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.
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.
Michaela Musilova, Mission Control Space Services
What subjects did you take in school and how have these influenced your career path?
Since I love diversity and learning a range of things, I on purpose studied a lot of different subjects at school. As I explained above, in high school I decided to focus on sciences (biology, chemistry, maths and physics). However, I also loved arts and humanities, so I pursued studying history of art, history, geography and languages (French, German, Italian and English) as well.
My decision to have a varied education had a huge impact on my career. It allowed me to be able to tackle a number of multidisciplinary challenges and do the work that I do today: not just pure science, but also running international projects and representing my country at worldwide meetings/conferences.
Sharon Carty, Opera Singer
What subjects did you take in school and how have these influenced your career path?
My advice if you're uncertain about choosing subjects is to choose things you're interested in, rather than what you think will be good for your career. A broad education will serve you really well not only in terms of college options, but also can enrich your life outside of school and work. I have a huge interest in astronomy and loved studying physics in school, and although I'd never have had the talent in Maths to study it at 3rd level or have a career in it, it meant I can really enjoy reading popular science books and keep up with what's going on in space exploration, as a hobby. For Leaving Certificate I studied English, Irish, Maths, Physics, Music, Biology, German and Classical Studies. Looking back, the subjects I did (specifically English, Music, Classics and German) meant that I was well-equipped with a lot of background knowledge that was helpful in my career as a singer, in terms of literature, language and musical training. Without having studied Music at 2nd level, with the wonderful teacher I had, I am 100% certain I wouldn't be a singer today.