In the first year, you will take an equal number of modules in each of the three disciplines (Politics 20 ECTS, Economics 20 ECTS, Law 20 ECTS).

From the second year onwards, you will select one of the disciplines to major in, and the other two core subjects will be your minors.

You will take 30 ECTS for a major in years 2 and 4, and 15 ECTS for each minor).

The third year of the course will consist of a Work Placement or Study Abroad, and/or Complementary Study Options. (Modules listed below are subject to change.)

Year 1

• Introduction to Politics
• Practicing Politics
• Introduction to Government
• Practicing Government
• Principles of Micro and Macro Economics
• Skills for Economics
• Tort Law
• Irish Legal Systems
• Legal Skills

Year 2

• International and Global Politics
• European Politics
• Methods for Social and Political Science
• Modern Political Thought
• Intermediate Micro and Macro Economics
• Mathematics and Statistics for Economics
• Legal Methods and Research
• Contract Law
• Constitutional Law
• Financial Economics
• Economics of Public Policy
• Irish Economic History
• Housing Law and Policy
• Environmental Law
• Introduction to Policy Making

Year 3

• Study Abroad
• Work Placement
• Professional Skills for Government and Policy
• Policymaking, Lobbying and Advocacy
• Government Field Trip
• Introduction to Sustainability
• Green Political Thought
• Governing the Poor

 

Year 4

• Political Liberty
• Contemporary American Politics
• Contemporary African Politics
• Thinking Politically
• Government and Public Policy
• Public Economics
• Environmental and Natural Resource Economics
• Health Economics
• Administrative Law
• European Union Law
• Criminal Law

*These modules are subject to change.

Curriculum Information

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

You will build a strong foundation of transferable skills essential for careers in public and private sectors. The multidisciplinary nature of the course, combined with practical assignments and placement opportunities, will help you develop:

• A multidisciplinary perspective.
• Research and analysis skills.
• Information gathering and management.
• Evidence-based reasoning.
• Time and project management.
• Communication skills.
• Critical thinking.

These skills will prepare you to think clearly, act decisively and contribute meaningfully to complex professional environments.

Our Bachelor of Arts Government (Politics, Economics and Law) opens doors to exciting careers. The curriculum, combined with on-the-job professional placement and study abroad options, prepares you to work in:

• Public administration
• Policy analysis and research
• industrial relations
• Public relations
• Journalism
• Community development
• Political advising
• Advocacy
• Consultancy

Further Study

Graduates may pursue postgraduate studies in government, public policy and administration, journalism and media, business and management, economics and enterprise or further study and professional training in law.

The MA Public Policy at University of Galway is an excellent continuation to the BA Government.

Students with a minor in Law will be exempt from the first year of the three-year LLB programme in University of Galway, and students majoring in Law may enter third year, subject to achieving a 2.2 award.

Graduates who major in Economics on the BA Government programme and go on to complete the Professional Master of Education (PME) are eligible to register with the Teaching Council to teach Politics and Society and Economics at post-primary level.

There are opportunities to study in another European university in Third Year under the ERASMUS scheme. Examples include:

• Belgium
• Finland
• Netherlands
• Estonia

You can also study for one semester in the USA or Canada.

As a prospective student of the BA Government programme, you can look forward to a wide range of placement opportunities with leading organisations during your third year. Notable examples of recent placements include:

• Central Bank of Ireland, offering high-profile experience in financial regulation and policy.
• Top law firms - Including Arthur Cox, A&L Goodbody, and Matheson, as well as several smaller legal firms, have supported students in legal placements in the past.
• Local government bodies – Such as Mayo, Roscommon, and Kerry County Councils, which offer experience in public administration and policy implementation.
• Human Resources and Management - placements in HR departments and trainee management schemes within various organisations.
• Social research roles – Students have also taken part in research-focused placements, contributing to evidence-based policy and programme evaluation.

These placements enhance your employability and provide a strong foundation for careers in government, law, policy and beyond.

Programme Director, Dr Hanna-Kaisa

The assessments will vary from module to module but will generally consist of a combination of essays and other written assignments, in-class tests and written examinations. In all cases, the material that will be assessed will be covered in the lectures, seminars and required readings for each module. You will be provided with the relevant assessment details in your first lecture for each module.

For continuous assessment, feedback and marks will be returned 3 weeks from the submission deadline.

Consultation day is organised by the University after 1st sitting results release. It gives students an opportunity to seek informal recheck of their submitted work and the mark achieved. It is a requirement of the University to go through informal recheck first before proceeding with an appeal.

Liam Boyce, Bachelor of Arts Government (Politics, Economics and Law) Student emerged as the individual winner at the Irish Times Debate 2025.

The Irish Times Debate competition, which began 65 years ago, is an all-island debating championship, open to any full-time third-level student. 

This year, students debated the motion “This house believes that dialogue is dead”.

UCD and University of Galway students crowned winners of the Irish Times Debate – The Irish Times

Programme Director & Politics Coordinator
Hanna-Kaisa Hoppania
School of Political Science & Sociology 
hanna-kaisa.hoppania@universityofgalway.ie

Minimum 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 subjects recognised for entry purposes.

Alternative Pathways
The Access Centre at University of Galway provides a number of alternative entry routes to undergraduate programmes. See below some useful links: 

• QQI/FET/FETAC Places
• Mature Students
• Access and Foundation programmes
• HEAR Scheme
• DARE Scheme

QQI/FET/FETAC Places
There are 2 places available on BA Government (Politics, Economics and Law) GY132. Holders of recognised QQI (FETAC Level 5/6) qualifications in any of the following awards who achieve a minimum of five distinctions, may be admitted on a competitive basis to Year One:
5M2181 Applied Social Studies
5M3114 General Studies
5M2154 Cultural & Heritage Studies
5M3789 Legal Studies
5M2102 Business Studies
5M2464 Journalism
5M2067 Information Processing
5M2069 Marketing
6M4985 Business

Other Qualifications
If you are a school leaver presenting results other than Leaving Cert results, please review the entry requirements relevant to you:

• A Level students
• International Baccalaureate students
• EU students

For applicants whose first language is not English, it is important to check our English Language Requirements.

Admissions Office
Our Admissions Office provides additional detail relevant to CAO applicants including key dates, FAQs and instructions for non-school leavers.

Irish and European (EU/EFTA/UK) Applicants
Apply via the CAO. See the CAO Handbook for useful information on applying through the CAO.

Mature Applicants
Apply via the CAO by 1 February. To apply for a place as a mature student, you must be 23 years of age on or before 1 January of the year of entry. Further information available here.

QQI/FET/FETAC Applicants
Apply via the CAO. See our  QQI/FET/FETAC Applicants page for information on places available and entry requirements,  

Fees for Academic Year 2026/27

Course Type	Year	EU Tuition	Student Contribution	Non-EU Tuition	Levy	Total Fee	Total EU Fee	Total Non-EU Fee
	All	€3,576	€2,500	€20,750	€140	€2,640	€6,216	€20,890

• Most EU students applying through the CAO will be eligible for the ‘Free Fees Initiative’. You can find out more here.
• If you are eligible for a means tested SUSI grant this may cover 100% of this Student Contribution Charge. If you are 100% eligible SUSI will pay the Student Contribution Charge of €2,500 on your behalf. 
• The Student Levy It is payable by all students and it is not covered by SUSI
• Where the course duration is greater than 1 year, there is an inflationary increase approved of 1.8% per annum for continuing year fees. This applies to non-EU fees.
• You can find additional detail on the Fees Office webpage including FAQs and how fee status is assessed.

Application Process
Students applying for full undergraduate degree programmes from outside of the European Union (EU), and who are liable for full non-EU tuition fees, should apply online via Apply to University of Galway. Our application portal opens on the 1^st October each year for each the following September.  

Further Information
Please visit the international application webpage for further information on closing dates, documentation requirements, application fees and the application process.