NCI Course Details

Graduates of this course have specialised knowledge of the key theories and principles relevant to business; are equipped with good personal skills in communication, problem-solving and teamwork; understand the latest thinking in areas of HRM, marketing, finance and management; and have the ability to apply knowledge and skills to solve problems within the business world.

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

• Personal & Professional Academic Skills
• Fundamentals of Management
• Applied Creativity
• Business IT Skills Project Management
• Irish Business & Society
• Introduction to Entrepreneurship
• Introduction to Business Statistics

Year 2

• Financial Accounting
• Economics for the 21st Century
• Human Resource Management
• Academic Management Skills
• Business Law
• Marketing in the Digital Age
• Individual Behaviour in the Organisation
• Quantitative Methods

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

This undergraduate course is a two-year higher certificate. It is run over four semesters with continuous assessment held throughout the course and examinations at the end of each semester.

On completion you will receive a QQI Higher Certificate in Business at level 6 on the National Framework of Qualifications.

Upon successful completion of the Higher Certificate in Business, graduates can potentially gain entry into year two of NCI’s BA (Honours) in Business programme.

Recent Masters’ graduates include students who have progressed from the Higher Cert in Business to the BA Honours in Business, on through to successful completion of NCI’s MA in Human Resource Management.

This course provides an excellent basis for starting work in a variety of roles within business, commercial or public sector bodies. It equips you with the knowledge and skills needed to build a successful career in the business world.

Minimum entry requirements are a grade O6/H7 or above in five subjects. A minimum of grade O6/H7 must be obtained in English. A grade O6/H7/F2 must be obtained in Mathematics. Applicants from a PLC/further education course must have a full level 5/6 award and meet the CAO points requirements. Applicants who hold 3 distinctions at level 5 and meet the CAO points requirement, will be considered for entry to Year 2 of the course.

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

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.

The course may be particularly appealing to students who are unsure about committing themselves to a degree programme, but who want the option to transfer on to the second year of a business degree in the future.

2024 CAO Points Guide :* 250

*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 NC103.

Students must obtain a minimum of 5 passes and a full award and meet the CAO points requirements to apply for this Level 6 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):

This course qualifies under the Free Fees Initiative and Student Grant Scheme.