Business, Economics and Social Studies

    Business, Economics and Social Studies

    Duration4 year(s)
    Next IntakeSeptember 1, 2026

    Business, Economics and Social Studies

    About

    What is Business, Economics and Social Studies (BESS)?

    BESS is a uniquely flexible degree programme offering you different degree options across the disciplines of Business, Economics, Political Science and Sociology. It provides students with a broad education and you specialise and graduate with a Single Honours or Joint Honours degree with another subject, or a Major with a Minor. It also offers a high level of flexibility in two very important ways: from the second year onwards students are allowed to (a) choose the specific degree they wish to take and, (b) choose individual modules within their chosen degree path. Students, therefore, have an opportunity to adjust their study programmes in accordance with their academic results, interests, aptitudes and emerging career aspirations.

    Requirements

    Entry Requirements

    Leaving Certificate:

    H4/O2 Mathematics

    GCSE:

    Grade A/8 Mathematics

    International Baccalaureate:

    HL Grade 5 / SL Grade 7 Mathematics

    English Language Requirements

    All applicants to Trinity are required to provide official evidence of proficiency in the English language. Applicants to this course are required to meet Band B (Standard Entry) English language requirements. For more details of qualifications that meet Band B, see the English Language Requirements page here.

    English Requirements

    • IELTSMin 6.5

    English Program Requirements

    Applicants for the Trinity International Foundation Programme require IELTS 5.0 overall, with 5.0 in Writing and no band below 4.5.

    Applicants for all Undergraduate and Postgraduate programmes must present one of the following English language qualifications.

    QUALIFICATIONSREQUIREMENTS
    1Irish Leaving CertificateA grade D3 or better in Ordinary Level English
    2GCSEA grade C or better in English Language
    3European BaccalaureateEnglish: 6 in your 1st language, or in 1st or 2nd Foreign Language
    4French BaccalaureateStudents presenting the OIB or International Option of the French Baccalaureate may satisfy the English language requirement by achieving a minimum of 12 (where the coefficient is greater than 5) in English Language and Literature. In cases where the coefficient is less than 5, a minimum result of 14 will be required.
    5International BaccalaureateEnglish A1, A2 or B: 5 at Higher Level (4 at Standard Level if presenting IB through English)
    6US High School CurriculumA grade C in English taken in final year
    7TOEFL

    Paper based 570 (with a TWE score of 4.5) / Computer based 233 (with a score of 4.5 in essay) / Internet based 90 (with a written score of 21)

    PG: 88 internet-based, 570 paper-based, 230 computer-based

    8University of Cambridge

    180+ on Cambridge English scale with no less than 175 in each skill and use of English i.e., Proficiency Certificate, Grade C or better (CEFR Level C1 or C2), Advanced Certificate, Grade C or better (CEFR Level C1 or C2)

    PG: Proficiency Certificate, Grade C or better (CEFR Level C1 or C2) Advanced Certificate, Grade C or better (CEFR Level C1 or C2) 

    9IELTS

    (Academic version) 6.5 (no individual band below 6). For Dental courses: IELTS (academic version) 7 (no individual band below 7) For Clinical speech and language studies: IELTS (academic version) 7 (no individual band below 7)

    10Pearson Test of English(Academic) - PTE Academic: a minimum score of 63 (with no section score below 59).
    11Duolingo English TestMinimum overall score of 110/160

    Career

    From a career perspective BESS is an extremely flexible and practical degree programme. Graduates are also highly sought after by employers in a range of fields, such as finance and banking, politics, research, management consulting, teaching, public service, and journalism. Graduates have gone on to successful and rewarding careers in varied roles around the globe. The following are just a few examples of the organisations that have recruited BESS graduates: Accenture, Alcatel, Cisco, Barclay’s Bank, Commission for Energy Regulation, Enterprise Ireland, Google, KPMG, Microsoft, Morgan Stanley, Tesco, Topshop, Channel 4, and Atlantic Philanthropies.

    Fee Information

    Business, Economics and Social Studies

    Trinity College Dublin

    Trinity College Dublin

    Ireland

    Ireland, Dublin