Deciding what college course to chose can be a daunting process, there are so many out there, are you making the right choice?
Take a breath we have outlined 5 courses available in various colleges around Ireland and have outlined their job prospects to help make your decision a little easier.
Humanities and social science
Job prospects
Humanities graduates have traditionally fared well in the civil and public service, teaching, journalism, culture and heritage, but those with relevant postgrad qualifications are as likely to be found in the business world. Social science graduates have a natural home in policy, social work, and the NGO sector. Psychology is useful in a variety of fields as well as psychotherapy practice. Economics graduates have prospects in financial services and smaller businesses.
Most of all, however, employers are screaming out for language graduates, and wily students choose humanities for this very reason. And as for philosophy, history, and English? Leaving aside their intrinsic value, they help wire the brain to research and analyse often complex information from multiple angles and then communicate it. Employers value those skills.
Where to do it
DCU Humanities / Social Sciences
UCD Humanities/ Social Sciences
UCC Arts, Celtic Studies & Social Sciences
WIT Humanities
Engineering and Technology
Job prospects
It seems like there’s an announcement of engineering and technology jobs almost every other day.
Employers value the problem-solving skills of engineers but it does tend to be a particularly mobile job; if work dries up at home, they may need to look abroad. Prospects for civil engineers can fluctuate – they plummeted during the most recent recession – they’ll also find work abroad. The best prospects of all, however, are for electronic engineers, where shortages are projected long past 2019: Name your price.
Where to do it
NUI Galway Engineering Courses
Business
Job prospects
For all its faults, the financial services industry is a major employer in Ireland and, with every new company that sets up here, there will be potentially lucrative job opportunities for business graduates. Entrepreneurs who set up their own business may be from science, technology, arts, agriculture or other backgrounds, but they need business expertise. Indeed, if you’re thinking of setting up your own company, a business degree is invaluable. From the smallest businesses employing fewer than 10 people to the biggest multinational firms, business graduates are valued.
Many big firms, particularly the big accountancy firms, take on graduates from business, science or even humanities backgrounds and offer further training and professional development opportunities. And if you’ve studied an international language with a business qualification, unemployment is a very unlikely prospect.
Where to do it
TCD Business Courses
Griffith College Business Courses
DCU Business Courses
DBS Business Courses
Law
Job prospects
Definitely better than three years ago, when the property crash hit the demand for conveyancing. Bear in mind that anyone who wants to work as a solicitor or barrister can’t just do an undergraduate course: they have to pass further exams. That said, lots of employers are keen to take on law graduates because they have broadly useful skills; many work in banking or tax, while others work for NGOs or public-service organisations such as the new Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, or in the probation services.
Where to do it
Maynooth Law Courses
DIT Law Courses
TCD Law Courses
Teaching
Job prospects
As it stands, it depends on what you teach. The Irish National Teachers Organisation says that there will be good career opportunities for primary teachers into the foreseeable future. Secondary school teachers don’t have it so easy, although the numbers in secondary school will rise in coming years, creating new jobs at a time when older teachers are retiring. Home economics teachers continue to have excellent employment prospects.
Where to do it
St Patrick’s Drumcondra Teaching Courses
Marino Institute of Education Teaching Courses
Hibernia College Teaching Courses
