NCI Course Details

Graduates of this course understand the principles of psychology and have a broad understanding of human behaviour, know how to critically analyse problems and how to conduct scientific research, and can apply psychology to the workplace, the community and society.

CAO Open Day

If you are unable to attend our CAO Open Day event taking place on May 10th, we will be running another event in June where you will also have the opportunity to meet current students and lecturers and get a tour of our campus.

Click on the links below for more information:

• Saturday, June 28th 2025 - 10am-1pm - Register Here

Free Leaving Certificate Revision Sessions

Join our free Leaving Cert Revision Sessions in Honours English and Ordinary Maths, taking place during the Easter Mid-term Break, from April 22nd to 24th.

Sign up via the link below:

• Tuesday 22nd April - Thursday 24th April - 9:30am - 1:30pm - Register Here

Year 1

• Introduction to Psychology
• Core Research Skills for Psychologists
• Social Psychology
• Introduction to Developmental Psychology
• Introduction to Statistics
• Cognitive Psychology
• Learning and Behaviour
• Coaching Psychology

Year 2

• Applied Statistics
• Personality and Intelligence
• Biological Psychology
• Psychopathology
• Advanced Cognitive Psychology and Neuroscience
• Applied Research Methods
• Plus, two electives

Year 2 Elective Modules Include:

• Behavioural Science: Problem Based Learning
• Psychology of Gender
• Critical Thinking
• Multicultural Psychology

Year 3

• Health Psychology
• Advanced Biological Psychology
• Behavioural Psychology
• Applied Developmental Psychology
• Final Project
• Plus, four electives

Year 3 Elective Modules Include:

• Positive Psychology
• Criminal Psychology
• Child and Adolescent Mental Health
• Psychology of Ageing
• Cyberpsychology
• Psychotraumatology
• Workplace Psychology
• Educational Psychology

Students will also be able to select from a range of non-psychology elective subjects including: PR and Social Media, Social and Organisational Behaviour, Project Management, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Sales Management, Data Analytics.

All electives are subject to minimum numbers and resource constraints.

For information on electives, please download the BA (Honours) in Psychology brochure.

For information on the modules taught on this course view our module descriptors.

This undergraduate course is a three-year honours degree run over six semesters with continuous assessment held throughout the course and examinations at the end of each semester. Students complete research projects in their final year of study. These research projects are considered for submission to the Psychology Society of Ireland Annual Student Congress.

An NCI psychology student won the ‘Best Research Project’ in 2020, received an Honourable Mention for an Undergraduate Presentation in 2022, and won the Undergraduate Poster Presentation Award in 2023 at this prestigious national event.

In each year of the degree any student with an overall average of 70+ will win a Dean’s Award.

On completion you will receive a QQI BA Honours Degree in Psychology at level 8 on the National Framework of Qualifications.

The degree is accredited by the Psychological Society of Ireland and therefore allows graduates to complete further graduate training within psychology in areas including clinical psychology, organisational psychology, forensic psychology and counselling psychology.

Completion of the degree will also facilitate graduates in entering many other professions including human resources, recruitment, management, consultancy and marketing.

Upon successful completion of the BA (Honours) in Psychology, graduates who have acquired the appropriate entry requirements can progress to postgraduate programmes at level 9 on the National Framework of Qualifications such as the MA in HRM at National College of Ireland, as well as clinical, educational, occupational and counselling psychology at other venues.

This course will appeal to students who have a curiosity about the human mind and who wish to work in a variety of related fields. The course is for school leavers, mature students and graduates of QQI level 5/6 programmes who wish to embark on a course of full-time study.

Minimum entry requirements are a grade H5 and above in two higher level subjects together with a minimum of O6/H7 in four other subjects. A minimum of grade O6/H7 must be obtained in English. A grade O6/H7 must be obtained in Mathematics.

For applicants whose first language is not English, please note the English language entry requirements.

For international students, please visit NCI's Your Country section to view the specific entry requirements for your region.

Mature applicants, applicants with a disability or those applying through the DARE or HEAR access schemes can find out more information on the application process.

Please note that exams can be scheduled during the morning, afternoon or evening Monday to Saturday.

National College of Ireland has implemented a Bring Your Own Device policy for all courses. Specifically, students are expected to successfully participate in lectures, laboratories and projects using a portable computer (laptop/notebook) with a substantial hardware configuration.

The recommended configuration is as follows:

Processor:

• Intel 11th Gen or newer, Core i3 / i5 /i7 or Ultra 3 / 5 /7
  Or
• AMD 5000 Series or newer, Rzyen 3 / 5 /7

Random Access Memory (RAM):
16GB or greater

Storage:
SSD (Solid State Drive) 256GB or greater

Wireless Card:
802.11 n/ac/ax capability

Recommended Operating Systems:
Windows 11
Later Version of MAC OS should also be fine.
Chromebook’s are not recommended.

It is the responsibility of the student to ensure their computer is functioning correctly and that they have full administrator rights. NCI cannot provide support for these personal devices.

Student Laptop Loan Scheme

A Laptop Loan Scheme is available for eligible students to assist them in completing their chosen course.

2023 CAO Points Guide :* 400

*For each course we have given a guideline based on our points over the past 3 years. This is a guide only, points vary each year.

The CAO course code is NC010.

Students must obtain a minimum of 3 distinctions and a full award and meet the CAO points requirements to apply for this Level 8 course. 

Visit our QQI Applicants page for further information.

Did you know you can apply for a Sports Scholarship at NCI?

Watch this video to hear from our current sports scholars Stephen Achukwu (basketball) and Adam Leonard (football):

The fee for this course is €6,250 per annum payable by the student (fees revised annually). Students on this course may qualify for the Student Grant Scheme.

The fee for this course for international students is €10,000 per year. For more information on international fees, please visit International Fees & Funding and International Scholarships.

Learn more about studying at NCI as an international student.