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Joint Honours Degree - Arts

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  • 17-06-2012 6:47pm
    #1
    Eathrin
    Registered Users Posts: 8,076 ✭✭✭


    I only recently thought of doing Arts. I'd like to do Maths and Irish. TCD don't offer this combination. However most of their tsm degrees are around 500 points upwards whereas in UCD they are between 300-400. For me this isn't necessarily a good thing, whether that means larger class sizes or lower demand. What are the class sizes like in UCD?
    Is there anywhere I can find point requirements for specific joint honours degrees?
    Also, is having an Arts degree really less desirable than say a B.Sc? I want to do well, but I also want to enjoy my spell in university which is why I'm considering this course over Actuarial science.


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    #2
    OneOfThem Stumbled
    Registered Users Posts: 934 ✭✭✭OneOfThem Stumbled


    Eathrin wrote: »
    I only recently thought of doing Arts. I'd like to do Maths and Irish. TCD don't offer this combination. However most of their tsm degrees are around 500 points upwards whereas in UCD they are between 300-400. For me this isn't necessarily a good thing, whether that means larger class sizes or lower demand. What are the class sizes like in UCD?
    Is there anywhere I can find point requirements for specific joint honours degrees?
    Also, is having an Arts degree really less desirable than say a B.Sc? I want to do well, but I also want to enjoy my spell in university which is why I'm considering this course over Actuarial science.

    Low points are due to larger classes rather than lower demand.

    Well... class is a bit of a misnomer at third level. It's split into lectures and tutorials. Lectures hold everyone in the course (at least in 1st year) whilst tutorials are a subset of lectures. Upshot is that lectures may have hundreds of people while tutorials may have around 12 each.

    English, History and Politics are by far the most popular courses in Arts. Geography and Psychology are also up there. As such these subjects may have many hundreds of people in them. :eek:

    Irish and Maths are significantly smaller - but at this time of year its impossible for me to tell how many people were registered to any particular course, and as I never took either of them (disliked the former and was weak in the latter :o) I wouldn't be the best person to ask.

    Anyway there tend not to be specific points for joint-honours courses afaik; only for single honours subjects (single honours subjects allow only a small number of people in and have unique modules for these people; but otherwise run the same as omnibus entry).

    BSC or BA makes little difference in reality - it is the subject choice (and grades) that count. You can have a BA Psychology or BSc Geology, BA Economics, or BSc Physiotherapy - it really lies in what skills you want to gain/hone and what jobs/ further education you think you might want to go for in the future.

    BTW you will likely take on a third subject in first year, notwithstanding your CAO double-pick. You will then drop your least favourite at the end of first year. (If you have a complete change of heart you should be able to change even the subjects you put down on the cao - but that might be a different conversation, for a later date ;))

    Also remember that with most BSc courses the normal duration is 4 years, while with Arts it is 3 (although a lot of people opt for an Erasmus gap year to a foreign university... particularly if studying a language). Also some people do 4 years if they fail a year. :pac:

    Arts isn't as easy as the myths say; but having said that the workload and hours are very flexible. It really does encourage good time and study skills however as it's tempting to leave everything to the last minute! :p


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    #3
    Eathrin
    Registered Users Posts: 8,076 ✭✭✭Eathrin


    OneOfThem Stumbled wrote: »
    Low points are due to larger classes rather than lower demand.

    Well... class is a bit of a misnomer at third level. It's split into lectures and tutorials. Lectures hold everyone in the course (at least in 1st year) whilst tutorials are a subset of lectures. Upshot is that lectures may have hundreds of people while tutorials may have around 12 each.

    English, History and Politics are by far the most popular courses in Arts. Geography and Psychology are also up there. As such these subjects may have many hundreds of people in them. :eek:

    Irish and Maths are significantly smaller - but at this time of year its impossible for me to tell how many people were registered to any particular course, and as I never took either of them (disliked the former and was weak in the latter :o) I wouldn't be the best person to ask.

    Anyway there tend not to be specific points for joint-honours courses afaik; only for single honours subjects (single honours subjects allow only a small number of people in and have unique modules for these people; but otherwise run the same as omnibus entry).

    BSC or BA makes little difference in reality - it is the subject choice (and grades) that count. You can have a BA Psychology or BSc Geology, BA Economics, or BSc Physiotherapy - it really lies in what skills you want to gain/hone and what jobs/ further education you think you might want to go for in the future.

    BTW you will likely take on a third subject in first year, notwithstanding your CAO double-pick. You will then drop your least favourite at the end of first year. (If you have a complete change of heart you should be able to change even the subjects you put down on the cao - but that might be a different conversation, for a later date ;))

    Also remember that with most BSc courses the normal duration is 4 years, while with Arts it is 3 (although a lot of people opt for an Erasmus gap year to a foreign university... particularly if studying a language). Also some people do 4 years if they fail a year. :pac:

    Arts isn't as easy as the myths say; but having said that the workload and hours are very flexible. It really does encourage good time and study skills however as it's tempting to leave everything to the last minute! :p

    Thanks a lot. Points don't bother me much, in fact I would welcome a 200 point increase in Arts for next year. It's not that I have a big problem with low points, it's just when it's very low points I feel as if it's a course just anybody can do. Not trying to sound obnoxious here, but I wouldn't mind a bit of prestige attached to my course, even if it is what you want to do at the end of the day that's most important.

    Class sizes is kind of important to me too. 40 is nice where 100 is just way too big. I'm hoping you're right and Maths and Irish not being the most popular subjects it won't be too crowded.

    4 years of university is no object to me! In fact I would prefer it. Therefore, a year abroad sounds fantastic to me, I may take up the option to go and study in France. 3 years is a little short and it had always been 4 years in all of the other courses I was looking at.

    I hope a joint degree will be just as difficult as any other. I'm very serious about doing maths and I see this as my most realistic career path so I hope a B.A Maths won't diminish my chances of securing good employment.

    And with regards to procrastination, well sure I have Leaving Cert exams tomorrow and I'm on here. Says it all for me really:P
    Thanks.


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    #4
    Timbuk3
    Registered Users Posts: 7 ✭Timbuk3


    Eathrin wrote: »
    I only recently thought of doing Arts. I'd like to do Maths and Irish. TCD don't offer this combination. However most of their tsm degrees are around 500 points upwards whereas in UCD they are between 300-400. For me this isn't necessarily a good thing, whether that means larger class sizes or lower demand. What are the class sizes like in UCD?
    Is there anywhere I can find point requirements for specific joint honours degrees?
    Also, is having an Arts degree really less desirable than say a B.Sc? I want to do well, but I also want to enjoy my spell in university which is why I'm considering this course over Actuarial science.

    I'm an Actuarial and Financial studies student in UCD. You will have time to enjoy yourself and get the most of college life at the same time! I've finished my second year of the course and entering my third year soon enough, and I've had a very enjoyable first two years of college, as well and achieving academically!

    There's also a much better demand for an actuarial graduate rather than a person with an Arts degree, never mind a joint one. It depends on your own career aspirations I suppose, as being an actuary is not everyone's cup of tea. Nevertheless the course offers many many more options for a decent career such as investment banking, accounting, and in economics. There is more or less a 100% employment rate with the actuarial degree despite the economic climate.

    So to address your question a B.Sc would be more desirable! If your looking to do maths I would recommend ding Maths Science instead rather than Maths through Arts. It would also be more interesting and challenging of course. Also UCD are very good with their horizons scheme. You can choose Irish modues as electives I'm sure.

    Hope this helps!


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