Business and Law FAQs

Is there finance available when studying abroad in the B Comm International or Global? 

We area very lucky to have partnered with Deloitte on our B Comm Global Experience and the offer travel bursaries to all our students for their year abroad.  B Comm International students qualify for an Erasmus grant for their year abroad in Spain, Germany or France.

Is it possible to transfer from the B Comm to the B Comm Global Experience if I don’t get the points through the CAO?

Yes, we have a number of places available for B Comm students to apply for the Global Experience.  Places will be allocated on a competitive basis, depending on end of year exam results (avg. 60% last year). 

Is the Maths content difficult in the Commerce degrees?

The Commerce degrees are not overly Maths orientated.  You do study a Maths for Business module and a Statistics for Business module in first and second year, but they are of Leaving Certificate pass Maths standard.

Is programming a big part of the BIS Degree and what is the balance between business and technology?

The B.I.S. programme is a blend of technology and business.  Programming is only one small part.  The degree is a mix of business acumen, technical skills and management knowledge combined with communication and team skills.

Apart from becoming a solicitor or barrister, what areas would you find employment in with a Law degree?

A lot of people who graduate with a Law degree go on to study for the entrance exams to either the solicitors’ or barristers’ profession.  However, this is in no way the only option. A Law degree set you up well to apply to any number of graduate entry jobs – if you have good grades it is generally considered an excellent degree to have because it demonstrates your capacity to understand, synthesise and clearly communicate a huge amount of complex information – and of course law is central to how society functions in general.  You might be interested in jobs relating to business.

How do you know if you are suited to the world of law, and if I am cut out to be a lawyer?

The best way to decide whether law is the best path for you is to consider your academic strengths.  Experience shows that good lawyers are comfortable using language.  Law revolves around language – lawyers must read cases and statutes, interpret texts, and persuade others to their point of view both in writing and orally.  So, a would-be lawyer should be good at English, and enjoy both reading and writing. Second, a lawyer will often have to read through and assimilate large amounts of written material.  Studying subjects like history involve similar skills, so the would-be lawyer will generally have taken these kinds of subjects in school as well. 

A logical mind is also useful – legal arguments must be rigorous and analytical, and must follow a logical path.  Being good at maths (NOT necessarily at honours level!) will help with this.

Outside of classes, experience of debating or public speaking also would be useful.  This is especially the case for a would-be barrister, but solicitors will also have to make oral presentations too. Don't worry if you are not comfortable with debating or public speaking, many of our students are nervous at the beginning and go on to thrive at debating and public speaking. Our 'Mooting' module helps students to build their confidence and skills in debating and public speaking. 

If you decide during your law degree that a career in legal practice is not for you, there are many other alternative careers in law to choose from. Law graduates acquire knowledge and transferable skills through their law degree that ensure that they are highly employable in many sectors. Examples of alternative careers with a law degree include:

•          Qualifying as a chartered/company secretary
•          Public sector (Government Departments, Councils, Law, Reform Commission, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Court Service, Office of the Attorney General)
•          Journalism
•          Human Resources
•          Accountancy, Banking, Taxation
•          Insurance
•          Legal publishing
•          Compliance
•          Academia
•          Legal research (FLAC, Amnesty International, Irish Council of Civil Liberties)
•          International Opportunities (United Nations, Council of Europe, the European Commission, Court of Justice of the European Union, European Court of Human Rights etc.)

What areas of business will you be missing out on if you opt for law and business rather than a commerce course? 

The areas of business you will miss out on with the Law and Business course depends on the optional modules you would select in either course. We recommend that you map out the optional modules you would choose if you did Commerce versus Law and Business. This will give you a clear indication of what business modules you would cover in each course.  

Can accounting be done through the commerce degree if one didn’t get the points for the commerce accounting course

Yes, accounting modules can be done through the regular commerce degree. Over the course of the three years however, modules in the BComm Accounting will be more advanced than those accounting modules taught in the regular BComm degree. Should students realise that accounting is a path they wish to pursue upon completion of their BComm degree, they can specialise in Accounting for their final year, where the majority of their modules will be in Accounting. Depending on the modules students choose for final year, they can attain similar exemptions fro their professional accountancy exams upon graduation.

Are there any skills required in relation to IT, before entering the Business informations systems course?

For the Business Information Systems degree, all modules are taught from scratch, with lecturers assuming that you have no prior experience in the subject areas. Whilst an interest in IT would be desirable, it is by no means a requirement.

What is the level/difficulty of spanish over the four years in the commerce with spanish degree (like are u expected to come out fluent)

As Spanish as a Leaving Cert subject isn't required, the teaching of Spanish taught in first year starts of at a beginner level. As you progress through your degree, you will have the chance to spend a year in a Spanish speaking university where your level of Spanish will improve immensely. Final year Spanish is taught as 'Spanish III (Applied)' meaning you should have the ability to have very adequate conversational language. So whilst maybe not all students will get to a fluency level, they will be very well equipped in the language.

How many spaces is the accounting course taking?

The intake of students for the BComm Accounting is normally between 30 and 40 students.

Is it compulsory to study a language if you complete the BComm Global?

For the BComm Global Experience no language has to be studied for the duration of the programme.

For the BComm International with a Language it is compulsory that students choose from either French, German or Spanish. 

They would have to be a recipient of a H3 in French, H4 in German, or a H4 in any modern European language to meet the entry requirements for the specific language programmes.