Bachelor of Arts (Global Experience)

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Course Overview
Key Facts
Course Outline
Further Education
Why Choose This Course?
Course Fees
Find Out More

Entry Points (2024)

360

Course Overview

The Bachelor of Arts (Global Experience). Entry has subject groupings. Students of GY129, Bachelor of Arts (Global Experience), study 3 subjects in their first year, from a selection of 24 subjects. A subject belongs to one of 7 groups, and you cannot select more than one subject from a group. On progression to second year, you continue to study two of the subjects to degree level.

The BA (Global Experience) is a highly flexible four-year BA honours degree programme that offers you a wide range of two-subject combinations to degree level.

In Year 3 of the programme you will study abroad at one of our partner institutions. This will give you the opportunity to enhance your learning experience and increase your cultural awareness by living and studying in another country. We have partnerships in Europe, the United States, Canada, South America or China, and the programme is open to language and non-language students. You will pursue both of your degree subjects during the period abroad.

In addition to academic rigour, you will acquire transferable skills designed to make you career-ready and equipped for employment and further study in Ireland or abroad. Students who select a language and opt to spend year three in the country of that language will also be able to demonstrate increased linguistic ability to prospective employers.

Students registered for two languages are required to spend a minimum of twelve weeks in each of the countries/regions where the relevant languages are spoken. This will usually consist of an academic year abroad arranged by the University in one language and a summer placement arranged by the student in the other relevant country/region.

Applications and Selections

Who Teaches this Course

Requirements and Assessment

Key Facts

Entry Requirements

Minimum Grade H5 in two subjects and passes in four other subjects at O6/H7 level in the Leaving Certificate, including Irish, English, another language, and three other subject recognised for entry purposes.

Additional Requirements

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Duration

4 years

Next start date

September 2025

A Level Grades (2024)

universityofgalway.ie/alevels

Average intake

QQI/FET FETAC Entry Routes

2 (More Info)

Closing Date

NFQ level

Mode of study

ECTS weighting

Award

CAO

GY129

Course code

Course Outline

The Bachelor of Arts (Global Experience). Entry has subject groupings. Students of GY129, Bachelor of Arts (Global Experience), study 3 subjects in their first year, from a selection of 21 subjects. A subject belongs to one of 7 groups, and you cannot select more than one subject from a group. On progression to second year, you continue to study two of the subjects to degree level.

Read a brief introduction (subject description, overview of course content and career options) to each subject available to BA (Global-Experience) students ‌‌‌HERE ‌.

Additional information on Arts subjects

In University of Galway we refer to the department that teaches a subject as a 'Discipline'. The table below shows the subjects, in their subject groups. You can follow the links to the Discipline website for each subject.‌
Group 1	Group 2	Group 3	Group 4
Archaeology French Mathematics and Mathematical Studies	Law Psychology Celtic Civilisation Performance and Screen Studies	Ancient Classics Geography German Léann na Cumarsáide Modern Irish Culture (Music and Literature) Global Media	English Economics
Group 5	Group 6	Group 7
Sociological and Political Studies Information Technology Léann an Aistriúchán	History Spanish	Gaeilge Italian Philosophy

Curriculum Information

Curriculum information relates to the current academic year (in most cases).
Course and module offerings and details may be subject to change.

Glossary of Terms

Credits: You must earn a defined number of credits (aka ECTS) to complete each year of your course. You do this by taking all of its required modules as well as the correct number of optional modules to obtain that year's total number of credits.
Module: An examinable portion of a subject or course, for which you attend lectures and/or tutorials and carry out assignments. E.g. Algebra and Calculus could be modules within the subject Mathematics. Each module has a unique module code eg. MA140.
Subject: Some courses allow you to choose subjects, where related modules are grouped together. Subjects have their own required number of credits, so you must take all that subject's required modules and may also need to obtain the remainder of the subject's total credits by choosing from its available optional modules.
Optional: A module you may choose to study.
Required: A module that you must study if you choose this course (or subject).
Required Core Subject: A subject you must study because it's integral to that course.
Semester: Most courses have 2 semesters (aka terms) per year, so a three-year course will have six semesters in total. For clarity, this page will refer to the first semester of year 2 as 'Semester 3'.

Year 1 (60 Credits)

Year 2 (60 Credits)

Year 3 (60 Credits)

Year 4 (60 Credits)

Further Education

Graduates undertake research-based or taught postgraduate programmes. These may be academic or vocational in their focus and prepare graduates for employment in a broad range of careers, including teaching, law, languages, social work, performing arts, journalism, policy development, creative industries, business, heritage, information technology and public administration. We offer a range of taught masters degree and postgraduate diploma programmes of interest to Arts graduates. In the past number of years, the College has pioneered the development of structured PhD programmes which combine the traditional research dissertation of the PhD with generic and discipline-specific training modules designed to enhance your skills and employability.

Career Prospects

Arts graduates are found in almost every walk of life and BA graduates from University of Galway occupy leading positions in commercial, social, educational, and public organisations at home and abroad. This website gives examples of careers taken up by Arts graduates and has useful advice for Arts graduates.

Furthermore, with an international degree, you will be able to develop some key transferable skills that you can take to any career such as communication, project management and language, as well as make global connections and become more confident which are skills valued by employers around the world.

Why Choose This Course?

Career Opportunities

Arts graduates, and in particular language graduates, are in demand. Career destinations represent a broad range of opportunities from hospitality through to the creative industries, in addition to careers in media and communications. An Arts degree provides you with a unique combination of intellectual skills, knowledge and interpersonal competence that will make you highly adaptable in a constantly changing workforce.

Adjusting to life in another country and its university system is a crucial formative experience for anyone and In studying abroad, graduates develop skills identified as desirable from across multiple employment sectors. You will gain enhanced independence and maturity and you will demonstrate commitment and adaptability to future employers. .

After completing your BA (Global Experience), there are also many diverse postgraduate programmes offered by the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies.

Who’s Suited to This Course

Learning Outcomes

Transferable Skills Employers Value

Work Placement

Study Abroad

Year 3 is spent abroad. The College of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies have developed and established links across numerous European destinations (e.g. Erasmus Programme links). These are updated and extended on an annual basis across a wide range of destinations within Europe, including EU and non-EU countries. There are also a number of study/work placement opportunities in North and South America and China.

Related Student Organisations

Course Fees

Fees: EU

€5,598 p.a. (€5,738 p.a. including levy) 2025/26

Fees: Tuition

€2,598 p.a. 2025/26

Fees: Student Contribution

€3,000 p.a. 2025/26

Fees: Student levy

€140 p.a. 2025/26

Fees: Non EU

€19,000 p.a. (€19,140 including levy). 2025/26

EU Fees are comprised of Tuition + Student Contribution Charge + Student Levy* €140. *Payable by all students and is not covered by SUSI. Further detail here.

For 25/26 entrants, where the course duration is greater than 1 year, there is an inflationary increase approved of 3.4% per annum for continuing years fees**.
**Excludes Full-Time EU Undergraduate fees. These are fixed and do not change.