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

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

Programme Overview

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

Why Study on This Programme?

Graduates of the programme will:

• Demonstrate subject knowledge, knowledge of curriculum content and process, and professional knowledge.
• Engage in critical and analytical thinking, problem-solving, reflection, and self-evaluation.
• Participate in planning, teaching, learning, assessment, classroom management, and organisation 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 his/her dimensions.
• Integrate and apply knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values in complex and unpredictable educational settings.
• Exhibit strong interpersonal skills and a 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, Study Abroad & 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 Mathematics and Business Studies, taken concurrently with education modules. These include theoretical, pedagogical, and professional studies along with several school placement experiences.

Opportunities to travel to the USA and Japan for short-stay school placements are available in Year 3, and arrangements to engage in teaching in Australia are available in the summer of Year 4.

As part of their development as research-active teachers, students undertake an Undergraduate Dissertation. Preparation for the Dissertation begins in Year 3 with a Research Methods module.

School Placement

The school placement element of the programme meets the Teaching Council's requirements, allowing students to spend approximately 21 weeks in schools. This period enables students to engage in observation, class-based, and whole-school teaching and learning activities. Working in partnership with schools, the placements are designed to provide experiences across class levels from junior to senior cycle within a variety of school types.

The level and range of teaching and learning activities increase from School Placement 1 to School Placement 3, with guidance from tutors and co-operating teachers ensuring that practice reflects professional knowledge and a commitment to pupil well-being and learning. An integrated focus on subject knowledge, inclusion, and differentiation is maintained throughout each placement.

• Teaching and Learning 1: Year 1, Semester 2. Students observe teaching in practice for one week in a senior primary classroom.
• School Placement 1: Year 2, Semester 4. A six-week placement focused on lesson planning, preparation, developing effective teaching strategies, and an understanding of schools as organisations.
• School Placement 2: Year 3, Semester 6. A two-week placement in special settings, including the possibility of an international placement, aimed at developing confidence in inclusive teaching.
• School Placement 3: Year 4, Semester 8. A twelve-week placement emphasising lesson and scheme planning, reflective practice, and teaching across both Junior and Senior Cycle levels.

Career & Further Study Opportunities

The programme prepares graduates for their roles in various professional sectors within education. Career prospects include:

• Post-Primary Teacher
• Retail Management
• Banking
• Marketing and PR
• Human Resource Management
• Training and Development
• Educational Management
• Sales
• Entrepreneurship

Further Study Opportunities

This degree opens pathways to taught or research-based postgraduate programmes, including but not limited to:

• 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
• Elementary Number Theory
• Calculus 1: Differentiation
• Two of the following modules will be offered:
  • Management Principles
  • Introduction to Business Mathematics
  • Marketing

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
• Introduction to Geometry
• One of the following modules will be offered:
  • Management Principles
  • Introduction to Business Mathematics
  • Marketing

Semester 3 (Year 2)

• Teaching and Learning 2 - Planning for Differentiation
• Teaching Mathematics and Business Studies 1
• Linear Algebra
• Business Studies Accounting
• One of the following modules will be offered:
  • Legal Environment of Business
  • Economics

Semester 4 (Year 2)

• Inclusive Education: Contemporary Perspectives
• School Placement 1
• Calculus 2: Integration
• One of the following modules will be offered:
  • Legal Environment of Business
  • Economics

Semester 5 (Year 3)

• Curriculum Studies and Assessment for and of Learning
• Diversity in Education - Ethics, Interculturalism and Inclusive Classrooms
• Multivariate Calculus
• Two of the following modules will be offered:
  • Entrepreneurship and New Enterprise Creation
  • Business Information Systems
  • Organisational Behaviour
  • Ireland and the Global Economy

Semester 6 (Year 3)

• Research Methods - Ethical Foundations for Teaching and Research
• School Placement 2
• Introduction to Statistics
• Abstract Algebra
• One of the following modules will be offered:
  • Entrepreneurship and New Enterprise Creation
  • Business Information Systems
  • Organisational Behaviour
  • Ireland and the Global Economy

Semester 7 (Year 4)

• Policy and Leadership in Education
• Dissertation 1
• Teaching Mathematics and Business Studies 2
• Strategic Management
• Euclidean and Non-Euclidean Geometry
• Computational Mathematics

Semester 8 (Year 4)

• School Placement 3
• E-Portfolio
• Dissertation 2

Admissions Information

The programme intake occurs once a year in September.

EU Applicants: It is advised to contact the MIC Admissions Office before applying.

Non-EU Applicants: Entry requirements and the application process vary according to country of origin.

Fees

Undergraduate programme fees are specified as part of the admissions information.

Fitness to Teach

All incoming teacher education students are required to complete a Student Fitness to Teach Form. Registration is contingent 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.