DCU Business School - The DCUBS Difference

• Introduced an impressive number of programmes which are the first of their kind in Ireland, including new programmes in Emergency Management, and Marketing, Innovation and Technology
• Been one of the first business schools to pioneer the inclusion of work placements on its undergraduate degree programmes
• Promoted the concept of integrating business education in technology programmes
• Pioneered the integration of languages with business education
• Led the way in international linkage programmes with strong student exchange arrangements across Europe, the US, Canada, Japan and China

If you choose to study in DCU Business School you will get the opportunity to do many unique things, which will give you all the skills and knowledge to be successful in your graduate careers and beyond. These include:

The BEST Induction Programme

New undergraduate students at DCU Business School will participate in our innovative induction process designed to accelerate students' transition to learning at third level.

The BEST programme takes place the week before lectures commence and is run over two days. The programme inclues a range of innovative, practical, and fun workshops and exercises.

The key objective is to facilitate positive first week experiences for our new first year students and provide the opportunity to socialise and make new friends; get to know the DCU campus; and better experience alternative approaches to learning and to be better prepared for the new learning approaches that are used in DCU Business School.

BEST is a fun way of breaking the ice and making friends for the years ahead in DCU Business School!

Digital, Innovation, Creativity and Enterprise (DICE) Module

DICE (Digital, Innovation, Creativity and Enterprise) is a first year module in DCU Business School, which involves over 350 first year and nearly 200 postgraduate students from the faculties of business and computing.

The module exposes participants to multiple modes of learning including online e-learning, mini-conferences, mobile app building, blogging, and research posters. Students are not 'taught' in conventional classrooms. Instead, they are taught through team work, online learning, live webinars, project work, and entrepreneurship. Over 30 speakers participated in these conferences in 2014 including executives from Enterprise Ireland, Insomnia Coffee, Microsoft and O2.

In 2014, in association with Microsoft Ireland, student teams developed over 90 Windows Phone apps, each focusing on tourism for a difference town or region in Ireland and published them on the Windows App Store.

New Enterprise Development

New Enterprise Development is a year-long final year undergraduate module that tasks students with creating an innovative product or service idea and putting it through various stages of the new venture creation process including: concept development, feasibility analysis, digital marketing campaign, financial planning, and finally the business plan presentation in the from of a Dragons' Den.

Our budding entrepreneurs enter the Dragons' Den to pitch their New Enterprise Development ideas to a panel of experienced business people. This year, we had representives from companies such as Google, Irish Rail and Netflix.

Some of the product/service ideas that have been produced include: the 'Thermabag' (to relieve back pain from heavy school bags), the 'Stirrometer' (a drinks' thermometer), and Synergy Foot Solutions (to help with physio exercises to strengthen feet). Synergy Foot Solutions has received funding from DCU UStart.

The standard of all our students' ideas are truly exceptional and numerous groups have gone on to win business plan competitions outside of DCU. For example, one project, Cents for Change, won the Accenture Leaders of Tomorrow Competition in 2014.