Pathways to Social Sciences and Law
There are 6 pathways to full-time degrees in Science through Open Learning - DN600 BCL Law, DN620 Criminology with Psychology, DN700 BSc Social Sciences, DN710 BSc Economics, DN720 BSc Psychology, and DN750 BSocSc Social Policy & Sociology. Each programme has different requirements, and there is a wide range of modules to choose from. Browse your options below for more information, and click on the links to apply.
DN600 BCL Law
UCD Sutherland School of Law, the largest and most diverse law school in Ireland, is committed to the development and creation of new initiatives, to enriching the educational environment of its student body, to working in partnership with the practising legal profession and to establishing a major, well-regarded and authoritative presence in the international legal community.
The UCD Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL) degree enjoys a proud history and an established reputation at home and abroad. The BCL degree allows you to immerse yourself in the study of law, to engage with a range of interesting legal perspectives and to acquire a profound understanding of how law works in theory and in practice.
There are 5 places for Open Learners to move to a full-time degree in 2026/27.
Requirements:
- Complete 6 modules.
- Complete at least 4 modules/20 credits offered by the (opens in a new window)School of Law.
- Achieve a minimum GPA of 3.08.
Applications will open in July 2025.
DN620 Criminology with Psychology
Criminology is the systematic study of crime and its control. Criminologists ask what causes crime and how we might best respond to it; and why certain behaviours are criminalised while others are not. This new undergraduate programme brings together expertise in the Sutherland School of Law and the School of Psychology to offer an inspiring interdisciplinary learning experience. Students will develop versatile analytical skills and the ability to compare and contrast different perspectives as they consider crime, punishment, law, psychology and social policy in new and exciting contexts. The programme equips graduates with the tools to be active citizens, professional problem solvers and seekers of social justice.
There is 1 place for Open Learners to move to a full-time degree in 2026/27.
Requirements:
- Complete 6 modules.
- Complete at least 3 Criminology modules (15 credits) and 1 Psychology module (5 credits).
- Achieve a minimum GPA of 2.6.
Applications will open in July 2025.
DN700 BSc Social Sciences
Social Sciences students explore society and how people behave as individuals and in groups. With the four-year Social Sciences degree, you choose DN700 at CAO and then select your preferred subject combination. Your subject choices are guaranteed. There are options to change subject choices at the end of first year if you wish. You will gain a deep understanding of each subject you choose to study and develop real world skills in research, communication and leadership.
There are 10 places for Open Learners to move to a full-time degree in 2026/27.
Requirements:
- You must complete 6 modules from our offering.
- Achieve a minimum GPA of 2.6
You will get a chance to discuss your options in your consultation, and can see the full list of modules on the Open Learning website.
Applications will open in July 2025.
DN710 BSc Economics
The UCD School of Economics is Ireland’s leading economics department. Our economists are experts with international reputations in a wide range of topics including behavioural economics, macroeconomics, economic history and the economics of health and labour markets. If you are interested in people’s behaviour and current affairs, and if you enjoy problem solving and are naturally analytical with good numeracy skills, then economics is an ideal choice for you. The BSc in Economics is a 3-year concentrated programme that provides students with thorough foundations in microeconomics and macroeconomics and their applications across a wide range of areas.
There are 2 places for Open Learners to move to a full-time degree in 2026/27.
DN720 BSc Psychology
If you have a questioning attitude and good reasoning skills, you will really enjoy the world opened up by Psychology. Psychology has links to the natural sciences, the social sciences and the arts, so it is likely to appeal to a wide variety of people. The course has core modules that will introduce you to major theories and research methods, and you will also have a chance to choose option modules in specialist areas of psychology (e.g. counselling, clinical psychology and forensic psychology).
There are 3 places for Open Learners to move to a full-time degree in 2026/27.
DN750 BSocSc Social Policy & Sociology
The UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice is a centre of excellence for research, teaching and professional training in social policy, social work, equality studies and gender studies. We offer diverse degree programmes at undergraduate and postgraduate
level, community outreach certificate programmes, Continuous Professional Development modules, and research degrees in social work, social policy and social justice.
Our research is interdisciplinary, international in scope and influences policy and society. Teams and colleagues work on a range of topics (e.g. housing, families, child welfare, health care, migration, social justice movements) and have received funding from prestigious sponsors such as the Irish Research Council and the European Union.
There are 5 places for Open Learners to move to a full-time degree in 2026/27.
Requirements:
- Complete 6 modules.
- Pass at least one core Social Policy module and one core Sociology module from Stage 1 of the BSocSc Social Policy and Sociology degree.
- Pass a Study Skills module, e.g. IDIS00010.
- Achieve a minimum GPA of 2.6.
Applications will open in July 2025.