40 Mature Students Graduate From First Housing and Communities Studies Degree

40 Mature Students Graduate From First Housing and Communities Studies Degree
Degree Introduced By Respond! and UCD

Mature Students of Ireland’s first ever Bachelor of Social Sciences Degree in Housing and Communities Studies will today (September 3rd) graduate in a ceremony being held in University College Dublin. The degree course, which was introduced by Ireland’s largest housing association Respond!, is the first of its kind in the country and contains students from a variety of professional backgrounds, including local authorities, HSE, legal aid and voluntary associations. The degree is given in association with University College Dublin and progresses from Certificate, through to Diploma, to full Degree.

According to Patrick Cogan, ofm, Managing Director of Respond!: “We are amazed at the success of the course and how it has grown over the past number of years. It is especially gratifying that our first ever graduation of Respond! / UCD BSS students is taking place in 2007, the year of Respond!’s 25th anniversary.”Tailored to the needs of those working in, or with an interest in, housing, local government, housing design and construction, community development and the voluntary sector, the course offers a practice-based academic education and was identified in response to the need identified by the County & City Managers Association in the late 80s.

“This course is vital for people working in Housing”, according to Susan Dunne, BSS Student and FÁS Supervisor. “In the long term it will have a very positive impact on all concerned and it is gratifying to finally have a recognised qualification in housing. At last housing is being taken seriously in Ireland.”
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Lecturers and guest speakers over the past 4 years include highly respected academics and professionals from the sector including Michelle Norris (UCD), John O Connor (Affordable Homes Partnership), Evelyn Hanlon (Dublin City Council), Dr Peadar Kirby (DCU), Dr Andy Storey (UCD), Brian Harvey, and Robin Hannon. “The next Housing and Communities Studies Degree will commence in January 2008 and anyone wishing to find out more should contact us here at Respond!,” Patrick Cogan added. “Having worked in the sector for 25 years, there was a definite need for specialist academic and professional training. We consulted closely with the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the County and City Managers’ Association and we are grateful for the support they have offered over the years”

The course is delivered on a part-time basis in the Respond! Campus in Drumcondra for the most part, with some lectures delivered in University College Dublin. The degree is not listed with the Central Applications Office (CAO) and is intended for mature (over 23) students only. Further information on the BSS degree can be obtained by contacting Deborah Butler on 0818 357901 or by emailing bsscourse@respond.ie
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