Early Childhood Education and Practice
Early childhood education and practice involves supporting babies and young children to become competent and confident learners through loving relationships with others. Children require high-quality education and care during their formative years. Research indicates that the higher the professional qualification of the educator working with the children, the higher the quality of the setting and the children’s experiences in it.
Course Structure
This honours degree in Early Childhood Education and Practice enables the student to study a diverse range of subjects in order to gain a deep understanding of babies and children from birth to six years of age. Students develop a knowledge and understanding of Aistear, the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework and Síolta, the National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education, essential for professional work in this area of practice.
Visual Communications and Design
Visual Communication and Design is a problem-solving practice that uses image, text, print and screen to communicate messages. This discipline originates from graphic design and now incorporates the traditional skills of drawing, printing, photography, typography and other graphic processes with the new digital realms of video, web and animation.
Course Structure
This course is designed to facilitate a transition from novice student to creative practitioner. Students are taught a variety of skills to achieve this. This highly practical course features a studio environment where students complete projects in a variety of 2D design disciplines, such as: branding; illustration; packaging; typography; advertising; layout; signage; websites; games; moving image, video and animation.
Arts
Art is a diverse range of activities involving imaginative and technical skill and includes the production of works of art, criticism of art, study of art history, and the aesthetic dissemination of art.
This dynamic and highly student-centred course is unique to the Wexford Campus. Students are provided with the opportunity to gain creative skills, creative knowledge, aesthetic awareness and professional experiences in contemporary visual art. A forum for exchanging diverse opinions and ideas is provided through group critique, field trips, and a visiting artists programme.
Course Structure
Students learn creative skills, aesthetic awareness and professional practices in contemporary visual art. Subjects include painting, sculpture, digital media, photography and video, art and design history, as well as engagement with art and the moving image and material and visual culture. Students learn by working on creative projects in a studio context, in IT labs and traditional lectures and by engaging with the local community.
Applied Social Studies in Professional Social Care
This one year add-on (level 8) is designed for graduates with a level 7 award who wish to further their Applied Social Studies education. It is a necessary qualification for those wishing to pursue postgraduate studies.
Note: Garda clearance is required for all students taking this course.
Visual Art
Art as a subject taught at third level encourages self-expression and creativity while building confidence and creative skills as well as a sense of individual identity for our students. Most important, studying visual art at SETU Waterford helps to develop our students critical thinking and the ability to interpret the world around us through determination and resilience while opening up new possibilities to think beyond what we already know through art’s unique visual language.
What is the BA (Hons) in Visual Art?
The undergraduate Visual Art programme at SETU Waterford offers students the opportunity to work broadly and experimental across a wide range of fine art media and practices, these include; drawing, painting, sculpture, print-making, photography, performance, video and digital media. On this studio-based programme, emphasis is placed on developing both the student’s visual awareness and artistic analysis through theoretical and historical contexts in contemporary art in order to shape and develop each student’s individual art practices.
The programme is structured on the basis of a modulated four-year degree, starting with the inculcation of core skills. These are then extended through a number of thematic projects in which practical ability is augmented and strengthened by the development of visual awareness. Finally, each student brings their cumulative learning to bear on the accomplishment of a personal artistic project.
Social Care Practice
This is a 4 year level 8 course of study designed to prepare students for professional careers in Social Care Work and facilitate students who wish to pursue a specific area of interest.
The overall aim of the course is to develop critically reflective, skilled and ethically aware practitioners with the capacity to build professional relationships, in partnership with vulnerable individuals and groups who experience marginalisation, disadvantage or special needs.
The course involves the study of related disciplines of Applied Social Studies, Professional Practice, Sociology, Social Policy, Psychology and Law and Personal and Professional Development.
Entry will only be permitted at year one and applications in relation to RPL, advanced entry and module exemption applications for any year will not be accepted and reviewed for these programmes.
Applicants who seek entry into the BA (Hons) in Applied Social Studies in Social Care will be permitted once they have completed the Bachelor of Arts in Applied Social Care, Waterford Campus or equivalent programme.
Design (Visual Communications)
The three-year course is designed to facilitate a transition from novice student to creative practitioner. Students are taught a variety of design and pratical skills to achieve this. This highly practical course features a studio environment where students complete projects in a variety of 2D design disciplines, such as: branding; illustration; packaging; typography; advertising; layout; signage; websites; mobile devices; games; moving image video and animation.
Visual communication and design is a problem-solving practice that uses image, text, print and screen to communicate messages. This discipline originates from graphic design and now incorporates the traditional skills of drawing, printing, photography, typography and other graphic processes with the new digital realms of video, sound and animation.
Social Science
The BA (Hons) Social Science is a multi-disciplinary three year course. In times of rapid social and economic change, this programme offer students the opportunity to understand and critically analyse contemporary Irish society and Ireland’s place in an increasingly globalised world.
This course draws on core Social Science disciplines such as; Social Policy, Sociology, Psychology, Economics and Politics, with an emphasis on Social Research and Social Studies in Context.
The implications of and responses to social problems for marginalised and vulnerable members of society are central to this programme.
Special Feature of BA (Hons) in Social Science Course
Students are offered an opportunity to take elective modules in Semesters, 3, 4, 5 and 6. Students may select from a wide range of modules such as (but not limited to) Personal & Professional Development; Social Care, Organisational Studies. Probation, Policing and the Police, and Sociology of Deviance.
If you are open-minded, interested in tackling some of the key issues of our time, and want to develop skills to think differently about and understand our complex world – then Social Science is for you!
The programme is structured to provide students with the opportunity to gain a solid academic foundation in a range of related disciplines. The programme is also structured to enable students to develop their critical understanding of the applied nature of social science, and the importance of social research in critical inquiry and analysis of contemporary society.
The programme emphasises the importance of inter-disciplinarity. These pillars of learning (theory, application, research and integration) are the focus of this programme.
Music
Students who list WD027 Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Music on their CAO before 1 February 2022, will have the option of submitting an audition video (Submissions by Friday 21 April 2023) or attending a Zoom audition which will take place from Thursday 20 and Friday 21 April 2023. The BA (Hons) in Music is a four year full-time degree which aims to give the student a well-rounded third level music education. The course offers a balance between practical and theoretical modules within the context of the principal music genres (classical, Irish traditional, jazz and popular). This diversity will serve the student well both in the current job market and in pursuing postgraduate study opportunities.
BA (Hons) in Music course special features
The BA (Hons) in Music offers a unique opportunity to embrace the classical, Irish traditional or jazz and popular music genres. The balance between academic and practical music subjects is very desirable in the current job market, and the opportunity to specialise in Year 4 allows the student to focus on their strengths.
Early Childhood Care & Education
The BA (Hons) in Early Childhood Care and Education is a four year course of study. The course is designed under four important academic foundations namely, theory, practice, research and reflective integration.
Early Childhood Care and Education is aimed at producing professionally qualified graduates who can work in a range of early years’ contexts, working with children up to the age of eight in both care and education settings. The course involves the study of related disciplines of early years’ care, education, psychology, sociology, law and personal and professional development and supervised professional early years, practice placements.
Special Feature of BA (Hons) in Early Childhood Care and Education
Students have the opportunity to complete supervised work-based placements, one in semester three, six and eight of the course. These opportunities allow students gain valuable experience and skills in areas of care or education or both.
These placement experiences will facilitate the students’ application of knowledge from the disciplines studied to professional practice. Students will conclude their fourth year with a written thesis which allows them focus on a specific area of interest to them in relation to early years’ care and education.
Note: Garda clearance is required for all students taking this course
