Ardscoil Phadraig Careers
Presentation 12th February 2014
Welcome Third Year Parents
Mrs Mary Sheridan
Guidance Counsellor
Adolescence
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A time to explore different career choices
Important to keep options open.
Students may think now that they do not
want to go to college but they may change
their minds in the next two years.
Students may think they do not want to
study courses at NUI that require a third
language but this may change in the next
two years.
Options after Junior Cert
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Work
Apprenticeships
Leaving Certificate Applied
Established Leaving Certificate
Third Level
Colleges
Universities
 DCU
 University of Limerick
 Trinity College
 National University of Ireland and its constituent
colleges such as The Royal College of Surgeons,
St Angela’s, Sligo and The National College of
Art and Design and Shannon College of hotel
Management.
Third Level
Colleges
Institutes of Technology
 Dublin Institute of Technology
 Institutes of Technology at Waterford,
Cork, Tralee, Limerick, Galway/Mayo,
Athlone, Sligo, Letterkenny, Dundalk.
Entry to Third Level
Three Separate Criteria
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Matriculation Requirements
Course Requirements
Points
Matriculation Requirements
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Matriculation requirements are the basic
standard that a third level college requires
students to reach before they are deemed
eligible to be considered for a place on a
course in that college
Matriculation Requirements
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Matriculation requirements vary from
college to college
They also depend on the level of the course
being applied for
Matriculation Requirements
for NUI Colleges
*For Certain Courses
Irish
English
*A
Third Language
*Mathematics
Any Two/Three other Matriculation Subjects
Matriculation Requirements
No Language required for:
 *Most Courses in TCD, UL, Or DCU
 Engineering and Science Degrees in UCD, NUI
Maynooth, NUI Galway, UCC except
Biotechnology NUI Galway.
 Agriculture at UCD
 Institutes of Technology unless it is part of the
area of study
 Gardaí (English/Another Language), Nursing
 Apprenticeships and most FE Courses
Ordinary Level D (Pass) in a third
language for:
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Entry to NUI Colleges (with exceptions)
National College of Art and Design (will
accept Art instead)
Leisure Management, Hotel and Catering
Management, Tourism (DIT)
Cadets
Medicine (RCSI)
Course Requirements
Subjects/Grades required to access certain courses
examples include:
 C3 or greater in Higher Level Irish for Primary Teaching
 C3 or greater in Higher Level Maths for Level 8
Engineering courses and for some Computer courses
 Chemistry for eight courses incl. some Medicine courses,
Pharmacy, Veterinary Medicine, Human Nutrition and
Dietetics, Public Health Nutrition and Dentistry in UCC
 Physics for Theoretical Physics in Trinity
 At least grade B for some Mathematics/Computer/Science
courses
 See www.careersportal.ie for full details
Course Requirements
There are courses that require lab science subjects
listed below:
 Agricultural Science
 Phys/Chem
 Biology
 Physics
 Chemistry
Only certain combinations of above are allowable
In order to keep options open students are advised to
take a science subject in Leaving Cert
Higher Level Mathematics/Points
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There is a bonus of 25 points for Higher
Level Maths at every grade above a D3
Points in Leaving Cert are counted from
your best six subjects
Points from LCVP can be substituted if
they are higher than your lowest points
subject
Higher Level subjects attract higher
points than do Ordinary Level
It is extremely important that students ‘push
themselves’ and take as many subjects as
possible at Higher Level for Leaving
Certificate
However, in doing this they should discuss
the matter with their parents and take the
advice of their subject teachers
Points Scoring
Leaving Cert Grade
Higher Paper
Lower Paper
Maths
Foundation #
A1
100
60
20
A2
90
50
15
B1
85
45
10
B2
80
40
5
B3
75
35
C1
70
30
C2
65
25
C3
60
20
D1
55
15
D2
50
10
D3
45
5
Subject Selection
Leaving Certificate subject choices (possible)
 Irish (unless exempted)
 English
 Maths
 Science Subject
 French (unless definite NUI is not for you)
 LCVP
 Two subjects (choose subjects you enjoy and in
which you feel you will achieve a high grade)
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Students also timetabled for PE, Careers and Religion
Possible Subjects- Leaving Cert
Agricultural Science
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Business
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French
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Home Economics
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Construction Studies
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Engineering
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Design and Communication Graphics
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Music
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Art
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Biology/Chemistry/Physics
 Important to take a science subject to keep options open
SEE HANDOUT
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Summary
It is important for students to:
Keep as many options as possible open at this stage
Challenge themselves by taking higher level in any
subject they are able for
Include a science subject among their choices
Study Irish at higher level if they feel they might be
interested in Primary Teaching
Pick subjects they like and are good at
Conclusion
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Parents who need to contact me can do so
by phoning the school
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Thank you all for listening
Useful Websites
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www.cao.ie
www.careersportal.ie
www.qualifax.ie
www.susi.ie
www.studentfinance.ie