Leaving Cert Subjects
Leaving Cert | Leaving Cert Applied (LCA)
Practical Group
These subjects are 'hands-on' and involve working with tools and machinery on physical things like wood, metals and plastic. They may involve designing, planning and building things.
Science Group
These subjects demonstrate how to explore nature using carefully planned methods, and teach the basic methods and findings of scientific investigation.
Artistic & Creative Group
These subjects involve developing creativity and the appreciation of the work of others. This involves learning the methods and techniques of the subject and producing your own work using these skills.
Humanities Group
These subjects explore the ways in which humans live and communicate in the world. Human life is examined by looking at our past, our present and into our future. These subjects help people to express themselves clearly and develop their reasoning ability.
Social Group
These subjects explore common issues faced by all people living in society. They develop the skills and knowledge used to manage personal resources and guide human behaviour.
Madhuvratha Vasudevan, Senior Investment Analyst
What subjects did you take in school and how have these influenced your career path?
In high school, I chose Commerce and Accounting as my main subjects, which focused on the core basics of financial accounting, cost accounting, management accounting, auditing and quantitative methods for business. I certainly feel my subject choices at the early stage moulded me and gave me the strong foundation I needed for the career path I wished to take. I can very confidently say that almost everything I learned in the early stage was beneficial in progressing towards my goals.
Jack Barry, Analyst, Transfer Agency
What subjects did you take in school and how have these influenced your career path?
In school my 3 choice subjects were economics, business studies and construction. These were what I felt I had the most interest in so I went with these and by doing these I got to discover which I was best at, which I liked most and gain insights into what line of work I would most like to enter into after my education. I knew I liked and was good at working with my hands which is why I chose construction. I chose business and economics because I was interested in those areas and they were broad with ample career paths. These allowed me to see which areas I had the most interest in for a career so that I could select a college course that would enable these opportunities. After doing these subjects I discovered the thing that most appealed to me was working with others in a professional environment which is why I chose Business Studies in UL as there was plenty of careers I could pursue by doing this course, that I felt I would enjoy.
Deirdre Sayers, Primary School Teacher
What subjects did you take in school and how have these influenced your career path?
I took seven subjects for my Leaving Cert. These were primarily arts subjects with the exception of Biology and Maths.
These subjects were ideal for a B.Ed. Degree course. They would have restricted my entry into the sciences, however. In hindsight I would not have done anything differently for the career path I choose. However, I might have had a wider career path if I had studied a wider base of subjects.