Traditional Leaving Certificate - General Information
In Santa Sabina Dominican College, all students study seven subjects in the senior cycle (unless a student has an Irish exemption) and the highest grades from six of those subjects are counted for points towards CAO.
If any student wishes to study eight subjects or more, the additional subjects are studied outside the Santa Sabina timetable, however students will sit the Leaving Certificate examination in those subjects in Santa Sabina.
The examination subjects offered in Santa Sabina at Leaving Certificate level are:
Core: Irish, English, Mathematics and a European Language (French, German or Italian)
In addition, students study three optional subjects from the list below:
Optional: Accounting, Agricultural Science, Applied Mathematics, Art, Biology, Business, Chemistry, Economics, Geography, History, Home Economics, Music, Physics, Politics and Society.
An open choice is provided from which students choose their five preferred subjects. The chosen subjects are entered into a computer programme and three bands or lines of subjects are generated. Students are then assigned three optional subjects from the five originally chosen. Not all students will be provided with their three top subjects as the programme will produce the bands suiting the majority of students.
It is advisable that students research their preferred college course to check if there are specific subjects required for entry to their course of choice in college. Our Guidance Department will have spoken to the students about this in school. If parents have any specific questions relating to college entry please contact the Guidance Department. For example, if students wish to study Medicine, two Science subjects at Leaving Certificate must be studied to meet the requirements for this particular course. Veterinary Medicine requires Chemistry.
It is important to note that Higher Mathematics receives bonus points for entry to College.
The traditional Leaving Certificate is an academic programme and geared towards College entry.