Maynooth University Undergraduate Handbook 2015

Welcome to Maynooth University
4 – 5
It’s your degree –
make the most of it
an education for life
As well as developing expertise in your subjects,
we want you to develop the thinking skills that will
carry you through life, wherever it takes you. You
will want to be able to research a topic, analyse and
assess evidence, evaluate new ideas, form your own
opinions, and explain your ideas clearly to others.
You will need these skills to work both in teams and
alone. You will want to develop the ability to manage
a task and see it through to completion. These are
A Maynooth education will
change your life. It is a fantastic
experience, and we want to make
sure you get the most from it.
skills you will need in university and throughout
your working life. They are integrated into all our
degrees, but we also have extra electives in first
year, which you can choose to take, which focus on
the development of these very important skills.
Experience more
At Maynooth University, we have designed our
degrees to enable you to study the subjects
that interest and stimulate you, and develop
the skills, confidence and experience that
will stay with you throughout your life.
A Maynooth University education starts the
minute you arrive in the town. It’s about being
a good neighbour, feeling part of a university
community, as well as joining societies, sports
clubs, doing voluntary work, taking work
Dr Moynagh Sullivan of our English Department giving a TEDx talk
at a TEDx and Fulbright event at Smock Alley April 2014
placements and studying overseas. Availing of
be the best you can be
these opportunities builds your experience,
Whatever you decide to study, our aim is to help
you reach the highest possible standard so that
you (and your potential future employer) know
you are right up-to-date in your subject. Our
teaching is linked to the latest research because
you will study with experts who are leading
international researchers in their subject. You
will learn the central ideas and ways of thinking
in your subject area, and graduate with a degree
that meets the highest international standards.
freedom to choose
In most of our degrees you have the opportunity
to sample a range of subjects in first year, before
deciding what you want to specialise in. After first
year you can customise your study by selecting
the subjects to continue, and the balance between
them (if taking more than one). You may even decide
to take extra options, which we call electives, in
second year, if some of them spark your interest.
capabilities and confidence, and enhances your CV.
your first year
In your first year, you will study the subjects
which lay the foundation for your degree. You
will learn essential concepts in these subjects,
as well as developing the critical thinking,
problem-solving and analytic skills that you
will need in the later years of your degree.
In most of our degrees you have a choice of
subjects in first year. This gives you an opportunity
to broaden your learning, and to make a more
informed choice about the subjects you will take
to degree level. In the three year BA degree you
will typically take three subjects in first year, and
in the four year B.Sc. you will take four. You will
have the flexibility to decide on your subject within
the first four weeks after registration, giving you
the flexibility to sample a range of subjects.
In some of our specialised degrees, you may
have a more restricted choice as you focus in a
particular subject area earlier in your degree.
In addition to the core subjects you choose,
you will have the option to take electives, to
reinforce those vital intellectual skills that you
will need in later years, and in the world of work.
These are designed to help you to develop the
core intellectual skills that are expected of a
university graduate. These electives help you to
develop skills such as how to find key ideas and
information, organising these ideas to form a
coherent analysis, and presenting this analysis
clearly in written and verbal presentations. We know
that these are what employers really look for and
that is why we emphasise them in our courses.
After first year – a flexible structure
By the start of second year you’ll have settled
into university life. Now you’ll have the chance to
customise your own programme of study. You can
choose a joint major, where you take two subjects
to degree level. Or if you prefer, in many cases, you
can take a major/minor route, where you spend
more time on one subject and less on the other. In
some subjects, you can choose to do a single major,
where you study one subject only to degree level.
In your second year, you’ll have the option of taking
electives. This is the chance to study a topic from
another subject area that you may find especially
interesting – something like climate change,
philosophy, programming, macroeconomics or
even a new language like Mandarin Chinese.
Whatever you prefer, it’s up to you. You
make the decision at the end of first year,
so you have plenty of time to choose.