Social Care

Overview

This is a four-year honours degree programme.  On completion of year 3 of the programme, students achieve a level 7 qualification which is approved by CORU, Ireland's Health and Social Care Professionals regulator.

Social care is a profession where people work with those who experience marginalisation or disadvantage or who have special needs. Social care practitioners work in a wide variety of settings with a wide variety of people: children and adolescents in residential care, people with learning or physical disabilities, the homeless, people with alcohol/drug dependency, families in the community, older people or recent immigrants to Ireland. Social care practitioners typically work in a direct person-to-person capacity with service users.

They will try to provide an environment in which various social, educational and relationship interventions can take place where the service user lives. Work in the sector is usually interdisciplinary. Typically, social care workers, social workers, early childhood care workers and so on work together in teams. This programme is delivered through a blend of lectures, workshops and two full semesters of off-site, supervised practice placement.

In this programme, it is essential that students develop practical working skills in a variety of real-world settings and demonstrate their competence in performing social care roles. To make sure that graduates are fully prepared for the diversity that this job offers, field work visits and placements are an integral part of the programme.

What will I study?

First year at a glance

• Social Care Practice Skills: introduces the professional context of social care work
• Professionalism in Social Care: introduces the fundamental interpersonal, ethical and regulatory dimensions of social care practice
• Sociology and Social Policy: explores the introductory concepts of both disciplines and demonstrates their application to the social care profession
• Creative Arts Interventions: introduces the use of the arts as a significant means of 73 intervention in social care and play-based contexts
• Sociology: introduces key sociological concepts and their application to social care practice
• Law for Social Care: law as it affects the person, the family and society
• Psychology of Normal Development: explores key topics in psychological research and theory on human development across the life span so as to establish a knowledge foundation that will be built upon to ultimately enable an informed, questioning and learning approach to professional social care practice

Entry Requirements

Entry 2024

For admission to a programme, standard applicants must

• score the necessary CAO points and
• meet the minimum entry requirements

Leaving Certificate in six subjects i.e. H5 in two subjects and O6/H7 in four other subjects. The six subjects must include Mathematics* and either English or Irish grade O6/H7.

NOTE 1: *A grade of F2 or above in foundation level Maths fulfils the Maths entry requirements for this programme.

NOTE 2: Vetting by an Garda Síochána is a mandatory requirement for this programme.

For Non-EU International Entry Requirements please visit https://www.mtu.ie/international/non-eu/.

Career options

Employment Opportunities

Due to the broad range of areas covered on the programme, there are a wide variety of career opportunities for graduates, in both the public and the voluntary sector. Areas include:

• Residential care
• Outreach
• Alcohol/drug dependency
• Family support
• Community care
• Support of older people
• Juvenile justice
• Community childcare services
• Carers of children with special needs
• Carers of adults with special needs and/or behavioural difficulties
• Outreach and family support services for children and adults living at home

Progression

Further Studies

Suitably qualified graduates are eligible to apply to:

• Master of Arts in Social Studies (Advanced Professional Practice) at MTU Kerry North Campus or to research at either master or PhD level.