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HUM20010

Academic Year 2026/2027

Career Readiness for Arts (HUM20010)

Subject:
Humanities
College:
Arts & Humanities
School:
Arts and Humanities Adm
Level:
2 (Intermediate)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Assoc Professor Alexander Thein
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Pass/Fail (GPA Neutral)

Curricular information is subject to change.

This module is designed by the UCD Career Network specifically for Arts & Humanities students to facilitate your academic, personal, and career development and to enable you to develop employability skills. Students will gain an appreciation of how to navigate the graduate recruitment process, how to be effective in the workplace, and how to take ownership of your career development. Topics covered in the module include effective job applications, CV’s & cover letters, interview techniques, self-awareness, presentation skills and teamwork. The overall aim of the module is to contribute to the development of well-informed and skilled graduates who can compete effectively in graduate recruitment processes and perform successfully in the workplace.

***Please note that this is a GPA-neutral Pass/Fail module. This means that the module counts towards the overall credit requirements for your BA but is not included in your GPA calculation.***

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

This module will provide students with the opportunity to:
•Develop awareness of their abilities, interests, aptitudes, and relevant occupational opportunities.
•Gain insight into the employability skills sought by graduate recruiters.
•Develop a range of skills that are highly valued in the workplace, including effective communication & teamwork.
•Enhance their networking skills both face to face and by utilising social media.
•Develop an impactful CV and cover letter that will provide the basis for effective graduate job applications.
•Practice their interview techniques by utilising Video Interview technology.


Indicative Module Content:

The following topics will be covered as part of this module:
• Introduction to Career Development Planning for Arts students
• Skills with my degree. Identifying Gaps - where are I now?
• Focus on You: Self Awareness Part 1 Understanding Values and Interests
• Focus on You: Self Awareness Part 2 Understanding Personality type – using TDI personality profiling
• Introduction to the Recruitment Process and Understanding the Employer Perspective
• Effective CV’s and Cover Letters
• Understanding Team work
• Performing effectively at Interview: Developing your interview technique
• Understanding Communication and Presentation Skills
• Networking: Social media and LinkedIn
• Career options for Arts students: Panel discussion from Alumni
• Career Action Planning – reflections on learning

UNESCO highlights a set of key competencies that support individuals in their development and support society in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UCD has adapted these competencies and is combining them with others to form a general framework of learning competencies. This module will help you develop the competencies below to the levels specified. 
Learning Competency Additional Information Level

Collaboration

 The ability to learn from others; to understand and respect the needs, perspectives and actions of others (empathy); to understand, relate to and be sensitive to others (empathic leadership); to deal with conflicts in a group; and to facilitate collaborative and participatory problem solving. Competent

Critical Thinking

 The ability to question norms, practices and opinions; to reflect on one’s own values, perceptions and actions. Competent

Systems Thinking

 The ability to recognize and understand relationships; to analyse complex systems; to think of how systems are embedded within different domains and different scales; and to deal with uncertainty. Not addressed

Strategic

 The ability to collectively develop and implement innovative actions that further sustainability at the local level and further afield. Not addressed

Integrated Problem Solving

 The overarching ability to apply different problem-solving frameworks to complex sustainability problems and develop viable, inclusive and equitable solution options that promote sustainable development, integrating the competencies in this list. Not addressed

Self-awareness

 The ability to reflect on one’s own role in the local community and (global) society; to continually evaluate and further motivate one’s actions; and to deal with one’s feelings and desires. Competent

Normative

 The ability to understand and reflect on the norms and values that underlie one’s actions; and to negotiate values, principles, goals, and targets, in a context of conflicts of interest and trade-offs, uncertain knowledge and contradictions. Competent

Anticipatory

 The ability to understand and evaluate multiple scenarios for the future – possible, probable and desirable; to create one’s own visions for the future; to apply the precautionary principle; to assess the consequences of actions; and to deal with risks and changes. Competent

Digital Literacy and Judgement

 The ability to access, evaluate, create and communicate information in digital environments; to engage critically, ethically and responsibly with digital technologies and digital information; to understand their opportunities, limitations, risks and impact on individual’s digital identities; and to exercise informed judgement in digital participation and decision-making. Competent

AI Literacy & Agency

 The ability to understand, critically evaluate and responsibly engage with artificial intelligence; to recognise how AI systems are shaped by human values; to assess their ethical, social and environmental implications; and to exercise human judgement, agency and accountability in AI-related contexts. Competent

Wellbeing

 Wellbeing is having the resources and skills to meet life's challenges, including attributes such as personal development skills, resilience, stress management, strengths, lifestyle skills, nutrition, physical activity, sleep, alcohol/substance use, academic skills, time management, goal setting, interpersonal skills, group work, communication. Competent

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


Goal Name Description Coverage

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all 1
 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Seminar (or Webinar)

24
Specified Learning Activities

50
Autonomous Student Learning

30
Total

104

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
This module will be delivered in person as per the timetable and will include peer to peer mock interviews, lectures, group discussions, active/task based learning and reflective learning. This should enable students to practice skills they are leaning about and to enhance their own development through participation and individual reflection.

Generative AI may be permitted for certain assignments in this module, subject to the instructions of the module coordinator and in accordance with the Academic Integrity Policy. The Module Coordinator will provide further information during the module.



Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Incompatibles:
BIOC40230 - Biochemistry Career Skills, HUM20030 - Career Readiness (Humanities), PSY30320 - Career development in psych, SCI10040 - Prepare for Your Future Career, SSCI20020 - Career Develop Social Sciences, VET10060 - Professional Growth 1


 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): Students will: articulate career aims; research career paths; conduct an informational interview.




 Week 7 Pass/Fail Grade Scale No
50
 No
Assignment(Including Essay): Students will: create an impactful C.V.; write a cover letter; conduct a video interview via Interview360.
 Week 12 Pass/Fail Grade Scale No
50
 No

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Peer review activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Online written feedback will be available through Brightspace for each assignment. CVs and some activities will be subject to peer review.

There are no prescribed readings for this module, however if students would like to learn more about the topics covered in the module, the following publications may be of interest:

Cottrell, S. (2010) Skills for Success: The Personal Development Planning Handbook. 2nd edition, Palgrave MacMillan. England.

Kumar, A. (2007) Personal, Academic and Career Development in Higher Education: Soaring to Success. Routledge. England

The UCD Career Guide 2019/20 – copies are available free of charge from the UCD Career Network

There is also a range of useful careers-related resources in the Career Network Resource Room and on our website www.ucd.ie/careers

Name Role
Ms Michelle Coen Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Edward Coleman Lecturer / Co-Lecturer

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Thurs 14:00 - 15:50
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