DCAS International Exchange Programs
(ERASMUS+, PCTO & Professional Courses)
Discover DCAS Non-ELT Courses
Dublin College of Advanced Studies offers a wide portfolio of 300 non-ELT courses designed for learners who want practical, future-focused education in Erasmus+, PCTO and Professional learning pathways. These courses help students strengthen academic confidence, build transferable skills and prepare more effectively for university life, international mobility and the contemporary job market. From STEAM and Sustainability to Digital Skills (e.g., AI, Cyber Security), Teacher Training and SEN, the DCAS catalogue gives learners access to a broad and modern educational offer.
​
At DCAS, learning is designed to be applied and relevant. Students do not simply study a subject in theory; they engage with projects, communication tasks, simulations, interdisciplinary activities and real-world themes that support both future study and professional development.
​​
What the 300 DCAS Courses Include ?
​​
The DCAS non-ELT catalogue contains 300 courses across multiple subject families, giving schools, institutions and learners the flexibility to match programmes to academic interests, mobility goals and employability priorities.
​
Main course categories in the DCAS 300-course list
​
-
Education and teacher development, including CLIL, bilingual education, assessment, pedagogy and classroom innovation.
-
Business, entrepreneurship, leadership, project planning and professional communication.
-
Digital skills, AI, automation, cybersecurity, data literacy and business reporting.
-
Hospitality, tourism, cultural tourism and visitor engagement.
-
Healthcare, community wellbeing, public health and inclusive care.
-
Sport, coaching, outdoor education, leadership and wellbeing promotion.
-
Creative industries, design, photography, branding, media and cultural production.
-
Smart industry, green jobs, sustainable construction, mechatronics and future careers.
-
Life sciences, biotechnology, biomedical awareness, diagnostics and health innovation.
-
Agri-tech, environmental monitoring, drones, precision agriculture and smart systems.
-
Civic participation, EU values, democracy, volunteering and social innovation.
​
Together, these categories allow learners to explore subjects that support university readiness, wider career awareness and stronger confidence in modern academic and workplace settings.
Erasmus+, PCTO and Professional Pathways
DCAS has developed these courses to serve three strong non-ELT pathways: Erasmus+, PCTO and Professional Courses.
For Erasmus+ participants, the courses can enrich mobility experiences with meaningful academic, cultural and skills-based content. For PCTO participants, they can support practical, work-related learning and stronger awareness of professional environments. For Professional learners, they offer contemporary upskilling in areas that matter for career development and organisational relevance. All courses can be offered for students, teachers, or admin staff. Rather than offering isolated study, these pathways help learners develop communication, adaptability, problem-solving, digital confidence and subject knowledge that can support both university success and worklife progression.
Add 60 STEAM Enhancements
Alongside the 300-course catalogue, DCAS offers 60 STEAM add-ons that can be combined with many courses without replacing the original subject identity.
These add-ons bring innovation, creativity and practical technology into a course through themes such as AI, AR/VR, 3D printing, robotics, coding, dashboards, drones, sensors, cybersecurity, smart cities, green technology and digital storytelling.
This means a learner can follow a main subject pathway while also gaining extra technical, digital or creative competences that are highly relevant to university projects, presentations, research tasks, teamwork and employability. Even a course that is not technology related can be integrated with a STEAM Add-on (e.g., Psychology and AI, Hospitality and Cyber security, Logistics and Robotics, International Relations and VR, Healthcare and 3D-Printing)
The 6 STEAM add-on families
AI, Automation and Digital Intelligence
Including AI literacy, prompt engineering, AI role-play, business intelligence and recruitment-related AI awareness.
Immersive Simulation and Scenario Design
Including AR/VR, healthcare simulation, tourism and heritage experience design, digital twins and futures modelling.
Cyber, Data and Information Defense
Including cybersecurity essentials, phishing awareness, incident response, compliance, dashboard design and data visualisation.
Maker, Engineering and Smart Systems
Including 3D printing, CAD, robotics, sensors, IoT, smart environments, drones and mobility planning.
Green Technology, Life Sciences and Agri-Tech
Including renewable energy, environmental sensors, smart farming, biotechnology visualisation, diagnostics simulation and wearable health data.
Creative Digital Production and Professional Showcasing
Including digital storytelling, podcasting, UX/UI, digital branding, portfolio creation, infographic design and music technology.
The STEAM menu allows DCAS programmes to remain academically focused while becoming more interactive, interdisciplinary and future-oriented.
How Learners Can Use This Offer
Students, partner schools and institutions can use the DCAS model in a flexible way.
A learner may choose a subject-based course for academic growth, then add one or more STEAM modules to strengthen digital fluency, innovation awareness, creative communication or technical confidence connected to that subject.
This supports learners in several ways:
-
It improves confidence with university-style project work, presentations, collaboration and interdisciplinary thinking.
-
It strengthens employability through applied tasks, professional scenarios and transferable skills valued in different sectors.
-
It helps learners build portfolios, prototypes, reports, dashboards, campaigns or reflective outputs that demonstrate initiative and readiness.
-
It allows schools and mobility organisers to create more customized experiences within the Erasmus+, PCTO, and Professional Courses domain with visible educational value.
Class structure
The classes are 30% lecture based, focusing on the theoretical and conceptual framework while 70% of the class s Project Based Learning (PBL). During this stage of learning the teacher is no longer a lecturer, but a facilitator enabling students to engage in the 5Cs (Creative, Critical, Communicative, Collaborative, and Competitive thinking. Students will have to offer innovative solutions and strategies for the modern day and future (Creative), they must justify their novel solutions and ideas (Critical), be able to develop their projects within groups (Collaborative), be tested against other groups who are performing that same project for excellence (Competitive).
Aims
The whole package is intended to firstly offer students an exceptional experience here in Dublin. Secondly, elevate the practical and theoretical knowledge of the subject area. Thirdly, improve the students English level (general & technical). Fourthly, acquaint students with Irish culture and heritage. Fourthly, facilitate the integration of students with other nationalities. Fifthly, offer students a more global comprehensive view of the world. With these five aims, students will remember their time at DCAS as a valuable chapter of their life, rather than just any other course.
Not only a course
DCAS learners, whether students, admin staff, or teachers can benefit from much more than classes. There are 5 options of corporate visits (e.g., companies based on Dublin) related to the course, cultural visits (e.g., Dublin museums), being incorporated in our General English courses to integrate with other international students, having technical English classes related to the course they are doing, and external expert visits. These are all subject to availability, based on client request, and add an unforgettable dimension to the experience.
Meet the Team
Welcome to our dedicated team, committed to enhancing the Erasmus+ and PCTO course experiences We strive to provide exceptional support and resources to empower students and educators alike. Together, we aim to foster international collaboration and practical learning opportunities that inspire growth and development. Join us on this exciting journey!
