Product Design is about shaping the world around us. Most objects, from toys to medical devices and from furniture to consumer electronics are subject to product design.

This is possible because product design is a versatile process that can be applied to many different contexts. At its core, product design is about understanding people and how they experience and interact with their surroundings. This kind of training enables graduates to help make the world a fairer, more inclusive and sustainable place.

Fashion Design aims to educate students to become professional practitioners in the field of fashion and related industries. Students are encouraged to have an awareness of fashion in its social and cultural context and to bring that understanding to their work.

The department places great value on its industry and professional links that gives students an insight into real-world commercial requirements. Emphasis is placed on developing informed, creative designers, who are prepared for the needs of industry.

Do you like to solve problems and to think ‘outside the box’? If so, a career as an art teacher might be just the right choice for you.

The BA in Education and Design or Education and Fine Art is a Joint Honours award. That means you follow the full degree course in Fine Art or Design as well as taking a dedicated teacher education programme as a professional qualification. This Joint Honours course takes four years to complete, as compared to the three-year single discipline Fine Art or Design degree.

All departments in the School of Fine Art - Media, Painting, Fine Print , Sculpture and Applied Materials - help students to develop a highly individual way of seeing and interpreting, and of expressing themselves visually.  Emphasis is placed on visual awareness and artistic analysis, on acquiring skills in the use of both traditional and new materials and media.

Design outcomes are realised through the production of design samples, fabric collections, visualisations and/or products and prototypes. The college offers an excellent range of facilities for realising design work including digital print, screen print, transfer print and weaving while external manufacturing services such as laser-cutting, computer-aided weaving, multi-head embroidery, and finishing are also utilised. 

This course is founded on strong design principles of research, content-generation and development, problem-identification and problem-solving. We value experimentation and thinking over ready-made and easily identifiable solutions, and we encourage processes that will develop our students' individual style and voice.

Students have the opportunity to explore a range of media and approaches, including various methods of animation, motion graphics, special FX, interaction, live action, dramatic and short-form documentary filmmaking.

First Year Studies at NCAD gives you the solid foundation that you require for entry into the variety of creative paths of study offered by the college. First Year Studies is a common entry course that leads our students to studying any one of the fourteen different studio specialisms available in NCAD

The School of Fine Art, Paint, Print, Sculpture , Media, Textile Art & Artefact and Ceramics & Glass ( Applied Hard Materials) ; and in the School of Design, Graphics, Illustration, Moving Image Design, Fashion Design, Textile Surface Design, Jewellery & Objects, Product Design and Interaction Design.

All these specialisms can also be studied as a Joint Honours Degree with Education or as a Studio specialism with Visual Culture.

The Professional Certificate in AI for Design helps creative practitioners integrate AI into their design process and shape the future of their field. Through a critical, practical, and future-facing lens, the programme explores the power and potential of designing for and with AI. Learners will develop technical, ethical, and conceptual fluency in AI tools while anticipating what’s next in design innovation.

This one-year Level 6 Art and Design foundation course introduces the learner to a variety of areas in art, design and communication. The course is an excellent foundation for any Level 8 design award, introducing a broad range of design disciplines in Fashion, Graphic Design, Illustration, Interior Design/Architecture, Textile Design before students choose their pathway.

This course is designed to begin or build on your current portfolio and equip you with the foundations of what is required to present a high quality portfolio.

This course equips graduates with the skills and knowledge necessary to work in the Accountancy or Financial Services sector. The ACCA qualification enjoys full international recognition which qualifies its members to work anywhere in the world. All books and materials are supplied and this is included in your course fee. Students can sit the session CBEs in Rathmines College during the year.

The BA (Hons) in Liberal Arts (a level-8, QQI-accredited, award) provides an intellectually stimulating and challenging course of undergraduate study in the liberal arts, with a wide range of foundation courses combined in the latter stages with specialised study in four concentrations.

In the third year students are required to major in one of four concentrations: Irish Studies, American Studies, History, or English. In this way the study programme broadens the students’ knowledge and advances their communication skills in a wide range of intellectual areas, and provides them with an understanding of other cultures, their intrinsic values and historical experience.

The programme focuses on the international aspects of business, especially the challenges of operating in the dynamic global environment. This is achieved by combining a mix of theory, practice and work experience. Lectures are interactive environments where students are encouraged to exchange ideas and opinions. There is a strong emphasis on developing the student’s personal skills such as public speaking and debating.

The aim of the Certificate in Personal and Professional Development programme is to enable learners:

• To understand the theory of key transferable skills and abilities (including digital literacy) for lifelong learning and work, through their higher education
• To deepen understanding of their previous real world learning through looking at theoretical frameworks, and to apply this learning in new contexts.
• To develop self-confidence and the abilities needed to take part in lifelong learning, including higher education, in addition to taking a variety of different roles the workplace.

An Cosán has worked in partnership with IT Carlow to develop this blended online Certificate.

The social enterprise sector has been growing rapidly in Ireland in recent years and gaining government support. This certificate will introduce learners to the global and Irish experience of different types of social enterprises and their place in society. It will help develop critical thinking in learners as they develop a broader knowledge of the social enterprise eco-system.

The certificate will be of particular use to those considering starting up a social enterprise, social business, or developing a social enterprise element in an existing organisation. It is also helpful to those working within a social enterprise. Some graduates of the certificate have become start-up social entrepreneurs. This is a growing network that learners in the certificate will be helped to connect with for support and sharing learning.

The health and wellbeing strand aims to provide learners with the space to explore their own sense of wellbeing. To nourish the mind, body and soul and to encourage resilience and self-care in a supportive atmosphere.

• Personal Development
• Women and Wellness
• Mindfulness
• Art
• University of the Third Age (U3A): Are you over 55? Join this fortnightly group to pursue your interests in a social setting where learning is lifelong.

The first steps to education courses aim to provide learners with the skills and confidence in the important areas of literacy and numeracy. The courses are designed to support you and make you feel empowered to learn and to progress at your own pace. This programme is targeted at early school leavers and people new to English and Irish languages.

Do you feel like you have been left behind in this digital age? Our computer and technology courses aims to provide learners with the skills and confidence to live and work in a digital world.

These courses are delivered once a week over 27 weeks

• Basic Computers: For complete beginners to learn all the skills you need to get the most from everyday technology in a fun and informal environment.
• Women in Technology: This course supports women in a safe environment to gain skills and build skills in using modern technology.
• Digital Pathways

The aim of this blended online Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree programme is for learners to graduate with the knowledge, skills and abilities they need in the theory and practice of leadership and community development so that they can make a professional contribution to communities, groups, societies and organisations. The course will prepare graduates for life-long learning so that they will be able to further develop their knowledge and skills through experience and professional and/or academic education.

The aim of this blended online certificate programme is to develop the knowledge, skills and abilities of learners in the theory and practice of applied addiction studies and community development.

The purpose of the programme is to build the capacity of community drugs workers and those working and volunteering in the wider community within an addiction context.