This course is available through the following application route(s)
This course is designed to develop the skills of special education teachers who work in primary, post-primary and special school or specialist unit settings, in all aspects of theory and practice related to teaching pupils with additional educational needs.
The ethos of the course is that of maximizing inclusion of pupils while providing students with the skills and knowledge to support the most challenged and most challenging pupils within the education system within the most appropriate setting for those pupils.
It develops students’ knowledge and skills in identification and assessment of pupils with additional educational needs and in planning, monitoring, and evaluating the effectiveness of, interventions for such pupils
This professional full-time course is delivered over an academic year, with two four-week periods of fulltime attendance at college, supplemented by attendance on four Saturdays spread throughout the year. The vast majority of students on the course are funded by the Department of Education and full substitution cover is funded by the Department of Education while those students attend college.
When not attending college, students on the course are otherwise teaching in their own schools, where they are supported by site visits from UCD tutors. The format of delivery combines lectures, tutorials, workshops and visits to other schools considered to be centres of excellence.
UCD School of Education also invites applications from self-financed applicants to complete the course.
Completion of this course will significantly enhance the knowledge and skills of Special Education Teachers and will render them considerably more competent and confident in fulfilment of their roles.
It will further the careers of Special Education Teachers in schools, enabling them to perform a co-ordinating and managerial role in relation to provision for pupils with Additional Educational Needs in schools.
It will enable SET teachers to apply for national and regional roles within the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), including, but not confined to, the roles of Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) and Visiting Teachers providing consultative services to schools.
Students who complete the full-time Graduate Diploma in Inclusive and Special Education W424 have the option (within 5 years of graduating) of transferring directly into Year 2 of the MEd Inclusive Education and obtaining this Masters qualification by completing one module in Research Methods and a thesis.
Below is a list of all modules offered for this degree in the current academic year. Click on the module to discover what you will learn in the module, how you will learn and assessment feedback profile amongst other information.
Incoming Stage 1 undergraduates can usually select an Elective in the Spring Trimester. Most continuing undergraduate students can select up to two Elective modules (10 Credits) per stage. There is also the possibility to take up to 10 extra Elective credits.
| Trimester | Credits | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Stage 1 Core Modules |
EDUC40980 | Assessment in Inclusive and Special Education | 2 Trimester duration (Aut-Spr) | 10 |
Stage 1 Core Modules |
EDUC40990 | Inclusive Pedagogy | 2 Trimester duration (Aut-Spr) | 10 |
Stage 1 Core Modules |
EDUC41420 | Professional Practice for Inclusion | 2 Trimester duration (Aut-Spr) | 20 |
Stage 1 Core Modules |
EDUC41430 | Inclusion and Development | 2 Trimester duration (Aut-Spr) | 10 |
Stage 1 Core Modules |
EDUC41440 | Inclusive Education: Theory and Practice | Autumn | 10 |
(from 2 students 2019/2020)
Tuition fee information is available on the UCD Fees website. Support under the terms and conditions of the relevant annual Department of Education Circular is available to suitably qualified primary and post-primary teachers who currently hold, or are eligible to hold, permanent positions in their schools.
The Graduate Diploma in Inclusive and Special Education one-year course empowers teachers in Irish Primary, Special and Second level schools, to be effective and reflective practitioners who can work with a diversity of students in the most inclusive environment. Through research-informed lectures and site visits, it enhances and develops participants’ awareness of new approaches in the definition, assessment, provision, education and support of persons with additional / special educational needs, whether in mainstream or special educational settings. Primary and post-primary teachers from mainstream schools, special schools and other education providers in Ireland who are in a full-time, recognised LS/RT position are eligible to apply.
The Graduate Diploma in Inclusive and Special Education runs from September to May annually and incorporates block release from school/centre amounting to a total of eight weeks, four Saturdays of collaborative workshops and seminars and ongoing supervised work in the participant’s own school/centre.
Please note that there are two pathways for entry to this programme. Pathway One is for Department of Education funded applicants and Pathway Two is for Self-Financed applicants. For more information on this, please see https://www.ucd.ie/education/study/diplomaprogrammes/
For full information on entry requirements, please see https://www.ucd.ie/education/study/diplomaprogrammes/
Full Time option suitable for:
Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EU) applicants: No
Please see the relevant Department of Education circular for more information on eligibility.
General application route(s) for Irish/UK/EU applicants* for International (non-EU) applicants* to Graduate Diploma Inclusive & Special Education:
| ROWCLASS | Apply to |
|---|---|
| showAudience-audienceEU showAudience-audienceInt | W424 Graduate Diploma Inclusive & Special Education Graduate Diploma Full-Time Commencing September 2026 Graduate Taught Not available to International applicantsApply |
| showAudience-audienceEU showAudience-audienceInt | W424 Graduate Diploma Inclusive & Special Education Graduate Diploma Full-Time Commencing September 2027 Graduate Taught Not available to International applicantsOpens 01 Oct 2026 |