BA in Education, Business Studies & Religious Studies (International applicants only)

This degree is level 8 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) awarded by University of Limerick.

Places Offered: Up to 30

Programme Overview

The BA in Education, Business Studies, and Religious Studies programme (post-primary) is a four-year, full-time, undergraduate concurrent teacher education degree, currently offered at MIC Thurles. Graduates are qualified to teach Business Studies and Religious Studies to honours Leaving Certificate level.

Why study on this programme?

Graduates of the programme will:

• Demonstrate subject knowledge, curriculum process and content, and professional knowledge.
• Engage in critical and analytical thinking, problem-solving, reflection, and self-evaluation.
• Engage in planning, teaching, learning, assessment, and classroom management for the classroom and the school as a learning organisation.
• Articulate a commitment to and vision for the development of the uniqueness of the pupil in all its dimensions.
• Integrate and apply knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values in complex and unpredictable educational settings.
• Exhibit strong interpersonal skills and readiness to be leaders and innovators of curriculum change.
• Demonstrate a commitment to lifelong personal and professional development and actively participate in professional learning communities.

Modules & Undergraduate Dissertation

Students are educated in the most current methodologies and technologies available to enhance the teaching of their subject areas at post-primary level. The degree programme includes four years of modules in Business Studies and Religious Studies, taken concurrently with education modules that encompass theoretical, pedagogical, and professional studies along with several school placement experiences.

This programme emphasizes teaching and research, requiring students to undertake an Undergraduate Dissertation. The dissertation can be in either Education or a subject discipline, with preparation beginning in Year 3 through a research methods module.

School Placement

The School Placement element of the programme meets the Teaching Council's requirements, with students spending approximately 21 weeks in schools. This experience allows students to engage in observation as well as class-based and whole-school teaching activities. The placements facilitate experience across different class levels from junior to senior cycle within various school types, supporting students on their learning-to-teach journey. The level and range of teaching activities increase from School Placement 1 to School Placement 4.

• Teaching and Learning 1 - Year 1, Semester 2: Opportunity for observation in a senior primary classroom.
• School Placement 1 - Year 2, Semester 4: Six-week placement focusing on lesson planning and effective strategies.
• School Placement 2 - Year 3, Semester 6: Two-week placement in special settings, possibly including an international placement.
• School Placement 3 & 4 - Year 4, Semester 8: Twelve-week simultaneous placements emphasizing whole school elements and the implementation of lesson plans.

Practical Experience

The programme prioritizes practical experience alongside academic instruction.

Career & Further Study Opportunities

This programme is accredited by the Teaching Council and is designed to address the growing need for excellence in teaching at the post-primary level. Graduates pursue various careers including:

• Post-primary teacher
• Retail Management
• Banking
• Marketing and PR
• Human Resource Management
• Training and Development
• Educational Management
• Sales
• Entrepreneurship
• Administrative positions in faith-based organisations
• Parish and diocesan pastoral assistants and administrators

Further Study Opportunities

Postgraduate programmes available include:

• Graduate Certificate / Graduate Diploma / M Ed in Digital Leadership in Education
• Graduate Certificate / M Ed in Middle Leadership and Mentoring in Primary and Post-Primary Settings
• Graduate Diploma in Mentoring and Leadership in Schools (International)
• M Ed in Education for Human Rights and Equality
• M Ed in Education for Sustainability and Global Citizenship
• Master of Education (M Ed) with Specialisms
• MA / PhD in Education by Research

Programme Content

Semester 1 (Year 1)

• Becoming a Student Teacher
• Two of the following modules:
  • Management Principles
  • Business Mathematics
  • Marketing
• Two of the following modules:
  • Religion and World Religions
  • Introduction to Systematic Theology
  • Theology of the First Testament

Semester 2 (Year 1)

• Teaching and Learning 1 - Planning to Teach
• Understanding Contemporary Schools and Society
• Adolescent Development - Understanding Young People and How They Learn
• One module from the previous list
• One module from the previous list

Semester 3 (Year 2)

• Teaching and Learning 2 - Planning for Differentiation
• Teaching Business and Religious Studies 1
• Business Studies Accounting
• One of the following modules:
  • Legal Environment of Business
  • Economics
• Two of the following modules:
  • Theology of the Second Testament
  • Christology
  • Fundamental Moral Theology

Semester 4 (Year 2)

• Inclusive Education: Contemporary Perspectives
• School Placement 1
• One from the previous list
• One from the previous list

Semester 5 (Year 3)

• Curriculum Studies; Assessment for and of Learning
• Diversity in Education - Ethics, Interculturalism and Inclusive Classrooms
• Two of the following modules:
  • Organisational Behaviour
  • Entrepreneurship and New Enterprise Creation
  • Business Information Systems
  • Ireland and Global Economy
• One module from the previous list

Semester 6 (Year 3)

• Research Methods - Ethical Foundations for Teaching and Research
• School Placement 2
• Two of the following modules:
  • Organisational Behaviour
  • Entrepreneurship and New Enterprise Creation
  • Business Information Systems
  • Ireland and Global Economy
• Two from the previous list

Semester 7 (Year 4)

• Policy and Leadership in Education
• Dissertation 1
• Teaching Business Studies and Religious Studies 2
• Strategic Management
• Selected Topics in Applied Moral Theology

Semester 8 (Year 4)

• School Placement 3
• School Placement 4
• E-Portfolio
• Dissertation 2

How to Apply

Programme intake is once a year in September.

EU Applicants

Contact the MIC Admissions Office before applying.

Non-EU Applicants

Entry requirements and application processes vary according to country of origin.

Fees

Undergraduate programme fees are available.

Fitness to Teach

All incoming teacher education students are required to complete a Student Fitness to Teach Form. Registration is conditional upon successful completion of the Garda vetting process.

Mary Immaculate College (MIC), known in Irish as Coláiste Mhuire Gan Smál, is a university-level College of Education and the Liberal Arts in Limerick, Ireland, academically linked with the University of Limerick. Founded in 1898 by Bishop Edward Thomas O'Dwyer and the Sisters of Mercy for the professional education of Catholic primary school teachers, MIC is the oldest third-level institution in Limerick City.

The foundation stone was laid on 8 December 1898 on an 11-acre site jointly purchased by the Bishop and the Sisters of Mercy, with construction led by Dublin architect George Byrne and Limerick contractors Molloy. The College opened its doors to its first students on 21 September 1901, and was officially opened on 16 May 1902. From its original 75 young women enrolled in 1901, MIC has grown into a multi-campus institution with a student population of over 5,000.

Mission

Mary Immaculate College is a third-level Catholic College of Education and the Liberal Arts. The College community promotes excellence in teaching, learning and research at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and seeks to foster the intellectual, spiritual, personal and professional development of students within a supportive and challenging environment that guarantees the intellectual freedom of staff and students. In particular, the College seeks to foster in its students a spirit of justice and compassion in the service of others, together with an openness to the religious tradition and values of each individual.

The College promotes a sense of identity enriched by an awareness of its Catholic tradition, the cultures, languages and traditions of Ireland, and its special commitment to the Irish language. Mary Immaculate College respects cultural diversity and strives to promote equity in society, providing an environment where all have the freedom and opportunity to achieve their full potential.

Founding vision

MIC continues to embrace the founding vision of Catherine McAuley, who established the Sisters of Mercy as champions for the most marginalised in society, with the conviction that education was essential to that mission. This emphasis on social justice and educational inclusion remains central to the College's institutional identity as it has grown and diversified over more than 125 years.

Academic structure

MIC offers programmes across two faculties, Education and Arts, spanning Level 4 to Level 10 on the National Framework of Qualifications. Undergraduate programmes are offered in:

• Primary and Post-Primary Teaching (Bachelor of Education, Teaching Council-accredited)
• Liberal Arts, with a choice of 14 subjects across a flexible, wide-ranging programme
• Early Childhood Care and Education
• Psychology, including a Bachelor of Science in Psychology incorporating workplace experience
• Drama and English
• English Language and Literature

The MIC Thurles campus additionally offers post-primary teacher education programmes in Home Economics, Gaeilge, Mathematics, Business Studies, Theology and Religious Studies, and Accounting. Postgraduate study is available across both faculties at Diploma, Master's and PhD level, alongside professional development and lifelong learning programmes.

Campuses

MIC is a multi-campus institution with centrally located, state-of-the-art facilities in both Limerick City and Thurles, Co. Tipperary:

• MIC Limerick: the College's original and main campus on South Circular Road, home to the historic 1899 building that remains central to College life today, alongside a state-of-the-art Sports Complex completed in 2008 at a cost of €16 million, and the 510-seat Lime Tree Theatre, officially opened in October 2012
• MIC Thurles: incorporated into MIC in 2016, originally established as a second-level school in 1837 and later a major seminary, today offering seven undergraduate programmes delivered by staff from both the Faculty of Education and the Faculty of Arts, with on-campus accommodation and the O'Dwyer Library housing approximately 15,000 print resources

Both campuses are characterised by an informal, relaxed atmosphere and a close rapport between students and staff, with the amenities of city and town life on the doorstep.

Affiliation with the University of Limerick

MIC has been academically linked with the University of Limerick since a formal partnership was established in 1990, with UL becoming MIC's accrediting body. Degrees were conferred by the National University of Ireland until 1994, and by UL from 1995 onward. In 1999, MIC became the first Irish College of Education to offer a Bachelor of Arts degree programme. The first PhD was awarded by MIC in 2003. MIC is also a member of the Shannon Consortium, a collaborative framework alongside the University of Limerick and Technological University of the Shannon.

Student life and facilities

• Wired FM (Wired 99.9FM): Limerick's only licensed student community radio station, run in partnership with the Technological University of the Shannon
• Lime Tree Theatre: a 510-seat venue on the Limerick campus hosting theatre, music, comedy, traditional arts, school performances and conferences
• MIC Munster GAA Centre of Excellence and extensive College Sport opportunities, supported by the dedicated Sports Complex
• CRAFT Maker Space, supporting hands-on creativity and enterprise
• Mary Immaculate Students' Union (MISU), marking 25 years of representing the student body
• Clubs and Societies, Arts and Culture programming, and a strong Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Interculturalism (EDII) commitment
• Recognition as an Age Friendly Campus
• Careers Service, Study Abroad opportunities, and an Off-Campus Programme

Leadership and governance

The College's first six Presidents were members of the Sisters of Mercy, beginning with Sr Paul Quinlan in 1898, followed by Sr Veronica Cullinan, Sr Celsus Barry, Sr Loreto Ní Chonchúir, Sr Cabrini Moloney and Sr Angela Bugler. Professor Peadar Cremin, appointed in 1999, was the seventh President and the first lay person to hold the position. He was succeeded by Professor Michael A. Hayes in 2011 and Professor Eugene Wall in 2018, the ninth President in the College's history. Mary Immaculate College is currently led by Professor Dermot Nestor, President of the College, with the Bishop of Limerick serving as Chairperson of the Board of Trustees.