Overview
This programme offers you the attractive opportunity to obtain a DCU undergraduate degree through online learning, which is more open and flexible than if you registered for a full-time, or part-time, campus-based programme.
The programme is accredited by the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI), which ensures that the programme meets the highest standards for undergraduate, pre-professional education and training in Psychology.
Why DCU
DCU People
Careers & Further Options
Careers
The Bachelor of Arts in Psychology degree programme facilitates those interested in pursuing any kind of work that requires critical thinking skills, high quality written expression, and transferable skills such as organisation and time-management, with these skills and abilities being highly valued by employers. The knowledge and skills you will develop are useful and valuable to have no matter what path you take once you successfully complete your DCU degree programme. The knowledge, skills and competencies relating to Psychological research methods that graduates have achieved in their studies on this programme allow them to work in junior researcher positions. Graduates who intend to qualify as professional Psychologists will need to pursue further training in Psychology at masters or doctoral level. Graduates will be able to go on to postgraduate study, and careers, in a number of Psychology's sub-disciplines and related fields. Graduates may proceed to either a taught masters or doctoral programmes in a specific sub-discipline of Psychology, or a Psychology masters or doctorate by research, where they conduct a research project, under supervision, in their area of interest. As Psychology is such a broad field there are many different routes that graduates may take depending on their areas of interest. As the majority of online distance learning students are already working, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology may facilitate advancement in their existing career or it may enable them to change careers. Existing graduates have gone on to careers such as: Human Resource Manager; Psychological Researcher; Higher Education Academic; Behavioural Therapist; Cognitive Behavioural Therapist; Clinical Psychology assistant/researcher; Special Needs Assistant; and Clinical Coordinator for a regional counselling service.
Entry Requirements
Applicants aged over 23 years on January 1st in the year of entry are eligible for admission to the programme and are automatically granted a place subject to submission of an application form and deposit.
Applicants under 23 years on January 1st in the year of entry must satisfy the normal minimum degree entry requirements of Dublin City University which are detailed: https://www.dcu.ie/registry/entry.shtml.
For further information on Non EU qualifications and requirements please visit here.
In addition, applicants who are non-native speakers of the English language must satisfy the university requirements for competency in the English language.
Study Visas are not required for this online course/programme.
Course Structure
The DCU Bachelor of Arts in Psychology is a Level 8 honours degree programme, which provides students with a focused, tailored programme of education in Psychology. Psychology is the scientific study of behaviour and mental processes, and as such is concerned with why we do what we do, feel what we feel, and think what we think. Psychologists use rigorous scientific methods to further our understanding in a wide range of topics, as Psychology is a broad discipline. Psychological knowledge has many applications in a variety of settings such as industry, education, the law, as well as medical and forensic settings. This programme offers students great flexibility in that they can vary the number of modules they register for in a given year to match the other responsibilities in their life. Given that registering for a module means committing to the workload associated with that module this flexibility allows a student to only take on the work they can accommodate in a given year. When deciding how much work to take on students should consider the time needed to: study learning materials; actively participate in online classes; and the time they need to set aside to interact with tutors and other students in the online discussion forums. Students on this programme also have a good degree of flexibility in terms of time, place, and pace of studying as they do not have to attend campus-based classes on a regular basis.
On this programme you will study modules that cover the core areas of Psychology: Social and Organisational Psychology; Developmental and Educational Psychology; Cognitive Psychology; Biopsychology; Individual Differences and, very importantly; Psychological Methods for Conducting Scientific Research. As part of this programme, you will also have the opportunity to complete, under supervision, an independent research project in Psychology.
To complete the Bachelor of Arts in Psychology a student needs to successfully complete twelve modules.
Foundation modules
- What is Psychology?
- Exploring Psychological Research
- Competencies and Skills in Psychology
Post-foundation modules
- Social and Organisational Psychology
- Developmental and Educational Psychology
- Qualitative Research in Psychology
- Quantitative Research in Psychology
- Cognitive Psychology
- Biopsychology
- Individual Differences
- Psychological Perspectives on Mental Health
- Final Year Project in Psychology
Students may elect to exit with a Diploma in Psychology on successful completion of eight modules if they do not wish to progress to the full degree qualification. It should be noted that this diploma is not a route to graduate membership of a psychological society, and therefore is not a route into the field of psychology in and of itself.
Please note that the programme is under constant review and there may be changes to the structure, content and presentation of the programme in future years.
Each module is awarded 15 European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credit points. These points are accumulated towards your award of degree. 180 ECTS credit points are required for the BA in Humanities (Psychology Major) and 120 ECTS credit points are required for the Diploma in Humanities (Psychology Major).
How Long does it take to Complete the Course?
It is possible to complete the degree in a minimum of four years, however, this would be a 'full-time' studying commitment. The Diploma in Psychology can be completed in a minimum of three years with a similar commitment. The greater the number of modules successfully completed each year, the quicker you obtain your degree. In the first year of study a student can only select a maximum of three modules. After the foundation modules have been completed a student can select from one to four modules per year. The number of modules you undertake each year will depend on your individual circumstances. The Bachelor of Arts in Psychology Major must be completed within a maximum eight year registration period.
Module Selection:
While this programme's modular structure provides you with the flexibility to choose how many modules you commit to studying in any one academic year, there are rules relating to module registration that you must be familiar with in order that you can make a fully informed decision about which modules you wish to take. For example, some modules must be completed before others can be selected.
Mathematics Recommendation:
Please note that the Bachelor of Arts in Psychology programme involves a number of modules that focus on Psychology research methods, which require a competence in mathematics roughly equivalent to pass Leaving Certificate level. While a Leaving Certificate mathematics qualification is not mandatory, students without recent exposure to mathematics should consider updating their skills by enrolling in a Leaving Certificate mathematics course or by studying Leaving Certificate mathematics textbooks.
Because of the way the programme is structured, you do not have to defer commencement of the programme while you develop your competence in mathematics. You could update your skills in parallel with other modules not requiring competence in this area, specifically PSY1080 What is Psychology and PY1111 Skills and Competencies in Psychology.
Technology and Online Skills Requirements:
Your learning experience as an online student is enhanced through the use of learning technology and rich digital media. We understand that students will have varying degrees of technical experience and ability when they begin their studies. Due to the key role technology will play in your studies you should be ready to engage with relevant technologies to a minimum level when you begin your studies. That is, you should be familiar with using email, browsing the Internet, downloading files, and using the word processing package Microsoft Word. When you begin your studies you will then further develop your skills with using technology in your studies. Becoming more confident in the use of technology, as you study, will then help you succeed as an online learner.
Fees and Funding
Fees
Life On Campus
At DCU, our students can expect a unique campus experience. We are known for our excellent teaching and learning facilities, our active clubs and societies, and our great social and sporting facilities. All this makes DCU an exciting place to be.
DCU has three academic campuses; Glasnevin, St. Patrick’s and All Hallows (both in Drumcondra), all close to Dublin City centre.
They can be reached by public transport, Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann, with our Drumcondra campuses a ten minute walk from Drumcondra Train Station. Glasnevin is a 20 minute walk from St Patrick’s and All Hallows. They are also linked by Dublin Bus.
Each campus has a library (O’Reilly, Cregan and Woodlock Hall), study spaces, restaurants, and on-campus residencies. There are sports facilities on Glasnevin and St. Patrick’s, and there is a dedicated sports campus, St Claire’s, located near Glasnevin on the Ballymun Road.
DCU’s 19,000 students have access to exceptional teaching and learning facilities across our three academic campuses.
These include modern learning theatres, research centres, a new media and TV studio, radio/podcast studios, computer suites and advanced labs in the areas of Languages, Engineering, Physics, Chemistry and Biotechnology, as well as a Sports Performance centre and a training hospital ward. In 2021, we opened our first virtual reality ‘Leadership Lab’, which is located in our Business School.
We continue to improve and update our facilities. For example, construction of a new world-class STEM facility is underway on the Glasnevin campus. With capacity for an extra 3,000 STEM students, this facility will advance DCU’s international reputation for excellence in science and health, computing and engineering disciplines.
Studying in DCU isn’t just about course work. The university is rich in student life and activities.
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. They span everything from rugby to rock climbing, anime to jazz.
For many students, sport is an important part of the DCU experience. DCU’s Sports Complex boasts a 25 metre swimming pool, fitness centre gym, all-weather pitches and squash courts, as well as soccer, GAA and rugby pitches. DCU Dóchas Éireann, the university’s GAA club, is the largest third level Gaelic Games club in the country. Meanwhile, DCU Athletics has been Ireland’s highest achieving university club for many years. And DCU has dozens of other clubs to get involved in, from Archery to Weightlifting.
The Glasnevin campus is home to our purpose built, state-of-the-art student centre, The U, which serves the needs of a rapidly growing student body. Here, you will find the Student Leadership and Lifeskills Centre, performing arts and cultural spaces for students and the wider community, and the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Hub. Also located on our Glasnevin campus is The Helix, our renowned performing arts centre.
On our St Patrick’s campus, we have the Java Student Hub, a vibrant, warm and welcoming space where students can meet for coffee, play music, use the projector to watch events, or just relax. The walls of the Java Hub were designed based on the cultural history of St Patrick’s Campus, including the special references to the notable sporting history and history of the arts.
We have a number of academic, professional and social supports for students.
Student Advice & Learning Skills 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.
DCU Glasnevin Campus
FAQs
Is DCU all one campus?
DCU is a multi campus university - the Glasnevin, St Patrick's and All Hallows campuses. The St Patrick's campus is where the Education courses are taught and some of the subjects from the BA Joint Honours degree. There is a 20-25 minute walk between the campuses but there are buses and bikes available to go between them also.
Click here to see maps of all of our campuses
If I'm studying on the St Patrick's campus, can I use the library and sports centre on the Glasnevin campus?
Yes, all facilities such as sports and accommodation are open for all DCU students to avail of.
Are there libraries in DCU and if they have wifi and work stations?
We have a brand new state of the art four floor library on our St. Patrick's Campus which complements the existing library on the Glasnevin campus. There is free wifi, work stations as well as desktop computers.
Does DCU provide accommodation?
DCU does have on-campus accommodation for undergraduate and postgraduate students, and you can find out more and apply via the Accommodation Office webpage.