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Creative Arts & Design
Duration
4 years
Level
Bachelor
Outlook
Stable
This four-year Honours Bachelor degree at the University of Limerick's Irish World Academy of Music and Dance immerses you in Irish dance as both a performance art and a living cultural tradition. You develop advanced technical skills across competitive step dance, sean-nós, and traditional social dance forms, while also studying choreography, music theory, and dance ethnology. A typical week balances studio rehearsals, movement technique classes, academic seminars, and collaborative performance projects. You gain hands-on teaching practice in schools and community settings, and there are opportunities for international exchange through Erasmus+ partnerships. By graduation you will hold both high-level performance capability and a strong grounding in Irish dance scholarship and pedagogy.
Entry is through the CAO, but all applicants must pass a competitive audition assessing technical ability, musicality, and performance quality before an offer is made. A minimum of six Leaving Certificate subjects at O6/H7 or above is required, including English; Higher Level English is strongly recommended. CAO points requirements are moderate, but the audition is the primary selection mechanism. Students may also enter through a QQI Level 5 or 6 Performing Arts or Dance award via the higher education links scheme, subject to audition. Mature applicants aged 23 or over may apply through the mature-student route, and HEAR and DARE access schemes are available for eligible students.
Demand for qualified Irish dance teachers remains consistent in Ireland and across diaspora communities in North America, Australia, and Britain. The global popularity of Irish dance, sustained by competitive dancing and theatrical productions, supports ongoing opportunities for performers and choreographers. Graduates with teaching qualifications can work in schools under the Department of Education's arts programmes or run independent dance schools. Combining performance and teaching skills gives graduates flexibility to build portfolio careers across multiple employment strands.
AI tools are beginning to influence choreographic practice through motion-capture analysis and movement feedback software, which can support technical training and injury prevention. Digital platforms and social media algorithms shape how Irish dance performance is promoted and consumed globally, requiring graduates to develop digital literacy alongside artistic skills. However, the embodied, culturally rooted nature of Irish dance means live performance and in-person transmission remain central and difficult to replicate through automation. AI is more likely to serve as a supporting tool than to displace the performer or teacher in this field.
2 CAO courses lead to this qualification. Points shown are last year's Round 1 score.
Providers and indicative points are curated with AI support. Always double-check with the institution itself.
CAO points (indicative): 300-420 (2024)
* Indicative only: CAO points change every year. Always check the current points on cao.ie and with the institution.
How to apply
The primary undergraduate route is through the CAO (www.cao.ie), with University of Limerick being the main dedicated provider of Irish music and dance performance at honours degree level; some performing arts and dance programmes at other institutions may be applied to via CAO or direct provider application, and applicants should check each institution's current offerings and audition requirements directly.
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