In the coming months, Leaving Certificate students will think of little other than their exams and the CAO change-of-mind deadline on July 1st. Where students may have put placeholders down on their original application, the change-of-mind option offers them the opportunity to get serious about what they want and their end goals.
Below is a selection of both popular and novel courses available to CAO applicants this year, outlining the range of options on offer to students as they make their final decision.
Climate and environmental sustainability at DCU (CAO code: DC294)
This applied geography programme is a hugely popular option with students interested in climate change, its consequences and the solutions the environment itself can provide. This multidisciplinary course is distinctive in its effort to bridge the gap between the natural and social sciences, equipping students with an understanding of the way in which the two fields can work together to make meaningful change.
This course can be completed in three years, with the option to extend it to four years in order to study abroad or do an INTRA (integrated training) placement, DCU’s internship programme that allows students to increase their experience and employability.
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Students complete a range of modules such as biogeography, sustainable food security, environmental ethics, environmental economics, environmental data analysis and natural ecosystem solutions. The residential field module allows students to collect environmental data and engage with climate issues at a local scale, while also helping them to develop skills in teamwork, research, analysis, problem-solving and collecting good data.
This course sets students up for a career in an organisation that focuses on climate change and the environment, but also equips them with skills that are sought after across private and public sector roles.
Physiotherapy, University of Limerick (CAO code: LM100)
UL’s physiotherapy course is a four-year programme that allows students to develop the skills and experience required to become competent and innovative practitioners. The programme is approved by CORU, the state registration board for physiotherapy in Ireland.
The course includes a total of 31 weeks of clinical practice in the last two years, providing students with ample opportunity to explore their theoretical learning in a practical setting. The first year provides a foundation in anatomy and physiology through introductory modules, as well as classes in physiotherapy practice and communication and behaviour.
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Over the remaining three years, students undertake studies in the various disciplines of physiotherapy including cardiorespiratory care, clinical neurology and musculoskeletal disorders for people across their lifespan.
This programme gives students a strong grounding in both research and evidence-based practice, helping them to develop their skills in clinical and professional judgment, critical thinking, teamwork and decision making. Students are also equipped with an awareness of accountability issues, laws, regulations, professional codes of ethics and standards of practice. Students admitted to the programme are required to undergo a Garda vetting process.
Creative writing and English, Maynooth University (CAO code: MH111)
This new degree has been developed by Maynooth University to offer students the opportunity to develop their critical and creative skills within a single programme. The course brings together the analytical and imaginative sides of the English discipline, offering students the chance to evolve their writing practice as well as their understanding of literary genres and practices.
The academic side of the course will look at a range of theories and genres of literature as well as the conditions that shape the form, from history and geography to questions of gender, race, sexuality and class.
The creative writing element will take the form of intensive workshops in which students will develop their own writing practice across different forms, including fiction, poetry, memoir and creative non-fiction. The programme will also teach students about the practicalities of the creative literary industries, equipping them with a robust knowledge of a medium that can often be taught only in abstract or theoretical terms.
The course is three years long, but can be completed over four years if students opt to take part in the Erasmus or study-abroad programmes.
Culinary arts, Technological University Dublin (CAO code: TU942)
TU Dublin’s culinary arts course equips students for a career in the culinary industry, be that in operations, food and beverage, front of house, marketing or sales. Over four years, students are trained in restaurant service and the larder, as well as hot kitchen and pastry sections, and develop a range of skills that are applicable across the variables of the industry.
The course combines the practical and the theoretical, offering students professional cooking experience and the chance to develop their skills in communication, critical thinking and problem-solving.
Students are able to specialise in the culinary fields and research that appeal most to them, but an academic core of required modules runs continually through each semester in order to prepare students for their thesis in final year. There is an option in the third year of the programme to either go on Erasmus or complete a work placement.
Early childhood education, Marino Institute of Education (CAO code: CM020)
For those interested in the huge influence that education and care can have on children in the earliest years of their lives, Marino’s early childhood education programme is an ideal option. Placement is a core part of this course at every stage, with a five-credit module set aside in each of the first three years, and a 20-credit module to complete in the final year.
In addition to this practical element, students study a variety of theoretical courses in child psychology, play, language and literacy, inquiry-based learning, childcare and protection, arts and the early years.
Students will also learn about educators who have influenced the education of young children, including Montessori, Froebel and Vygotsky. This course is a great option for both those who intend to work in early childhood as well as those already employed there due to its flexible delivery. Graduates of this programme will have the skills and competence to work in a variety of early childhood education and care settings.
Mental health nursing, University of Galway (CAO code: GY516)
This programme is a helpful option for those interested in nursing and are already sure about specialising in the area of mental health. This course focuses on positive therapeutic relationships and interventions, equipping students with the skills in communication, critical judgment and teamwork needed in an ever-changing healthcare environment.
Over the course of four years, students will take 23 theory modules and eight clinical modules. During clinical placement, students work alongside other mental healthcare professionals such as psychologists, occupational therapists, speech-and-language therapists, psychiatrists and social workers.
Students undertake clinical placements regularly throughout the programme and work in a variety of settings, including in-patient mental health services, community mental health services, child and adolescent mental health services, substance misuse and addiction treatment services and perinatal mental health services.
These placements enrich the link between theory and practice, providing students with a wide variety of opportunities and experiences in all fields of mental health nursing, meeting the requirements for professional registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland.
Community youth work, Dundalk Institute of Technology (CAO code: DK767)
Dundalk Institute of Technology’s three-year, Level 7 programme in community youth work is an exciting option for applicants interested in working with young people on their personal and social development. Through lectures, tutorials, group work, field trips and guest speakers, students will learn about providing for the recreational, social and educational development of young people in non-formal settings.
In addition to a variety of modules in both sociology and psychology, students also undertake two supervised practice placements in year two and three of the course.
On completion of the course, students are eligible to progress on to the Level 8 BA in youth work available at Dundalk IT. According to a graduate survey conducted by Dundalk IT and the Higher Education Authority, 85 per cent of this programme’s students are in employment after six months of graduating. All of these graduates are employed in youth service roles, as either programme coordinators, outreach workers or youth workers.
It is worth noting that in addition to the standard entry requirements, candidates must attend an interview as part of their application to this course.
European studies, Trinity College Dublin (CAO code: TR024)
Trinity College Dublin’s European studies programme is an excellent humanities option for students interested in a multidisciplinary course. This four-year programme offers students the chance to learn European languages while studying both history and the social sciences.
Students study two out of five available European languages: Spanish, French, German, Italian, Polish, or Russian (only German, Italian, Polish, Russian and Spanish are available from beginner level). Both languages are studied equally in the first two years, after which you major in one and minor in the other. Students can only study one language from a beginner level.
As well as languages, students are able to select a range of modules in European history, the history of ideas, and social sciences (politics, economics, or sociology). The third year is spent at a university abroad studying through the language you have majored in.
Recent graduates are employed in international organisations both in Ireland and overseas, in the EU, in the Civil Service and the diplomatic corps, in business, finance and marketing. Other popular career paths are in consultancy, teaching (in Ireland and abroad), translating and interpreting, journalism and tourism.
Content creation and social media, South East Technological University (CAO code: SE300)
This so-called “influencing” degree made headlines in 2024 when it was launched by South East Technological University (SETU). Based at its Carlow campus, SETU’s novel course in content creation and social media is not just a “how to” guide for building an online influencing persona, but a programme that teaches students how to harness the power of social media for an array of media and marketing careers.
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Students have an opportunity to study a diverse range of modules over the four years, including creative video, celebrity studies, psychology, data analytics and podcasting. They learn about business activities such as social media marketing, digital content writing and digital strategising that are necessary not only for building a personal brand but also for increasingly popular jobs in the digital media industry.
Graduates of this course are equipped with the necessary skills for a career in content writing and editing, communications, social media marketing, digital design and, of course, influencing.
International business with languages, University College Cork (CAO code: CK215)
This programme combines a varied business education with the study of a language and culture. This four-year course equips students with key insights into international business management and contemporary issues in the global economy, as well as increased proficiency in a language of their choice.
Students can study French, German, Irish, Italian or Spanish alongside their business subjects, with a chance to focus on their language during a study-abroad placement in their third year. The idea is for students to not only learn the language but to gain a comprehensive cultural understanding of the country that they are studying in terms of its markets, social structures and place in the world.
This should be complementary to the business subjects they study, which include accounting, finance, food business, business economics, business information systems, business law, management and marketing.
