Graduate Diploma Inclusive & Special Education

• This course covers a comprehensive range of topics pertinent to teaching and supporting pupils with additional educational needs.
• It examines a range of types of disabilities and additional educational needs, in relation to aetiology, characteristics and appropriate inclusive interventions. 
• It critically examines various approaches to the organisation of provision for students with disabilities/additional educational needs, including an exploration of the role, if any, of special schools within an inclusive education system.
• Due to the small number of students on the programme, participants are provided with very high levels of support.   
• Many sessions are collaborative in nature, allowing for sharing of ideas and expertise; each unit of learning is delivered by expert practitioners and top-class academics drawn from UCD and beyond
• Access to services, including the UCD library, on-line journals,  and a wide range of specialised resources, is an important feature for students
• Assessment methods related to each of the five modules allow for considerable variety and are expertly matched to lecture content and to relevant classroom practice.

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. 

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 will run from September 2025 to May 2026 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. Details of both pathways are outlined below.

Pathway One: Department of Education Funded Applicants

Applications are now open for the September 2025 intake of the Graduate Diploma in Inclusive and Special Education. Please see the Department of Education circular 0034/2025 which contains the application details and information on eligibility as well as the closing date. The circular is now available to download from the Department of Education's website and will be distributed to Schools and Teaching Unions.

UCD has a limited number of Department of Education funded places on this programme annually where Department of Education funded substitution cover is provided for the eight-week block release time.

Applicants for Department of Education funding must read this year’s Department of Education circular 0034/2025 prior to submitting the UCD Application Form. Prior to submitting the UCD Application Form please also ensure that your principal and your Board of Management Chairperson are familiar with the Department of Education circular governing these courses (especially in relation to eligibility).

Please note that the closing date set by the Department of Education for funded applications to this course is 5pm, June 6th, 2025. Applications received after this date will not be considered. Please answer all questions on the application form and ensure that the form is fully signed by the relevant parties as incomplete applications may not be considered.

Guidelines for completion of UCD Application Form

• Applicants must fully complete one of the following UCD Application Forms Post Primary Application or Mainstream Primary and Special School Application uploaded electronically to the UCD Application Portal on or before the deadline published on the Department of Education circular (5pm, June 6th, 2025). 

• Please note that there are two separate sections of this form, one for teachers in post-primary (and other education sectors) and a separate section for teachers in mainstream primary or special school settings. Please only complete the section relevant to you.

• UCD applications for Department of Education funding on this course is via the above process, please do not edit the circular document and send it to UCD as this will be deemed an invalid application.

• Postal applications to UCD will not be accepted.

• Handwritten applications will not be accepted.

• Applications must be completed electronically and submitted in .doc or .pdf formats. JPEGs (digital images) will not be accepted.

• Please ensure that you answer ALL QUESTIONS in each section of the form which you are completing, do not leave questions unanswered as it may result in the application not being considered. Ensure that you sign the application form (typed or electronic signatures are both accepted).

• Please ensure that your School Principal completes ALL QUESTIONS in their section of the form, do not leave questions unanswered as it may result in the application not being considered. Please ensure that your principal has signed the form and that the form has also been signed by the Chairperson of your school’s BoM.

• Please note that as UCD only has 25 Department funded places on this course annually, we can only accept ONE APPLICATION PER SCHOOL. Please ensure that your principal is aware of this when completing the application.

Pathway Two: Self-Financing Applicants

A number of places on the course are reserved for self-financing teachers. Applications will open for those who are self-financing (ie paying their own course fees and not being subsidised by the Department of Education) once all Department of Education funded places have been filled. These self-financing applicants can apply online via www.ucd.ie/apply when applications open. Fee information for self-financing students is available on our fees webpage.  Applications for self financing applicants will remain open until all places have been filled, early application is advised. Please only apply to the course via www.ucd.ie/apply if you are a self-financing applicant. Department of Education funded applicants must follow the application instructions in the above paragraph.

Students who obtain a 2.1 honours grade in the Graduate Diploma in Inclusive and Special Education have the option to apply to the part-time one-year Masters in Inclusive Education which focuses on research skills. This pathway is only recommended for graduates of the Grad Dip ISE W424 who have completed the course in the last five years.

Further queries on the Graduate Diploma in Inclusive and Special Education and the Masters in Inclusive Education can be directed to educationenquiries@ucd.ie

Full details on the programme can be found on the Graduate Admissions page.

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.