Course Summary
Course Category: PLC (Further Education - FET) - Apply directly to College
This one-year course will aim to prepare participants for work with people in a social care, community development or residential setting. The care worker needs social, communication and caring skills to work with individuals and groups. Many of the skills acquired will be transferable for use with adolescents, families and the elderly in a caring, educational or development role. The Applied Social Studies QQI course will lay a foundation for these skills and provide the work experience to put learning into practice. This course will serve as training for social care/community care/ healthcare industries or as a link to Applied Social Studies/Social Care or Nursing certificate or degree courses in many IT colleges throughout the country. This programme is ideal for both school leavers and experienced mature persons seeking a formal education.
Course Details
This course prepares you for working in the following Career Sectors:
What will you study?
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Social Studies
Applied Psychology
Intercultural Studies
Criminology
Young People and Society
Community Addiction Studies
Safety and Health at Work
Communications
Work Experience
Word Processing
Modules are subject to change due to availability and demand.
Important
- Colleges may add/remove modules to keep the course updated and to meet demands.
- Almost all PLC courses have a Work Experience module, which requires students to find their own placement in an area directly related to their course.
Progression to CAO Courses
Higher Education Links Scheme (HELS)
This course leads to a QQI Major Award, and provides progression opportunities to a number of Higher Education courses, including those in the CAO.
To view CAO courses to which this award provides a possible progression route, click below:
| QQI Code |
| 5M2181 |
To calculate Points based on your QQI award results, use the PLC Points Calculator.
The Student - Career Interests
This course is typically suited for people with the following Career Interests:
Social
The Social person's interests focus on interacting with the people in their environment. In all cases, the Social person enjoys the personal contact with other people in preference to the impersonal dealings with things, data and ideas found in other groups.
Many will seek out positions where there is direct contact with the public in some advisory role, whether a receptionist or a counsellor. Social people are motivated by an interest in different types of people and like diversity in their work environments. Many are drawn towards careers in the caring professions and social welfare area, whilst others prefer teaching and other 'informing' roles.
Further Research
National Statistics for this Award (All Ireland)
The following data provides general information about this Award from colleges across Ireland.
Disclaimer: These links are to web sites outside of CareersPortal and we accept no responsibility for the information on them.
Career Progression
Graduates may pursue a certificate or degree course in many of the Institutes of Technology or universities around the country or alternatively may seek immediate employment in a range of Community Care, Health Care, and Community Development centres/ initiatives.
There are now a large range of Social Studies or Community Care certificate and degree courses available to graduates on the newly expanded QQI links programme. For example there are 10 places in Maynooth University through Social Science and over 175 places through First Arts as well as five places in UCD and a large quota in other third level colleges like Athlone IT, TU Dublin – Blanchardstown, Carlow IT, DCU, TU Dublin, NUIG, Dundalk Institute of Technology, University of Limerick, Limerick IT, Letterkenny IT, St. Patrick’s College Maynooth, Milltown, Marino Institute of Education, NCI, Sligo IT, IT Tallaght, Tralee IT, UCC, UCD, and Waterford Institute of Technology.