Business courses begin with a general foundation first year, usually involving five to seven subjects. Subjects such as management, accounting, economics, information technology, statistics, marketing and communications form the basis of first year.
In general, you do not need to have taken business, economics or accounting in your Leaving Cert, but check the entry requirements for any course you are considering.
Students sometimes select a business course specialising in marketing or human resource management thinking they will not have to study accounting or economics, but this is not the case.
Management is a key subject in all programmes as it brings together the various parts of the business, so that it runs effectively.
Do I need to be good at maths?
Most business programmes have core courses in accounting, economics and statistics. The maths entry requirement varies from D3 on the ordinary paper for some courses to C3 at higher level for more maths-based courses such as actuarial studies. You do not need to be a mathematical genius for most, but if you struggle with maths on the ordinary-level paper, perhaps a business degree is not the appropriate choice.
There are two types of business courses:
General courses
These are general business courses, such as BESS (TR081) in Trinity; business and management (DT 365) in DIT and NUI Maynooth (MH404); business studies in UL (LM050) and DCU (DC111); and general business degrees in UCD (DN015), UCC (CK201), NUI Galway (GY201) and at ITs in Athlone, Blanchardstown, Sligo, Tipperary and Waterford.
Specialist courses
These include specialisms in accounting at UCC, NUI Galway, Galway-Mayo and Athlone IT, accounting and finance at NUI Maynooth, DBS, DCU, DIT, Griffith, and Tipperary IT, finance at NUI Maynooth and Cork, business and law at UCD, NUI Maynooth, DBS and Griffith.
Other courses include specialist degrees in human resource management and financial services in NCI; retail and services management and transport and logistics in DIT; actuarial studies in UCD and DCU; finance and venture management in Maynooth, and law and accounting, international insurance and European studies in UL.
UCD offers a degree in economics and finance and NUI Maynooth offers a degree in equine business. DCU has a BSc in quantitative finance (DC236) and innovation and technology (DC240).
Language and business degrees
If you select the B Comm (International) in UCD with a language, (DN016 German, DN017 French, DN018 Spanish, or DN019 Italian), or any of UCC's B Comm European programmes, you will take similar literature, culture and language elements as taught on a BA.
Alternatively, if you select language and business degree programmes at DCU, DIT or UL, the main language emphasis will be on the spoken and written language, business vocabulary and business culture.
B Comm students at UCD can choose two modules a year from anywhere in the university. Applied language modules are the most popular electives, demonstrating the value students place on being multilingual. Again, check the details of your preferred course. Note the language entry requirement. In most cases it is a minimum of C3 at higher level.
Doing business overseas
The Confucius Institute of UCD offers language and cultural studies as part of the B Comm international with Chinese studies (DN013).
DIT offers (DT565) Chinese and international business. These programmes include a year in a partner university/business school in China. TCD has introduced a new degree in business studies with Polish (TR089), reflecting the growing links between the two countries.
Work placements and Erasmus exchanges
In an Erasmus exchange, you attend part of your course - usually in year three - in a college in the European country of your main foreign language choice.
DIT has pioneered English- language Erasmus on its general business programme and in its marketing degree. It places students in Scandinavia, the Netherlands, France and Germany in institutions where English is the language of instruction.
Many colleges have developed exchange links with the US and Canada. UCD, DIT and DCU offer European business (transatlantic studies) programmes and UCD also offers the option to gain credit for working in the community in Ireland ("service learning").
Normally there is no tuition fee involved in exchange programmes. Graduates of non-business disciplines often take postgraduate business programmes before entering the workforce.
The private college option
All of the above courses are level 8 - honours degrees - and the points requirements can be quite high, ranging in the 400s. For this reason there is a strong market for level-8 business degrees at somewhat lower points requirements through the private fee-paying colleges.
Mature students
UCD offers a diploma programme (foundations of business) for mature students. Successful completion of this two-year, full-time course will give entry to second year of their Bachelor of Commerce Degree.
Advice podcast
Listen or download the podcast for advice on how to complete the application form, and for an overview of the current CAO process, at ireland.com/education
Next Monday: arts/humanities courses