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What are Trinity Electives?
Trinity Electives are stand-alone modules worth 5 ECTS, taught and assessed within one semester, with no prerequisites. These modules are available to undergraduate students in their Senior Freshman and Junior Sophister years from across Faculties.
Why Trinity Electives?
Trinity Electives enhance the undergraduate curriculum by offering students unique and meaningful learning experiences beyond their primary disciplines. They are part of the Undergraduate Common Architecture and they provide opportunities to develop the Trinity Graduate Attributes, alongside the Open Modules.
Objectives of a Trinity Elective
All Trinity Electives are taught using innovative teaching methods, they incorporate blended delivery or are fully online. The nature of University-wide modules enables multidisciplinary exploration of topics outside the students' main field of study.
Trinity Electives:
- Examine critical issues: Use techniques and approaches from multiple disciplines to explore current and/or past critical issues.
- Expose students to new knowledge: Introduce new domains of knowledge, methods of enquiry, and the wider implications of the topic.
- Foster critical skills: Encourage reflection, inquisitiveness, analytical skills, and critical thinking.
- Engage diverse groups: Provide learning opportunities in diverse and heterogeneous groups.
- Develop Graduate Attributes: Offer opportunities to develop the Trinity Graduate Attributes: To Act Responsibly, To Develop Continuously, To Think Independently, and To Communicate Effectively.
Key Dates 2024/25
New Proposals, major amendments, suspensions and cessations to existing approved Trinity Electives must be approved by Trinity Elective Sub-Committee (TESC) and Undergraduate Studies Committee (USC) prior to proceeding to Council.
The below table outlines the corresponding TESC, USC and Council 2024/25 dates for the approval of new Trinity Electives and requests for major amendments to existing electives (including suspensions and cessations).
| Submissions to Academic Affairs* | November 01, 2024 | January 17, 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| TESC Circulation Date | November 15, 2024 | January 31, 2025 |
| TESC Meeting Date | November 25, 2024 | February 10, 2025 |
| USC meeting date | December 10, 2024 | February 25, 2025 |
| Council meeting date | February 05, 2025 | March 12, 2025 |
*Academic Affairs must have seen the final version of the proposal at least 10 days prior to its circulation to TESC members. This is to ensure that the proposal is aligned to Trinity's academic regulations.