BA Arts Programme

BA Arts (International) Programme 

The BA Arts programme is a 180-credit undergraduate programme over 3 Stages and the BA Arts (International) programme is a 240-credit undergraduate programme over 4 Stages.  Each Stage is worth 60 credits. You are pre-registered to the two subjects you chose on your CAO Application Form and when you go to register on SISWeb you may see that you are already registered to the core modules for these two subjects.  A key feature of the BA Arts programme is the opportunity to choose a third, and possibly a fourth subject, and it is important to fully understand the need to make a clear and informed decision on what other subjects you wish to choose.

As with the other BA degrees, you are expected to take 60 credits over the two trimesters of each academic session. You cannot attempt more than 40 credits in a single trimester.  Repeats and Resits will count towards your workload and if you are taking either remediation route during your studies, it is important to seek academic advice from your School and College Office if you find you have too many modules to be completed overall. 

Planning Your Degree

In Stage 1 you will be pre-registered to the two subjects you chose on your CAO Application.  This means that you are already registered to the core modules for these two subjects and you should now choose option modules in both subjects to ensure you are prepared for Stage 2.  You will then choose a third and possibly a fourth subject if you want – though we do advise you not to spread yourself too thinly across too many subjects. 

To complete Stage 1, you need to obtain 60 credits.  However you may progress to Stage 2 with 50 credits if you meet your Stage 2 subject requirements.  If you do not have enough credit to progress, please talk to the School and College Office for advice and support. 

In Stage 2 you will decide which two subjects from Stage 1 you wish to continue studying as Joint Major combination and both subjects have equal weight. 

Please note:

• Not all subjects are available in Joint Major combinations.   It is important that you read and understand the section below “Subject Combinations” which sets out the restrictions (i.e. the combinations not available because of timetable or programme restrictions).
• You cannot take up a subject in Stage 2 without first having the required credits from Stage 1. If you wish to take up a new subject, there will be progression, time, and fee implications, for example, normally you will need to add at least one extra trimester to your degree if you decide to take up a new subject at the end of Stage 1.  You should contact the College Office for further information if you make the decision to change a subject at the end of Stage 1. 

In Stage 3 you will continue with the subject combination you chose in Stage 2 along with elective modules.  

As a student on the BA Arts degree programme, you may consider the option of completing a year studying abroad in a partner university and if you are successful you will then graduate with a BA Arts (International) degree (240 credits over 4 stages).  The Year Abroad is usually taken during the third year and students then return to UCD for a fourth year to complete the programme.  If you choose to go abroad, you must complete all that your host university and UCD require of you and UCD Global and your School will advise you on this. 

Completing Your Degree

To complete your degree, you must have achieved the required amount of credits which includes all core modules and the specific combination of modules that have been set out by the subjects that you are taking.  You must also have the correct combination of modules from different levels. This means that you cannot have more than 80 Level 1 (or below) credits as part of your 180 credits. Of those credits, no more than 10 credits may be at Level 0. You must also have at least 40 credits at Level 3 or above. The remaining credits can be at Level 2. You should note that this requirement is an overall one. You are not required to have the same mix in each subject.   For the BA Arts (International) programme, you must meet all the requirements set out by UCD and the host University – UCD International Office and your School will provide you with this information. 

Your degree GPA will be based on your performance in the modules that you take at Stages 2 and 3.  Your Grade Points for Stage 2 will be weighted by a factor of 3 and your Grade Points for Stage 3 will be weighted by a factor of 7.  So, Stage 2 is worth 30% of your overall degree result and Stage 3 is worth 70% of your overall BA Arts degree result. 

The modules you take in Stage 1 form the foundation of your degree and are critical to your smooth progression through your degree, so while they do not contribute to your final GAP, they require the same level of commitment and effort as modules that you will take later on. 

Subject Combinations

When you register, you will see that you are pre-registered to the two subjects you chose on your CAO application. You will pick up one, or two more subjects during registration. You can drop one or both of your pre-registered subjects, if you want to, and choose something else once Orientation is complete. You should seek advice from your School, or College Office before you make a change like this because you need to ensure that there is space in the subject you wish to join before dropping core and option modules in your original subject choice.  If you switch out of a subject, you might not be able to get back in if there are restrictions on places.  Please note that you must have at least three subjects by the time registration is complete. 

Subject Choices Grid

When you register, you will see that subjects are divided into 7 groups each designated by a letter from A to I.  You cannot take more than one subject from any group. However, that still leaves many subject combinations.  Detailed subject information and module details are available on (opens in a new window)BA Arts Course Information.

It is important to know that the subjects in Group I are only available with certain subjects from Group A to H and there are restrictions on what you can continue with into Stage 2 (because of timetable and programme restrictions).

Examples of possible subject combinations from Group I

1. If you chose History and Geography on your CAO, you will take History, Geography and a third subject, e.g. French in Stage 1. In Stage 2 you have two options: (1) continue with History and Geography, OR (2) continue with History and French.   You will not be able to continue with French and Geography as this combination is not available.
2. If you chose English and Art History on your CAO, you will take English, Art History and a third subject, e.g. Sociology in Stage 1. In Stage 2, you have two options (1) continue with English and Art History OR (2) continue with English and Sociology. You will not be able to continue with Art History and Sociology as this combination is not available. 

When you are deciding which subjects to continue with for Stage 2 , remember that you must satisfy each Subject’s Requirements for each subject taken in Stage 1.  Check in with your School Office or Programme Manager in the College Office if you are unsure about where you stand.