Business Studies | Our Lady's SS

Subject Information

Business Studies helps you to make more informed decisions in the everyday business of living. It gives you a better understanding of the world of work. It encourages you to think about how and why people start up in business and why you too might also consider starting a business.

Some of the things you will learn include:

Good communication skills such as letter writing and report writing
How to collect, organise, and record financial information for yourself, your family and for businesses you may be employed with in the future
What your rights and responsibilities are as a consumer
How to calculate your wages when you start working (including the minimum wage)
Why our membership of the European Union is so important to our economy.

Department Members

Mr Mulroe
Ms Clarke
Mr Connolly
Ms Irwin
Ms S Brady

Junior Cycle Business Studies

The specification for junior cycle business studies focuses on improving students’ understanding of the business environment and on developing skills for life, work and further study through the three inter-connected strands:

Personal Finance
Enterprise
Our Economy

The assessment of business studies for the purposes of the Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement (JCPA) will comprise two Classroom-based Assessments, Business in Action and Presentation, and a final assessment worth 10% of the final exam. In addition, the second Classroom-Based Assessment will have a written Assessment Task that will be marked, along with the final assessment, by the State Examinations Commission.

In 2nd Year Business Studies, students get the opportunity to explore an economic trend, development, change or policy that is impacting positively or negatively on the Irish economy and society. In this project, they have to

Carry out research on their chosen economic issue
Evaluate their research findings. The economic evaluation will include identifying and assessing the economic, social and environmental benefits and costs for different key stakeholders
Demonstrate use of relevant economic indicators and graphic representations to support their research findings
Develop an action plan outlining an economic policy change that might improve the resulting economic outcomes
Compile a project to summarise their work.

Below are examples of students who completed this CBA in the Business Studies Classroom.

Leaving Certificate Business Studies

Students are exposed to how businesses operate in both a national and international environment. Students can expect to understand how to form a business and the necessary legal requirements to be put in place to do so. They will learn about the importance of enterprise and entrepreneurship in today’s business world and the skills and characteristics necessary to become a successful entrepreneur/manager. How best to market one’s company from initial brainstorming of ideas to product/service development, to achieving sales of product or service and advertising will all be studied. Consumers and their rights are also addressed as are the rights and responsibilities of employees and employers. The legislation relating to these areas will be dealt with. Students will also learn about the government and its role in the business environment, E.U. regulations and how social responsibility, environment regulations and transparency impact on the business world.

Business will give students a broad understanding of these topics which are fundamental elements of 3rd level Business courses.