Entrepreneurship and Management

This degree focuses on the skills and mindset needed to start, grow and manage businesses, with a strong emphasis on new-venture creation, innovation, and small-to-medium enterprise (SME) management. You study everything from business planning and financial management to marketing, leadership, and organisational behaviour. Practical learning is central — you are likely to spend time in a campus incubator, develop real business plans, and collaborate with local entrepreneurs. Many programmes include a work placement semester with a start-up or SME, and some offer Erasmus exchange opportunities in European business schools. A typical week combines lectures, case-study workshops, team pitches, and meetings with entrepreneur mentors.

Entry is through the CAO, and applicants typically need a minimum of six Leaving Certificate subjects, including English and Mathematics. Higher Level Maths is advantageous and may be required by some institutions; Business or Accounting at Leaving Cert level is also useful preparation. CAO points for this type of degree are generally moderate, though this can vary by institution and year. If you do not meet the Leaving Cert requirements directly, a relevant QQI Level 5 or Level 6 Business PLC award can provide a progression route into the first or second year of the degree. Mature applicants (aged 23 or over) may apply through a separate CAO stream, and HEAR and DARE schemes support access for eligible socioeconomic and disability categories respectively.

Demand for entrepreneurially minded graduates remains strong in Ireland, where SMEs account for the vast majority of businesses and employment. Enterprise Ireland and Local Enterprise Offices actively support graduates seeking to commercialise ideas or join scaling businesses. Graduates with strong commercial and leadership skills are competitive in the jobs market, and many go on to found their own ventures within a few years of graduating. The combination of business fundamentals and entrepreneurial practice makes this degree versatile across many industries.