Course Information
BSc (Hons) (NFQ Level 8) or BA (Hons) (NFQ Level 8)
Full Time - Undergraduate Studies
CAO Code: DN700 BSc Social Sciences
CAO Points Range 2020: 418
Length of Course: 4 Years
Average Intake: 500
CAO Code: DN520 BA Joint Hounours
CAO Points Range 2020: 310
Length of Course: 3 Years
Average Intake: 420
DN700 – O6/H7 in English, Irish, Mathematics and three other recognised subjects
DN520 – English, Irish, a third Language, Three other recognised subjects
Why is this course for me?
Information plays a key role in all aspects of life – in business, government, society and the life of the individual. Knowing how to create, manage, share, find and use digital information is more relevant than ever before. Information & Communication Studies gives you a chance to explore the ways companies such as Facebook, Twitter, Intel, Google and Apple utilise the interplay of people, information, technology and social structures to succeed in today’s digital world.
Career & Graduate Study Opportunities
Information & Social Computing is relevant for careers in:
- Web design and development
- Social media
- Social computing
- User experience design
- Investigative research
- Publishing
- Digital marketing
- Business
Graduates can progress to various Master’s courses:
- MSc Communication & Media, which prepares students for public and private sectors careers in digital media industries, communication regulation and policy, media design, management and research.
- MSc Information Systems, which prepares students for careers in human-computer interaction, usability, user experience, user research and Information Systems related professions.
- Master of Library & Information Studies (MLIS), which prepares students for careers including librarianship, information consulting and digital media management.
- MSc Digital Information Management which prepares students for careers in digital curation and data management
- MSc Digital Policy is designed to prepare graduates for careers in evaluating, implementing and
studying core topical, theoretical and methodological issues that arise in digital policy today.
Graduates can also pursue research careers in the form of an MA and PhD
What Will I Study
First Year
All first year social sciences students study the core module, Societal Challenges in the Twenty First Century. Additional modules may include:
- Information and Social Media
- Digital Technology
- Digital Judgement: Truth, Lies & the Internet
- Information, Society & Culture
- Plus another subject
- Plus Elective module
Second Year
- Core Competencies for Digital Citizenship
- Social Media & Participation in an Online World
- Organisation and Retrieval of Information
- Computer-Mediated Communication
- Social Studies of ICTs
- Information & Collaboration in Organisations
- Plus another subject
- Plus Elective modules
Third Year
- The Digital Self
- Information Ethics
- Digital Storytelling
- Web Publishing
- Information Architecture: Designing the Web
- Cultural Diversity & Media
- Web UX Evaluation
- Plus another subject
- Plus Elective modules
- Study Abroad Opportunity
- Internship Opportunity
Fourth Year
- Specialist modules including Research Design
- Research Experience
- Data & Society
- Intro to Communication Theory
- Intro to Artificial Intelligence
Assessment
Students attend lectures and tutorials and undertake independent study and project work. Assessment is through a combination of end-of-semester written examinations and continuous assessment, including a wide variety of digital projects, such as blogging and writing smartphone applications.
How Will I Study
| Study Information & Communication Studies (BSc Social Sciences) |
|---|
as a Joint Major with one of the subjects below:
OR - with one Minor subject:
| Study Information & Communication Studies (BA Joint Honours) |
|---|
as a Major with one of the following:
International Study Opportunities
Students may study abroad for a year or a semester. Destinations include the USA, Australia, China and Canada.
Testimonial
“Information and Communication Studies gave me a better understanding of how information influences all aspects of society, particularly in business. It also gave me practical tools to analyse data and create meaning from it. My current role, as a Media Associate in Ireland’s largest marketing communications company, involves liaising with agencies, on digital and offline media planning and buying. In my work, an understanding of the media landscape and keen attention to detail is vital. The skills and knowledge I gained from my studies have helped me in my career and they have also made me a more informed digital citizen.”
Melanie O’Donovan, Graduate
