstrate in-depth understanding of their chosen subject(s) or pathway
3 - Synthesise, evaluate, interpret, report and apply theories and evidence in an open, analytical and critical manner.
4 - Apply problem solving skills in a variety of different contexts.
5 - Use appropriate research methods to develop and answer research questions.
6 - Communicate effectively using written, visual and/or oral methods
7 - Work effectively and responsibly, using professional techniques, tools and technologies, as an individual and in teams.
8 - Demonstrate an understanding of principles of ethical practice in the social sciences and how these principles should be applied.

As Ireland’s global university, we encourage our students to apply to study for a trimester or a year abroad through UCD’s extensive global network of partner universities. In our BSc four-year progamme, study abroad opportunities are integrated into the third year curriculum. All social sciences students can take language modules as electives in addition to their degree subjects through the UCD Applied Language Centre. Students who take social sciences subjects with a language minor will spend their third year abroad in a partner University

Social sciences graduates are valued by employers for their skills in research, leadership and communication. Graduates of UCD social sciences progress to work in government, NGOs, the media and businesses as economists, policymakers, environmentalists, activists, information managers, HR managers, entrepreneurs, journalists, statisticians, urban planners, archaeologists, librarians, secondary school teachers, social workers, researchers and many more professions across the public and private sectors. BSc Social Sciences students may undertake an internship for a trimester in Year 3.

You may undertake a Master’s related to a discipline you studied in your undergraduate degree, such as international relations, experimental archaeology or behavioural economics. A social sciences degree also allows you to progress to a range of interdisciplinary Master’s degrees in fields such as public policy, cognitive science, criminology, human rights, geopolitics, development studies, equality studies, digital curation, urban environment, world heritage management and more. You may also choose to convert your undergraduate degree with a Master’s in a new discipline such as Law, Business or Computer Science.

UCD Social Sciences,
Newman Building,
Belfield,
Dublin 4
socialsciences@ucd.ie
www.ucd.ie/socialsciences

 

See the UCD Assessment website for further details

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