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Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
80
Philosophy, political science,
economics and sociology
COURSE CODE:
PLACES 2011:
POINTS 2010:
DEGREE AWARDED:
TR015
25
510*
B.A.
Special Entry Requirements:
Leaving Certificate
OC3/HD3 Mathematics
GCSE
Grade B Mathematics
See also:
TR001: TSM, page 92
TR005: Philosophy, page 79
TR012: History and political science, page 63
TR020: Law and political science, page 74
TR029: Political science and geography, page 83
TR081: BESS, page 37
TR083: Sociology and social policy, page 89
Course overview
The aim of this degree is to provide a coherent and integrated
introduction to the study of the social sciences and philosophy.
It brings together some of the most important approaches
to understanding the social and human world, developing
skills for a whole range of future careers and activities. The
idea behind the programme is that, to understand social
and human phenomena, one must approach them from
several complementary disciplinary directions and analytical
frameworks. By allowing a gradual specialisation over the course
of the four-year degree programme, students are assured of
obtaining an excellent grounding in one, or at most two, of the
disciplines which make up the degree.
In the first three years you take six modules with approximately
three teaching hours per week including tutorial classes in each.
In the final year there is a reduction in the number of modules
taken to recognise the greater commitment to independent work.
Is it the right course for you?
This course will appeal to students who are excited about the
challenges of understanding the way societies are organised,
governed and create wealth drawing on the methods and
insights of philosophical inquiry. If you are puzzled about the
ways our world is structured and have a desire to change it, then
this may well be the course for you.
Course content
The Freshman years
In the Junior Freshman (first) year you will take all four
subjects: economics (introduction to economics, mathematics
and statistics), philosophy (central problems in philosophy,
history of philosophy), political science (introduction to political
science) and sociology (introduction to sociology). In the
Senior Freshman (second) year you choose to continue three
of the subjects and could, for example, take modules ranging
from economic principles, to the history of philosophy to West
European politics, to an introduction to social research.
The Sophister years
In the Junior Sophister (third) year you take two of the four
subjects and in the Senior Sophister (fourth) year you may take
either two subjects or choose to specialise in only one. Students
pursuing the equivalent of single honor programmes in their final
year will be able to pursue an undergraduate dissertation, and
all fourth year modules have elements of project work intended
to help develop research skills and the skills of independent
enquiry.