Engineering Agricultural Systems Engineering

The agri-food sector is one of Ireland’s most important indigenous manufacturing sectors, accounting for employment of around 150,000 people. It includes approximately 600 food and drinks firms throughout the country that export 85% of our food and seafood to more than 160 countries worldwide.

This programme focuses on agricultural science, agri-business, agricultural engineering and agricultural systems. Students will develop knowledge in areas such as sensing technology, electro-pneumatics, electro-hydraulics, automation, Agribusiness, management, marketing and product pricing.

It is also envisaged that graduates of this programme will have Young Trained Farmer status.

Business Common Entry (Options in Business & Digital Marketing)

Business is the interaction between people, processes and exchange. It plays an important part in our daily lives along with driving innovation and prosperity in our communities.

This course equips students with the applied skills and knowledge needed to pursue a career in a variety of areas such as commercial activity, entrepreneurship, public service, government and the not-for-profit sector. The course is structured around four key pillars – management, finance/economics, business technology and marketing.

Course Structure
The first two years of this programme provide students with a foundation in business, with some electives. After two years, students decide on their chosen area of specialism in either Business or Business with Digital Marketing. Depending on your choice and your areas of interest there are also electives are available in Commercial Law, Fund Accounting and Global Economics.

In Year 3, you will also undertake a professional work placement where you will put your learning into practice and gain practical experience.

Business

Business is the interaction between people, processes and exchange. It plays an important part in our daily lives along with driving innovation and prosperity in our communities.

This course equips students with the applied skills and knowledge needed to pursue a career in a variety of areas such as commercial activity, entrepreneurship, public service, government and the not-for-profit sector. The course is structured around four key pillars – management, finance/economics, business technology and marketing.

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.

Early Childhood Care & Education

Early childhood education or early learning and care, is a very rewarding profession that supports the development of young children from infancy and throughout the childhood years. Direct practice involves working with children by tailoring learning experiences to children’s individual needs. Supporting parents in their parenting role is also an essential part of the job. Indirect practice involves managing services, educating students, professional representation, governance and national policy development. Such wide ranging career opportunities ensures early childhood education is a rewarding and diverse profession.

Course Structure
This course is a four-year programme, which equips graduates with the theoretical, policy, legal and practical knowledge required to work in early years services. Learning is through experiential and self-directed learning activities, as well as through group work and presentations. The final year research project is supervised by an experienced research team. Placement opportunities in each year of study supports learners to become competent early childhood educators.

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.

Applied Social Care

The BA in Applied Social Care (previously known as the BA in Applied Social Studies in Social Care) is a three year (level 7) course of study. The course is designed to facilitate students who wish to pursue a specific area of interest and prepares students for professional careers in Social Care Work.

The overall aim is to develop reflective 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 Sociology, Social Policy, Psychology, Law, Applied Social Care, Personal and Professional Development and Supervised Professional Practice.

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.

Manufacturing Engineering

What is Manufacturing Engineering?
Manufacturing Engineering focuses on improving the production of items through product design, production planning, operations control, and by performing the various engineering functions in a firm that lead to more effective manufacturing processes.

What is the BSc (Hons) in Manufacturing Engineering course?
The BSc (Hons) in Manufacturing Engineering is a one-year level 8 follow-on course for graduates of the BEng in Manufacturing Engineering, BEng in Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent level 7 programmes. The course addresses the application of computer-based technologies within lean, regulated environments in the context of smart manufacturing.

Field Trips
Industrial visits and field trips form part of this course. Presentations from past graduates and industrial visitors are a regular feature.

Projects
Projects form a very enjoyable part of the course where students have the freedom to genuinely express themselves. Many of the projects undertaken have developed into postgraduate research projects and a number of final-year students have presented their work in published papers at international conferences.

International Management

The term “International Business” describes doing business between countries and across borders. It involves a wide variety of activities, for example, exporting products and services, dealing with foreign suppliers, operating a factory in a foreign country, marketing a product across Europe, even managing multicultural workforces. Today, it really can be said that “All business is international business!” This is especially true of Ireland, one of the most globalised countries in the world.

What is the BA (Hons) in International Business?
An important part of success in international business is an ability to interact effectively with people from other cultures and societies. The BA (Hons) International Business is a four-year programme that prepares students to live and work in an international and multicultural environment. The course provides a broad business education as well as building the knowledge, skills and sensitivities to effectively work in our multicultural world.

The third year of the Programme involves a mandatory International Placement. Every student will spend one year on placement, living in foreign country. While abroad, the student will generally study at one of School of Business’ Partner Institutes, however, the student may also complete an international work placement. The School has Partner Institutes around Europe, as well as in the USA and Canada, and even as far away as China and India. The International Placement is one of the core learning opportunities on the Programme, and for most students it is the highlight of the Programme.

Tourism & Hospitality Services

This course is a three-year full-time level 7 programme designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills required to perform effectively at the supervisory level within the tourism and hospitality services sector. The programme aims to provide students with strong operational, business, management and marketing skills to enhance their supervisory expertise.