Religious Education and Music

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Fully qualify you to teach second level Religious Education and Music in just four years. This course offers a streamlined track to a profession in post-primary teaching, qualifying you to teach RE and Music to Honours Leaving Certificate Level.
In addition to teacher education, you’ll receive instruction in how to make the most of teamwork, leadership, communication and creativity. Your coursework will also cover Foundational and Professional Studies in Education; Theology, Religious Studies and Ethics; and Music.
Not only did the music aspect cover everything I need to know to become a competent music teacher, but it also nourished my love of music. Since graduating I have secured a teaching position in a fantastic secondary school in Dublin.
The study of music combines an opportunity to develop your own musicianship to a high level with a chance to experience and engage with a wide range of musical styles through performance, through historical, analytical and contextual inquiry, and through composition. Subject areas include compositional techniques, music history and contextual studies, solfège/musicianship and keyboard skills, choral and instrumental performance, Irish traditional music, choral conducting, and music technology. All students participate in performance ensembles (choir, trad group, orchestra), which play an active role in the university’s cultural life, and which prepare you for the diverse challenges involved in music teaching and musical life more broadly.
View the current course structure
Life on Campus
We have three academic campuses close to Dublin City centre - they are located in Glasnevin and Drumcondra, and can be reached by public transport (Dublin Bus).
Each campus has libraries, study spaces, restaurants, and on-campus residencies. Sports facilities are located on two of the academic campuses. We also have a dedicated sports campus in the form of St Claire’s.
Exceptional facilities
DCU students have access to exceptional teaching and learning facilities across our three academic campuses.
These include modern learning theatres, research centres, new media and TV studio, radio/podcast studios, classrooms, computer suites and advanced labs in the areas of languages, engineering, physics, chemistry and biotechnology, as well as a sports performance centre and training hospital ward. In 2021, we opened our first virtual reality ‘Leadership Lab’, which is located in our Business School.
Construction on our FutureTech building on the Glasnevin campus will get underway in 2022. Once completed, this facility will advance DCU’s international reputation for excellence in science and health, computing and engineering disciplines. It will have the capacity to accommodate an additional 3,000 STEM students on the university’s Glasnevin campus.
Campus life
DCU student facilities boast a fully equipped sports complex with a 25-metre pool, three libraries and The Helix, our renowned performing arts centre.
Our purpose built, state-of-the-art new student centre known as 'The U' serves the needs of a rapidly growing student body of 18,500. It is home to the Student Leadership and Lifeskills Centre, performing arts and cultural spaces for students and the wider community, and the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Hub.
'DCU Students' Union and the Office of Student Life are also based in the U. The centre is a space for students where they can meet, with lots of charging points and isolation booths. Clubs and socs avail of meeting rooms here and it's also home to DCUFM. NuBar, Londis and the Venue are also located here.
There are more than 140 clubs and societies for students in DCU, with ‘Clubs & Socs’ days taking place on both the Glasnevin and Drumcondra campuses at the start of the academic year.
Student Supports
We have a number of academic, professional and social supports for students.
Student Advice Centre: Offers a wide range of supports and services to students and advice.
The Writing Centre - drop-in writing workshops for students through the academic year.
Maths Learning Centre - provides maths support for students of all ability levels with maths modules.
Student Learning: facilitate the transition from passive to active learning for students at DCU, by teaching study skills, nurturing critical thinking and building student confidence.
Careers work with students to help them on their professional journey into graduate employment.
Our student support team offers a comprehensive support programme, helping students make that all important transition into university life and focusing on building confidence and skills which are key to success at third level.
Not only did the music aspect cover everything I need to know to become a competent music teacher, but it also nourished my love of music. Since graduating I have secured a teaching position in a fantastic secondary school in Dublin.
This course is fully recognised by the Teaching Council of Ireland, and upon graduation, you can register as a Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT) and apply immediately for employment in second level schools.
Graduates seek work as:
Requirements
Applicants for the Bachelor of Religious Education and Music (DC012) programme are advised that there will be no music theory/aural test or audition/interview for this programme for 2022 entry.
If you have any questions about Music on the Bachelor of Religious Education and Music programme (DC012), please contact Dr Seán Doherty: sean.doherty@dcu.ie
In addition to the general entry requirements for admission to the university the following entry requirements apply: minimum of H4 in Music or equivalent (this restriction may be waived by the Head of School or nominee for Mature applicants who have a high level of performance and music theory training through classes over a number of years).
Applicants for the Bachelor of Religious Education and Music (DC012) programme are advised that there will be no music theory/aural test or audition/interview for this programme for 2022 entry. All applicants who have applied through the CAO for this programme will be deemed eligible to
compete for a place on the programme, subject to meeting the general entry requirements noted above and the programme-specific entry requirements, i.e. minimum of H4 in Music.
In addition to the general entry requirements for admission to the university the following entry requirements apply: A minimum of grade D in GCE A Level Music or a minimum grade C in GCE AS Level Music.
Applicants for the Bachelor of Religious Education and Music (DC012) programme are advised that there will be no music theory/aural test or audition/interview for this programme for 2022 entry. All applicants who have applied through the CAO for this programme will be deemed eligible to
compete for a place on the programme, subject to meeting the general entry requirements noted above and the programme-specific entry requirements.
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.
Applicants for the Bachelor of Religious Education and Music (DC012) programme are advised that there will be no music theory/aural test or audition/interview for this programme for 2022 entry. All applicants who have applied through the CAO for this programme will be deemed eligible to
compete for a place on the programme, subject to meeting the general entry requirements noted above and the programme-specific entry requirements, i.e. minimum of H4 in Music. i.e. minimum of H4 in music at Leaving Certificate or a minimum of any 5 distinctions for QQI Applicants.
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.