As a Trinity Single Honours student, you will have choices to make at the end of your first and second years about what type of degree you want to finish with (Single Honours or Major with Minor), and which options you’d like to take to get there.
Students will be notified by email, via in-tray message in my.tcd.ie and social media when the pathway selection functionality is open.
Questions regarding pathway choices should be directed to your own School or course office. To find your school's contact details, you can visit this Trinity webpage.
Choices available to Single Honours students
At the end of Junior Fresh and Senior Fresh years, single honours students will have a decision to make regarding their pathways.
These options are shown in the diagram below.
First Year
For your first year as a Single Honours student, you must take the modules that are prescribed by your core subject, which make up 60 ECTS credits in total.
Second Year
Before you begin your second year as a Single Honours student, you have a pathway choice to make. You must take 40 credits worth of modules as prescribed by your core subject, but you may choose either:
1. A New Minor Subject (20 ECTS Credits)
This will mean you are on track to get either
a SINGLE HONOURS DEGREE or a MAJOR WITH MINOR DEGREE
You will select your new minor subject during pathway selection. You can submit up to 3 preferences. Allocation of your new minor subject is on a first come, first served basis. You will be notified of your new minor subject allocation, by Intray message to your portal, once the pathway selection period has closed.
Some new minor subjects (NMS) have pre-requisites. If you want to take up a new minor subject you must check your eligibility (open 26th April - 29th May 2023 for the academic year 2023/24).
2. Trinity Electives and Open Modules (20 ECTS Credits)
This will mean you are on track to get a SINGLE HONOURS DEGREE
If you opt to take Trinity electives and open modules, you will make you selections during online module enrolment, which will open at the end of July.
Third Year
Your third year pathway depends on your choice in your second year. This decision is made at the end of your second year.
Single Honours pathway with Trinity Electives/Open Modules
For this option, you must take 50 credits worth of modules as prescribed by your core subject, and 10 credits worth of Trinity Electives or Open Modules.
Single Honours pathway with New Minor Subject
If you have chosen to take a new minor subject for your second year, you now have three options:
1. You can drop the new minor subject and continue with 50 credits of modules from your core subject and 10 credits of Trinity Electives or Open modules. In this case you will graduate with a Single Honours Degree.
2. You can keep your new minor subject and continue with 50 credits of modules from your core subject and 10 credits from your new minor subject. In this case you will also graduate with a Single Honours Degree.
3. You can keep your new minor subject and continue with 40 credits of modules from your core subject and 20 credits from your new minor subject. In this case you will graduate with a Major with Minor Degree.
Fourth Year
Single Honours Exit
Students who have chosen the single honours pathway in their third year must take 40 credits of modules as prescribed by your core subject and must complete a 20 credit Capstone Project. This is the same for students who have chosen to take Trinity Electives, Open Modules or 10 credits of a new minor subject.
Major with Minor Exit
Students who wish to graduate with a Major with Minor degree must complete 20 credits of core subject modules, 20 credits from the second subject, and a 20 credit Capstone Project.
How to make pathway selections
Accessing pathway selections
Log on to my.tcd.ie using your college username and password.
Go to the "My Programme" tab.
Click on the 'Click here to select your programme' link.
Making your pathway selections
This screen lists the different pathways available on your programme.
To continue on your current programme of studying one subject and 20 credits of Trinity Electively and open modules, click on the ‘Continue on the current Trinity Pathway’ button
To select a single honours subject, you must make your selection in order of preference and then click on the ‘Select’ button.
You must choose at least one preference if you want to take up a new minor subject.
To continue on your current programme of studying one subject and 20 credits of Trinity Electively and Open modules, click on the ‘Continue on the current Trinity Pathway’ button.
Confirming your pathway selection
To confirm your selection click on the ‘Confirm’ button. If you are unsure of anything go back to the previous screen using the ‘Reselect’ button.
Once you click on the "Confirm" button you cannot change your mind.
On the next screen the pathway you have selected will be noted.
You will then receive an Intray message confirming your decision on your portal home page of my.tcd.ie.
FAQs
Can all Single Honours students take up a New Minor Subject?
No – students on Deaf Studies and Sociology & Social Policy cannot take up a New Minor Subject.
If I don’t take a New Minor Subject (second subject) in my Year 2 can I still take the Major with Minor pathway?
No, you will need to take up a New Minor Subject (second subject) in Year 2 in order to graduate with a Major with Minor degree. It is best to discuss the pathways specifically available to you with your School or Programme Office.
What are the implications if I take Trinity Electives and Open Modules instead of a second subject?
If you take Trinity Electives and Open Modules instead of a New Minor Subject in Year 2, you will graduate with a Single Honours award only, i.e., the Major with Minor award will not be available to you.
Do I have to take a Trinity Elective over the course of my studies?
This will depend on whether or not you take up a New Minor Subject. If you take up a second subject in Year 2, you will not be required to take a Trinity Elective during that year. If you continue with this subject in Year 3, you will not take a Trinity Elective at any point during your course. If you decide not to continue with the new subject in Year 3, you will need to take a minimum of one or a maximum of 2 Trinity Electives; if you take one Trinity Elective you will take one 5 ECTS Open Module as well in Year 3.
Where can I find more information about what New Minor Subjects are available?
See the New Minor Subject section of this FAQ page below and the website https://www.tcd.ie/tjh/new-minor-subject . Please note that students on Deaf Studies and Sociology and Social Policy cannot take up a New Minor Subject.
What happens if I don’t make a pathway selection?
If you fail to make a pathway selection at the end of your Junior Fresh year, you will remain on the single pathway and will not participate in pathway selection at the end of Senior Fresh year.
If you are invited to make a pathway selection at the end of your Senior Fresh year and fail to make a selection, you will remain on the major with minor pathway.