Understanding Your Degree  

This section will help you as you register to your BA programme and prepare to begin your studies at UCD.  It presents and explains the terminology of your programme, gives guidance on the registration process and suggests how to engage with your lectures, tutorials and assignments.

Terminology

Registering as a BA student and throughout your academic career will mean that you will become familiar with new terminology.  A quick overview of this terminology is outlined below and you will find further detail on the Registry website here: https://www.ucd.ie/students/registration/ 

A Programme is your course of study, for example, BA Humanities, or BA Modern Languages.  Each Programme has a set number of stages and credits that you must complete to get a University award.  

Your BA programme will be made up of Modules.  Normally you take 12 modules per year.  Each module is a self-contained unit of teaching, learning and assessment which is usually studied over one trimester.  Each module has a credit value; most modules are worth 5 credits.  There are different types of modules: Core modules (compulsory) and Option modules that are chosen from a selection offered in your BA Programme.  Elective modules are additional to your programme requirements and give you the chance to learn more about the subjects in your programme or to explore other general areas of interest to you.  You select your elective in the Spring Trimester.  

Remember: You are responsible for ensuring that you are registered to the correct number of modules and that you meet requirements such as taking core and option modules.  If you are unsure about your registration and if you need any advice, check the Registry website https://www.ucd.ie/students/registration/checkingyourcredits/ or contact the College of Arts and Humanities Office  

You will progress through your programme in Stages.  To successfully complete each Stage you are required to earn 60 credits.  A full-time student will normally complete a 60-credit stage in one academic year and your programme will have either 3, or 4 Stages.  

The academic year is divided into Trimesters.  Our BA undergraduate programmes have two trimesters – Autumn Trimester runs from September to December and Spring Trimester runs from January to May.  Each Trimester has 12 teaching weeks, 1 revision week and 2 exam weeks.  

You can check the information on the modules that make up each stage of your Programme using the Course Search facility.  Here you will find information on the structure of your programme, content of each module, indicative timetable, learning outcomes, assessment strategies, feedback options and advice on prior learning.