Quick Definition Guide to UCD Modules
Subject Stream: The main subject that you intend to study for your degree, such as
English, History, Chemistry & Chemical Sciences etc. If you were specific on the CAO
form, some of these may already be selected for you.
Stage 1: 1st year of the degree
Module: A class within your subject stream such as Contested Ireland for History, or
How the Earth Works in Geology.
Core Module: A mandatory module that must be passed to progress in the subject stream.
If you did not specify your subject choices with the CAO, ensure that you select these
modules. If you did specify, they will be pre-selected for you.
Option Module: A module that you can choose to take. Generally, there are around 4-5
modules available for the subject stream in Stage 1. While it is not always required to
take all 4-5, it is often recommended to give you groundwork for the following year.
Lab/Tut/SMG/SEM: Laboratories, Tutorials, Small Meeting Groups and Seminars. These
are to compliment your lectures and usually have some required work. Many of these will
have a percentage of the final grade allocated to them. Some are weekly, bi-weekly or
less.
Elective: A module you elect to take. You can take a module from any subject in UCD,
unless they are restricted. For example, an English student can opt to take a Food Science
module. Electives do not have to be used outside of the main subject stream, but they
must be used. In Stage 1, you will have 1 elective available to you and 2 the following
years.
Elective Labs/Tut/SMG/SEM: Labs etc associated with the Elective Module.
Internal Elective: An elective taken within your subject stream.
Credits: A standard 3 year degree has 180 ECTS or Credits. Stage 1 will have 60 credits.
Each module is worth 5 credits. There are 30 credits per Semester.
GPA: Grade Point Average. Your average grade based on a scale of 0.0 - 4.2.
Semester: A term of study. Semester 1 is from Sept to Dec. Semester 2 is from Jan – May.
Offering: This is the offer UCD are making to the student about a time slot for a lecture
or labs. Usually lectures will only have one offering, but labs can range from 2-12 or
more depending on the subject.