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.
Paul Meany, School Principal
What subjects did you take in school and how have these influenced your career path?
Irish, English, Maths, French, Physics, Chemistry. For third level I had to chose between a degree in English and a degree in Science and I chose the B.Sc.
Patrick Kinnaird, Marine Biologist
What subjects did you take in school and how have these influenced your career path?
I think it’s important to keep your options broad at school so you remain open to discovering different interests. At first, I didn’t particularly enjoy science, but after one lesson on fish, I realised I actually found it engaging because it connected with my hobbies. From there, my interests developed, from science to biology, then ecology, and eventually marine biology.
That said, I also learned that within any field there will be areas you enjoy more than others. For example, I find the chemistry side of marine biology more difficult to stay interested in, but I recognise its importance for understanding the bigger picture.
Looking back, I feel I chose my subjects well for my career path. The only subject I wish I had taken would be Photography. At the time, I didn’t realise how central it would become to my work, particularly in recording and analysing sightings. But hindsight is always clearer, and overall, I think my choices gave me a strong foundation for where I am now.
Niamh Cacciato, Solicitor
What subjects did you take in school and how have these influenced your career path?
I chose two languages in school- French and German. I had the choice of German or Art and Music. Most people chose Art and Music and there was only one class out of six classes of first year doing two languages. I believe that doing two languages improved my proficiency in language in general and my ability to learn new vocabulary and grasp new concepts.
I realised I was good at working out how to express myself in French and German and I always wanted to learn new words and phrases and this led me to then choose languages as two of my three subjects for an Arts Degree at third level. I knew that I would like to do French at university and then when I learnt that Italian was on offer I thought why not try something new! I also knew that Italian was similar to French as they are both Latin-based languages and I could guess some of the Italian vocabulary from my knowledge of French.