After completing the Junior cycle and sitting the Junior Certificate students begin the Senior Cycle programme. The Senior Cycle generally caters for students from 15 to 18 although the Leaving Certificate is not limited to post-primary students. The main programmes that students can follow at Senior Cycle are:
Not all of these programmes are followed in every school. You must find out what is available in your school or the school you are thinking of attending. There is a detailed booklet on the website of the Department of Education and Skills: The Senior Cycle in Second Level Schools (pdf).
Within these programmes, there are a number of compulsory subjects. The subjects that are compulsory vary for different programmes and different types of school. All third-level courses have minimum subject requirements for entry. These often include Maths, English and Irish. You should check these minimum requirements before deciding which subjects to take for the Leaving Certificate.
Irish is compulsory in most programmes. In some very limited circumstances, a student may not have to study Irish.