Senior Cycle Options
in Confey College
Geraldine Clarke
Guidance Counsellor
March 2014
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Senior Cycle Options
• Traditional Leaving Certificate
• LCVP
• Transition Year
• Leaving Certificate Applied
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How do I choose?
You choose the senior cycle option
which is best for you by considering
• age
• intentions for after school
• aptitudes and interests
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Subject Choices for the
Traditional Leaving Certificate
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How do I choose my subjects?
You need to consider
• Your strengths
• Your interests
• Your skills or aptitudes
• Your plans for the future, i.e. do I
plan to go to college, what would I
like to do?
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How can we help?
• Talks to students over few weeks
• Information to parents
• Individual teachers can advise on
their subject
• The Guidance Counsellors can
advise about course requirements
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Subjects Available in Confey
College
Core Subjects:
• Irish
-Higher, Ordinary and
Alternative Level
• English -Higher and Ordinary Level
• Maths -Higher, Ordinary and
Alternative Level
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Option Subjects
Available at Higher and Ordinary
Level only
• Languages -French and German
• Sciences
-Biology
-Chemistry
-Physics
8
Option Subjects 2
• Business - Business
- Accounting
- Economics
• Social Studies - History
- Geography
- Art
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Subject Options 3
• Applied Sciences
- Home Economics
- Engineering
- Construction Studies
- Design & Communication
Graphics
Applied Maths sometimes available
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How many subjects do I
choose?
Each student has 3 core subjects,
i.e. Irish, English and Maths.
You then choose 4 other subjects
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But How do I Choose my
Options?
Consider – What do I need for
College?
Each College requires certain
subjects before a student can be
admitted. These are called
Matriculation or Minimum
Requirements
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NUI Colleges
• NUI Colleges include:
UCD; UCC; NUI Galway;
NUI Maynooth; St Patrick’s
Pontifical University, Maynooth;
NCAD; RCSI; St Angela’s, Sligo;
Shannon College of Hotel
Management; Milltown Institute;
Institute of Public Administration.
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Minimum Requirements
NUI Colleges require:
• Irish, English and a third language*
• 3 other subjects
• At least 2 HC3’s
• Maths for all courses except Arts, Law and
Social Science
• Science, except for Arts, Law, Social
Science and Commerce
* For entry to Science & Engineering Courses in Maynooth a
3rd language is not required and another recognised
subject can be substituted.
A 3rd language is not required for entry to Engineering or
Agricultural Science Degrees in UCD. Another recognised
subject may be substituted.
Students entering Nursing may substitute any other
recognised for the 3rd. Language
Students entering the NCAD may present Art in place of the
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3rd. Language.
Minimum Requirements cont.
TCD requires:
• English, Maths and another language
(Irish, french, German or other)
• 3 other subjects
• At least 3HC3’s
DCU and UL require:
• Maths and English or Irish
• 4 other subjects
• At least 2HC3’s
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Minimum requirements cont.
DIT and other IT requirements:
• English or Irish and Maths
• 4 other subjects – for Level 8
courses
• 3 other subjects – for Level 7
courses
• At least 2 HC3’s – for Level 8
courses
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National Framework of
Qualifications
•
•
•
•
What are the framework levels?
What is an award type?
What is an awarding body?
www.nfq.ie
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College Courses
• All college courses are listed as Level 6,
7 or 8 for students with Leaving
Cert.which is Level 5.
• Level 6 courses are usually 2 years and
the Qualification gained is a Higher
Certificate.
• Level 7 courses are usually 3 years and
are called Ordinary Degrees
• Level 8 courses are 3/4 or more years
and are called Honours Degrees.
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Essential Subjects
Many courses, especially at Level 8 will
require you to have a particular subject
and sometimes even to Honours level.
These must be checked with the college
brochure or on qualifax.
For example:
Engineering – you will require Honours
Maths and often a Science subject also
Medicine and other Paramedical
courses – one or two science subjects
(Chemistry very important as may reduce
length of college course.)
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Essential Subjects cont.
Nursing – must have a science subject –
not necessarily Biology
Primary Teaching – Must have Honours
Irish to get straight into Teacher Training
Languages – for all NUI Colleges you
must have a modern language (except
for a small number of courses). For all
courses that includes the study of a
language.
Business & Accounting – not essential
for any course but would make college
life easier if you intend to choose this
type of career/course
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Colleges in Ireland
Type of
College
Name of
College
University Maynooth
(NUIM).
Pontifical
University,
Maynooth.
Trinity College
(TCD).
Galway
(NUIG).
Cork (UCC).
Dublin (UCD).
Limerick (UL).
Dublin City
University
(DCU).
Length of
Course
Level
Entry
of Qual Requirements
Minimum
3 years
Level 8
4 or more
for many
courses
4 or
more
honours
in LC
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Colleges in Ireland continued
Type of
College
Name of College Length of
Course
Institutes of Dublin (DIT)
2 years
Technology Blanchardstown
Tallaght, Carlow,
Athlone,
Dundalk,
3 Years
Galway/Mayo,
Cork, Waterford,
Letterkenny,
Limerick, Tralee,
Sligo
3/4 +
years
Level
of
Qual
Entry
Requirements
Level
6
2 +
Honours
Level
7
2-3 +
Honours
Level
8
4+
Honours
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Colleges in Ireland continued
Type of
college
Name of College
Length
of
Course
Level of
Qual
Entry
requirements
Miscellaneous
State
Funded
Colleges
--National College of
Ireland(NCI)
-Tipperary Rural
Business Development
College(TRBDI & UL)
-National College of Art
and Design (NCAD)
-Dun Laoghaire
Institute of Art, Design
and
Technology(DLIADT)
-Royal College of
Surgeons (RCSI)
-Shannon College of
Hotel Management
-Carlow College
-Milltown Institute
2 years
Level 6
2 + Hons
3Years
Level 7
3/4 +
Hons
3/4 Years
+
Level 8
4 + Hons
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Colleges in Ireland continued
Type of
college
Name of College
Length
of
Course
Primary
Teaching
St. Patrick’s,
3/4 Years
Drumcondra
Coláiste Mhuire,
Marino
Froebel College,
Blackrock/NUIM
Church of
Ireland College,
Rathmines
Mary Immaculate
College,
Limerick
Level of
Qual
Entry
requirements
Level 7
or 8
NB!
4+
Honours
Home
St. Angela’s,
Economics Sligo
4 Years
Level 8
4+
Honours
Teacher of
Religion
4 Years
Level 8
3/4 +
Honours
Mater Dei,
Drumcondra
All Hallows,
Drumcondra
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Colleges in Ireland continued
Type of
college
Name of
College
Length of
Course
Private
Colleges
-American 1 – 4
College
Years
-Dublin
Business
School
-Griffith
College
-Portobello
College
Level of
Qual
Entry
requirements
Level 6
Level 7/8
Level 8
Pass
Leaving
Cert +
N.B. Tuition Fees are payable at Private
Colleges – Ranging from €5000 upwards per
annum .
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To Keep Your Options Open
If you are not sure at all, or have only a
vague idea of what you would like to do
after you leave school then –
• Take at least one science subject
• Keep your modern language
• Take 2 other subjects that you are good
at, or that you enjoy and will do well at.
N.B. - Points restrict entry to many
courses more than subjects do.
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Alternative routes
Remember that there are many
ways to reach the career of your
choice.
If you do not get the points you
would need to do a Level 8 course,
then you could start at Level 6 and
work your way up.
This is true for many careers and
courses, but not all.
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Post Leaving Cert Courses
Post Leaving Cert Courses (PLC) are
available in many colleges in Dublin and
around the country. There are courses in
almost everything you could wish for. They
lead to a FETAC qualification
Entry to these courses is based on an
application to the college and an interview.
Not on Points!
They can be used to improve your prospects
of entry to 3rd. Level Colleges, or to gain a
qualification.
Courses are from 1 – 4 years, with
qualification from Level 5 to 8.
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Schedule of Meetings
• 20th March – meeting for parents
about senior cycle options and
subject choice.
• 19th March – subject options
morning
• 2nd April– 2 meetings for parents
about (1)Transition Year and (2)
Leaving Cert Applied (LCA).
• Meetings in school time about TY
and LCA for students.
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Key Dates for Subject Choice
selection:
• Preliminary Option – March 28th
• Final Option Decision – April 10th
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Understanding Qualifications
• Universities award qualifications
• Some Institutes of Technology
award qualifications
• HETAC – Higher Education and
Training Awards Council
• FETAC - Further Education and
Training Awards Council
• SEC – State Exams Commission
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Resources
• www.qualifax.ie
• www.careersportal.ie
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Finally
• Most Employers want a good graduate,
but not of a particular type
• Keep your options open as long as
possible – keep your science and
language if possible
• Students should work as hard as they
can now to get the best grades in their
Junior Cert as this can often affect at
what level they take a subject for the
Leaving Cert.
• If they are unsure, ask a teacher or the
Guidance Counsellor for help
Good luck with your decisions!
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