Study politics in Ireland and you have more routes than most students realise — from a dedicated degree to a flexible Arts pathway. This guide maps every CAO programme side by side, with 2025 points, EU options, salaries and the honest path from your CAO form to public life, the civil service or the EU institutions.
Politics in Ireland is studied two ways. A dedicated degree (UCC’s CK122, Galway’s GY132, DCU’s DC230/DC231) immerses you in political science from first year and usually carries higher points. An Arts or Social Science pathway (Maynooth MH101, Galway GY101, UCC CK101, UL LM002) lets you take politics alongside a second subject, often at far lower points, with the option to specialise later. Both routes lead to the same postgraduate and professional doors — for the Department of Foreign Affairs Third Secretary competition or the EU concours, what counts is your degree class, not the title on your CAO form. Trinity offers politics through Joint Honours (TR001) and the multidisciplinary PPES (TR015); UCD routes politics through its DN700 Social Sciences entry.
| UNIVERSITY | CAO CODE | PROGRAMME | AWARD | YEARS | 2025 R1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trinity College Dublin | TR015 | PPES (Philosophy, Political Science, Economics & Sociology) | BA | 4 | 588 |
| Trinity College Dublin | TR001 | Joint Honours — Political Science with a second subject | BA | 4 | Check CAO |
| University College Dublin | DN700 | Social Sciences → Politics & International Relations pathway | BSc | 4 | 491 |
| Dublin City University | DC230 | Economics, Politics & Law | BA | 4 | 467 |
| University of Galway | GY132 | Government (Politics, Economics & Law) | BA | 4 | 412 |
| University College Cork | CK122 | Government & Political Science | BSc | 4 | 411 |
| Dublin City University | DC231 | International Relations | BA | 4 | 411 |
| University of Galway | GY113 | Arts with Human Rights | BA | 4 | 398 |
| University College Cork | CK102 | Social Science (Politics available) | BSocSc | 3–4 | 400 |
| Dublin City University | DC295 | BA Joint Honours (Politics + 2nd subject) | BA | 4 | 387 |
| University of Galway | GY101 | Arts (Joint Honours — Politics available) | BA | 3 | 350 |
| Maynooth University | MH107 | Social Science (Politics pathway) | BSocSc | 3 | 348 |
| University of Limerick | LM002 | Arts (Politics & Public Administration available) | BA | 4 | 316 |
| Maynooth University | MH101 | BA Arts (Politics as Joint Honours subject) | BA | 3 | 300 |
| University College Cork | CK101 | Arts (Government & Politics as subject) | BA | 3 | 300 |
Points shown are 2025 CAO Round 1 cut-offs. Verify at cao.ie/points. All are Level 8 honours degrees covered by the Free Fees scheme for eligible EU students. Trinity Joint Honours (TR001) and UCD’s PPE pathway have no single headline figure — they vary by subject combination and entry route, so check the live CAO listing.
Politics has no dedicated technological-university degree, but several broad Arts and Social Science programmes let you study it at far lower points — and a few adjacent degrees (human rights, international relations, social policy) cover much of the same ground.
For the civil service, diplomatic service and EU institutions, the gatekeeper is your degree class (a 2.1 or better) and the competitive entry exam — not the points you needed to get in or the prestige of the university name. A 2.1 from a 300-point Arts degree opens exactly the same competitions as a 2.1 from a 588-point one. Where you study matters far less than how well you do once you are there, and what you do alongside it.
| Institution | CAO Code | Programme | Level | Duration | 2025 R1 Points | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maynooth University | MH101 | Arts (Politics as a Joint Honours subject) | L8 | 3 yrs | 300 | Maynooth |
| University College Cork | CK101 | Arts (Government & Politics as a subject) | L8 | 3 yrs | 300 | Cork |
| University of Limerick | LM002 | Arts (Politics & Public Administration available) | L8 | 4 yrs | 316 | Limerick |
| Dublin City University | DC238 | Social Sciences & Cultural Innovation (politics modules) | L8 | 4 yrs | 334 | Dublin |
| Maynooth University | MH107 | Social Science (Politics pathway) | L8 | 3 yrs | 348 | Maynooth |
| University of Galway | GY113 | Arts with Human Rights (politics-adjacent) | L8 | 4 yrs | 398 | Galway |
Points shown are 2025 CAO Round 1 cut-offs. All Level 8 degrees above are covered by the Free Fees scheme for eligible EU students; verify current figures at cao.ie/points.
It is genuinely true in politics: the 300-point Arts student and the 588-point PPES student sit the same Administrative Officer and Third Secretary competitions, and are judged on the same 2.1 standard. Many of Ireland’s senior civil servants and diplomats came through modestly-pointed Arts degrees. Pick the course you will do well in — not the one with the biggest number beside it.
The CAO is not the only door. Whether you are coming through further education, switching from another degree, returning as a mature student, or already hold a qualification, there is a route into political study.
QQI awards in areas such as Social Studies, Community Development, Legal Studies or Journalism build a foundation and a portfolio of academic work.
Many Arts and Social Science degrees reserve places for QQI-FET applicants — you compete on your Level 5 results rather than Leaving Cert points.
Check each university’s QQI links scheme for which awards map to which degrees before you enrol.
UCD DN700 Social Sciences and the Arts programmes at Maynooth, Galway and UCC let you start broad and choose politics as you go.
After a common first year you specialise into Politics & International Relations or keep it as a joint subject.
This is a lower-pressure way in if you are not certain at 17 — you keep your options open without committing on day one.
If you are 23 or older by 1 January of entry year, you can apply as a mature student through the CAO — assessed on life and work experience, a personal statement and sometimes an interview, rather than Leaving Cert points.
Politics, social science and Arts programmes are particularly mature-friendly; many universities ring-fence a quota of places. The mature CAO deadline is 1 February.
Already hold a degree in another field? You do not need a second undergraduate degree to work in politics. A one-year taught MA in Politics, International Relations, Public Policy or European Studies is offered at every major Irish university.
For competitive roles — diplomacy, EU institutions, policy analysis — a relevant masters is often the expected next step regardless of your first degree.
PLC student, mature returner, internal transfer or straight-from-school CAO applicant — once you graduate with a good degree, you all sit the same public-service and EU competitions on equal terms. The route in does not appear on your final qualification.
Politics, International Relations and European Studies are taught entirely in English at many continental universities — often at low EU tuition, and with an international classroom that is itself an asset for a politics career.
Politics is not a licensed profession, so there is no Irish registration board to satisfy — but you should still confirm that any EU degree is recognised for the jobs and postgraduate courses you are aiming at. Irish and EU public-service competitions accept degrees from recognised EU universities, and Qualifax/NARIC Ireland can confirm comparability. Verify the specific university is accredited in its own country and that your degree will be accepted for the Third Secretary competition, EU concours or your intended masters before relying on it.
As an EU citizen you pay home-student fees — in the Netherlands roughly €2,500 a year, and in Germany often little more than a small semester charge.
Dutch and Nordic universities run full Politics and IR bachelor degrees in English; you can pick up the local language alongside.
A continental, multinational classroom and a second EU language are genuine advantages for EU-institution and diplomatic careers.
English-taught Politics and IR degrees are also offered in Germany (e.g. Jacobs/Constructor University Bremen), the Nordics, and at specialist institutions across Europe. Use the Study in Europe portal and each university’s own admissions page to compare, and always check entry requirements and English-language proof early.
Politics is not a licensed profession — there is no compulsory exam to “qualify”. Instead you specialise, often through a masters and through the entry competitions for the route you want.
Routes into the civil and public service via the Administrative Officer competition; often paired with an MA in Public Policy or Public Administration.
The Department of Foreign Affairs Third Secretary competition and EU concours; an MA in IR or European Studies plus a second EU language strengthens an application.
NGO, development and rights work — often via an MA in Human Rights or International Development and volunteering/internship experience.
Lobbying, political communications and stakeholder work in consultancies and industry bodies — a regulated activity in Ireland (lobbying register).
Political journalism, think-tank and parliamentary research — politics knowledge is a real edge; some pair it with a journalism or data masters.
A taught masters then a PhD leads into university teaching and research, or into political and policy analysis roles.
For diplomacy, EU institutions, senior civil service and academia, a one-year taught masters is often expected. Budget for four to five years of study in total if you are targeting these competitive routes — the undergraduate degree opens the door, the masters and the entry competition get you through it.
Executive Officer and Administrative Officer civil-service starting scales; graduate NGO and public-affairs roles sit a little lower.
Higher Executive Officer to Assistant Principal scales; experienced diplomats, EU administrators and senior public-affairs consultants.
Assistant Principal and above, senior diplomats with allowances, and senior EU AD-grade administrators.
Government departments and agencies via publicjobs.ie — the largest single destination, EO → AO → HEO → AP → PO and beyond.
Department of Foreign Affairs, the EU institutions, UN, IMF, World Bank and OSCE — competitive, well-paid, language skills prized.
Public-affairs consultancies, think tanks, NGOs (Trócaire, Concern, Amnesty), political journalism and party/Oireachtas roles.
Salary figures are indicative ranges drawn from the 2025 Irish civil-service pay scales (publicjobs.ie) and published EU grade scales, and vary by employer, grade, location and experience. Diplomatic allowances vary significantly by posting.
From researching courses to your first role in public life — the key dates and milestones on the politics route.
Read up on the difference between dedicated degrees and Arts pathways, attend open days, and follow Irish and EU politics so you can speak to why the subject interests you.
The CAO application opens. Create your account and start listing your course choices in preference order — you can change them later.
Apply by the discounted early-bird fee deadline to save on the application charge. Worth doing even if you expect to change your mind later.
The main CAO application deadline — and the deadline for mature applicants (23+) and most HEAR/DARE supporting documentation. Miss this and late fees apply.
Free to reorder or change your course choices during the Change of Mind window — useful once you have seen how the year has gone.
Leaving Cert results, then CAO Round 1 offers. Accept your offer online by the deadline; later rounds follow if places remain.
Build the degree class that matters, take any placement, exchange or internship offered, and get involved in societies, debating and Model UN.
Choose your direction — a taught masters, the AO/Third Secretary competitions, the EU concours, or straight into a graduate role.
Into your first role in the civil service, an NGO, public affairs, journalism or an EU institution — or onward to a masters and the competitive entry routes.
If you are certain about politics, a dedicated degree (CK122, GY132, DC230, DC231) gives depth from first year. If you are not sure, an Arts pathway (MH101 at 300, GY101 at 350) lets you try politics alongside another subject before committing. Both reach the same finish line.
For EU careers a second EU language — especially French — is close to essential; the concours tests two EU languages. If your degree does not include one, take it as an elective or study it independently.
UCC’s Albany placement, UL’s Co-op, DCU’s INTRA year and UCD’s Oireachtas/EU internships change what employers and postgrad admissions see in you. Prioritise programmes with structured placements where you can.
Join the politics or debating society, try Model UN, volunteer on a campaign, write for the college paper, sit in on public Oireachtas committee hearings. These build exactly the skills the diplomatic and EU competitions test for.
There is no single “best” school for politics in Ireland. Points change every year with demand, and a 2.1 from a 300-point Maynooth Arts degree opens exactly the same civil-service, diplomatic and EU competitions as a 2.1 from 588-point Trinity PPES. What separates graduates is the degree class they earn and what they do alongside it — the placements, the languages, the societies, the campaigns. Choose the course you will thrive in, and always confirm current points at cao.ie.