Religious Education and History
Fully qualify you to teach second-level Religious Studies and History in just four years. You’ll gain valuable and extensive experience, including peer-teaching, team-teaching and school-based placement.
The course is comprised of a variety of interesting core and optional topics, with an emphasis throughout on teamwork, leadership, communication and creativity—skills that will serve you well in a teaching career and also transfer to a number of other professions. You’ll also be encouraged to develop the skills to work in contexts of cultural and religious diversity, preparing you for the modern-day teaching environment.
I would highly recommend this course to anyone looking for a direct pathway into the teaching profession. It is Ireland's best-kept secret!
Throughout the course you’ll cover four integrated areas:
- Foundational and Professional Studies in Education: We offer a student-friendly, supportive, open, dynamic and practical approach to the study of Education. The diverse, exciting, engaging, and challenging study of Education and Religious Education is reflected in the modules on offer.
- Teaching, Including School Placements: One of the most exciting and rewarding elements of the course is our hands-on approach to School Placement. Over the four years of the course, you’ll have an opportunity to gain valuable and extensive experience within a range of teaching and learning environments, including engagement in observation of practice, micro-teaching, peer-teaching, team-teaching and school-based placement (in both primary and post-primary sectors). You’ll be supported throughout your professional development by experienced School Placement tutors, school-based cooperating teachers and METIS (a custom-built web-based environment for School Placement).
- Theology, Religious Studies and Ethics: These elements provide a strong foundation for teaching Religious Education in second level schools and meet the subject criteria required by the Teaching Council. The specific subjects include: Ethics; Philosophy; Scripture; Systematic Theology; World Religions. You’ll be encouraged to critically engage with a wide range of topics and develop the skills to work in contexts of cultural and religious diversity.
- History: Our aim is to provide you, as a student of History, with the material and methodologies that will equip you to discover, examine, and interpret some of the major issues and questions that will inevitably arise from your studies. The course offers a broad range of modules covering topics on Irish, European and World history from the Medieval to the Modern period.
View the current course structure
We have a unique and vibrant culture on our modern campus close to Dublin city centre. We provide state-of-the-art study facilities for all our courses and everything else you need for a healthy, fun and active student life.
Exceptional Facilities
DCU students enjoy exceptional teaching and learning facilities across our 3 academic campuses. These include modern learning theatres, research centres, television and sound studios, classrooms, computer suites and advanced laboratories in the areas of languages, engineering, physics, chemistry and biotechnology, as well as a sports performance centre and a virtual hospital ward.
A Vibrant, Dynamic Social Environment
Student facilities include a superb sports complex with a 25 metre pool, two libraries and The Helix, our renowned performing arts centre. In 2016 we announced plans to invest over €230m in developing new, world-class facilities across our three academic campuses. Already building has begun on an exciting, new €14m Student Centre that will be home to the more than one hundred and twenty student clubs and societies. This commitment to student facilities means that our world-class learning experiences are complemented by a vibrant, dynamic social environment.
I would highly recommend this course to anyone looking for a direct pathway into the teaching profession. It is Ireland's best-kept secret!
Your degree will be recognised by the Teaching Council of Ireland, allowing you to register as a Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT) and apply immediately for employment in second-level schools as a teacher of Religious Education and History.
Graduates work in Post-Primary Schools, Government Departments, International Development Agencies, Culture and Heritage, the Media, and the Private Sector, pursuing careers as:
Requirements
There are no additional entry requirements for this programme apart from the general entry requirements for admission to the university.
There are no additional entry requirements for this programme apart from the general entry requirements for admission to the university.
There are no additional entry requirements for this programme apart from the general entry requirements for admission to the university.
For details of QQI requirements and relevant codes please click here. Simply enter the DC code for the programme you are interested in or if you are not sure of the code enter DC in the Select by Institution option, then click on Go.
Applications are welcomed from students who have studied at Level 6, Level 7 and Level 8 in relevant areas. Such students may be admitted to Year One of the course and exempt from certain modules.
International candidates are expected to have educational qualifications of a standard equivalent to those outlined above. In addition, where such candidates are non-native speakers of the English language they must satisfy the university of their competency in the English language. For further information on international applications click here.