3rd Level Degree & the Gardaí

Hi all, I'm currently a 6th year student and I'm really hoping to join the Guards in a few years. I've been told that the best thing to do is go to college before applying because it makes it easier to get in, or as a backup in case you don't get in at all. I'd be fairly confident that I could hit anywhere around 500 points in the Leaving with a bit of work, and I'm wondering if anyone has any advice on what 3rd level courses would be best for a career with the Gardaí?
I'm based in Munster, so naturally UL's degrees in Law or Criminal Justice, or WIT's Criminal Justice stand out to me due to the nature of the job.
Is there a major advantage to study Irish? TUD have a Law & Irish degree for example.
Any help is appreciated

hollyc11

A degree in Social Science perhaps, UCD have a pathway for crime and social justice through their socsci course






quote="ddoolan03;115073540"]Hi all, I'm currently a 6th year student and I'm really hoping to join the Guards in a few years. I've been told that the best thing to do is go to college before applying because it makes it easier to get in, or as a backup in case you don't get in at all. I'd be fairly confident that I could hit anywhere around 500 points in the Leaving with a bit of work, and I'm wondering if anyone has any advice on what 3rd level courses would be best for a career with the Gardaí?
I'm based in Munster, so naturally UL's degrees in Law or Criminal Justice, or WIT's Criminal Justice stand out to me due to the nature of the job.
Is there a major advantage to study Irish? TUD have a Law & Irish degree for example.
Any help is appreciated [/quote]

CD2020!

ddoolan03 wrote: »

Hi all, I'm currently a 6th year student and I'm really hoping to join the Guards in a few years. I've been told that the best thing to do is go to college before applying because it makes it easier to get in, or as a backup in case you don't get in at all. I'd be fairly confident that I could hit anywhere around 500 points in the Leaving with a bit of work, and I'm wondering if anyone has any advice on what 3rd level courses would be best for a career with the Gardaí?
I'm based in Munster, so naturally UL's degrees in Law or Criminal Justice, or WIT's Criminal Justice stand out to me due to the nature of the job.
Is there a major advantage to study Irish? TUD have a Law & Irish degree for example.
Any help is appreciated

a degree won't help you get into the guards initially as anyone with an LC and a language can get in once all tests are passed. The benefits of a degree are. 1. you get to live your college best years (hopefully) and you havent wasted your LC points by skipping college.
2. You skip ahead 4 points on the salary scale once you pass probation in the guards which is worth a couple of grand per year.
3. If you want to progress up the ranks you already have a good degree and won't necessarily have to go back to adult education.

In the Garda college you get a BA in policing studies from UL and you have the option to get the Honours degree(top up) in policing from UL later on in your own time(offered exclusively to Gardai). So if I were you I would look at a degree with a law element and of social studies element. But also do something you would enjoy working in after college because you don't know when the they will be hiring again when you finish in college.

banie01

Criminal Justice in UL and the other similar courses in other 3rd levels maybe?
UL would get you facetime with the lecturers for the Garda BA too.