Bachelor of Arts Social Science

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

This innovative four-year degree is aimed at high-achieving students with a passion to better understand and address the crucial contemporary social, environmental and economic issues of our time

Students will participate in a European fieldtrip in Year Two as well as a one-semester WORK internship/placement in Year Three, gaining practical experience and understanding of working in key areas of the social sciences

This interdisciplinary degree draws on key strengths of schools, disciplines and research institutes right across the university, allowing for the synthesis of ideas from diverse social science disciplines and perspectives to produce career-ready graduates.

Work Placements

Our students have the opportunity to participate in a semester-long national, European or international work internship/placement, which takes place in Year Three. This internship will provide practical experience and links with programme partners, organisations, industry and businesses, and will serve to enhance student's overall employability on graduation. Year Four will focus on building upon this work experience and knowledge preparing students for future career choices or further study opportunities in their chosen careers. Placement opportunities are competitive, programme-specific, and subject to change depending on availability. Work placements include community, industry and on-campus opportunities. Year Three study opportunities are also available at the University of Galway and beyond.

Study Abroad

The European fieldtrip is a central element of the programme in Year Two. The programme also offers exciting prospects to study or work abroad as part of the student internship/placement experience in Year Three. Such study/work opportunities suit students who view their future as part of the international community of social scientific researchers and activists, such as those working with the European Union or the United Nations. Studying abroad is offered through the Erasmus programme. Our internationally renowned lecturers continue to expand their teaching and research networks globally with other academics, institutions and universities.

‌Career Opportunities

Students can expect to develop careers in many diverse areas, industries and sectors such as community development, social care, environmental and urban planning, Irish and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs), local and national politics, international development, human resource management, journalism, the media and social research, to mention just a few such callings. The programme also offers exciting opportunities to develop careers in business and industry, specifically in areas of innovation, culture, creativity and entrepreneurship.

Students who choose the BSc (Social Sciences) degree programme at NUI Galway are innovator and potential leaders seeking to understand and tackle the most challenging social, ecological and economic issues in contemporary society. They are frontrunners in informed decision-making pursuing accurate and feasible solutions to global issues and concerns based on fundamentally sound empirical evidence and research. The programme gives students the tools to address and tackle these grand societal concerns and problems and Social Science graduates offer a wide range of skills that are invaluable to present-day employers across the public, private and third sectors. These include the ability to understand complex issues in a holistic manner, on individual and cultural and societal levels; research, analyse and evaluate data critically; question flawed assumptions; understand people, institutions and their relationships; understand processes of change; make reasoned arguments; communicate concisely and clearly and solve pressing problems with ingenuity and a passion to do good.

What do social science graduates do?

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.