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.
Elaine MacDonald, Psychologist - Clinical
What subjects did you take in school and how have these influenced your career path?
I like the way that the Irish school system allows students to study a variety of subjects to get a broad base.
I chose a range of subjects including languages (French and Spanish) which allowed me to make friends and really immerse myself in different cultures during my summers abroad.
I feel that Maths helped me to develop my logical mind, and prepared me well for learning to use statistics which are widely used in Clinical Psychology.
Biology was certainly useful to take in school and is relevant to Clinical Psychology because of its focus on how the human body works and how the brain functions.
English was also useful to the role of Clinical Psychologist as report writing skills are used across the board, and good ability to express yourself both verbally and in writing is very important.
I also feel that my involvement in school sports (hockey and swimming) was important in helping me develop into a person who enjoys being part of a team.
Karen O'Flaherty, Science Communicator
What subjects did you take in school and how have these influenced your career path?
In secondary school I studied mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology, as well as English, Irish, French, and History. I planned to study science at University with a view to going into the chemical industry. It just happened that I was better at physics and found myself drawn towards a degree in that subject.
Sam Franklin, Earth Observation Specialist
What subjects did you take in school and how have these influenced your career path?
I took science and geography options at GCSE level (up to 16), followed by geography, biology and psychology A-Levels (16-18). At A-level, I followed my interests, but with hindsight I wish I had pursued Maths and Physics. The UK system has changed now and you do a wider number of subjects between 16-18 which is a good thing. My lack of science at A-Level did hurt my career progression at university, which required me to get extremely high grades to demonstrate that I could take on the harder science topics at University. My advice is to study Maths (in addition to other things you’re interested in) for as long as possible. It’s like a VIP pass in your career. If you’ve got maths, then that takes you anywhere. I wish I had known this earlier on.