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.
Donna-Marie Cooney, Reservations Manager - The Heritage Hotel
What subjects did you take in school and how have these influenced your career path?
I did Business in secondary school and I loved it, and I think it really helped me with my career choice. I studied in Athlone Institute of Technology (now TUS Athlone) and have a bachelor’s degree in Hotel and Leisure Management. We have many modules throughout the 3-Year course but the most relevant for my career path would have been Human Resource, Information Technology, Accounting, Marketing, & Customer Relationship Management.
Caitriona Jackman, Planetary Scientist
What subjects did you take in school and how have these influenced your career path?
For Leaving Certificate I did the usual English, Irish, Maths, then Physics which I loved, Chemistry which I wasn’t great at (kept breaking stuff in the practicals), French, Geography and Music as an extra. I really enjoyed English actually, and even though a lot of my job involves computer programming and some hard maths and physics, I still rely heavily on my writing skills.
As important as it is to have technical ability in my job, it is still crucial to be able to communicate any results I find. One of the main tasks for me is to write papers for scientific journals, and occasionally to write articles for a more general audience.
My French is also useful because I collaborate with several people from a lab in Paris and they like if I make an effort to speak a bit of French, even though my accent is very embarrassing!
Shane Bergin, Physics Lecturer
What subjects did you take in school and how have these influenced your career path?
For my Leaving Cert, I studied Maths, Physics, Applied Maths (BRILLIANT SUBJECT), Chemistry, Music, English, French and Irish. I did the ones I was best at – simple. I worked hard for my Leaving Cert and hated exams. My school had a great record in maths and science –this culture helped.