Choosing a College

Making some initial decisions regarding your personal preferences can make your search for a suitable course in Ireland a lot quicker and easier. In this section we examine the things to consider when selecting a college, course and geographic location.

Choosing a college type

The following is a guide to the type of course provider available in Ireland (check out the English Language Section for information on English Language Schools):

Institutes of Technology (ITs): There are 14 ITs scattered across Ireland. They are strong providers of practical courses with a technological focus in areas such as Science, Engineering, Technology, and Business. Although, a growing number of Art & Design, Humanities, Languages, Healthcare and Tourism programmes are on offer. Dublin Institute of Technology is the largest IT and also the biggest third level institution in Ireland.

Universities: The most prestigious course providers in Ireland. The competition for entry to a university course tends to be tougher than other colleges. The federal body, the National University of Ireland (NUI) is comprised of four universities: NUI Galway, NUI Maynooth, University College Cork (UCC), and University College Dublin (UCD).  The NUI also oversees five other colleges that specialise in specific areas of study: the Royal College of Surgeons, National College of Art and Design (NCAD), Institute of Public Administration (IPA), Shannon College of Hotel Management, and the Milltown Institute. The three other universities in Ireland are Dublin City University (DCU), University of Limerick (UL) and Trinity College Dublin (TCD). Universities offer courses in all subject areas - from Medicine to Engineering, Business to Arts & Humanities.

Colleges of Education: There are several colleges in Ireland offering teacher training: Church of Ireland College of Education, Marino Institute of Education, Froebel College, Mary Immaculate College (Limerick), Mater Dei Institute of Education, St Angela’s College, St Patrick’s College of Education (Dublin) and St Patrick’s College of Education (Co Tipperary). Some universities offer programmes for graduates seeking to become second level teachers.

Other Publically Funded Higher Education Providers: Certain colleges across Ireland are part of the free fees for eligible EU students scheme but are not part of the above sectors. Examples include the Tipperary Institute, which blends rural and business development, the National College of Ireland (NCI), a provider of business courses in Dublin, and Pontifical University, a theological college in Co Kildare.

PLC (Post Leaving Cert) Colleges: Includes Colleges of Further Education and Community Colleges; these institutions provide education and training in a huge range of subjects to local communities in Ireland, and have in recent years experienced a large rise in international student enrolment. Qualifications available include FETAC Level 5 and 6 (see Education in Ireland) and prepare students for the workplace or higher education.

Independent Colleges: Courses available in Ireland’s wide selection of independent (non-publically funded) colleges include Accountancy, Business Studies, Law, Humanities and Art. Not all qualifications are validated by the NFQ (see Education in Ireland), but the certification on offer is generally well recognised internationally. Many independent colleges in Ireland have a wealth of experience catering for international students.

Choosing your course/college

International students should think about the following issues when making a decision on what course to apply for:

• Applicants should ensure the qualification represents a step forward in their academic career and will be well recognised in their home country
• It is vital that you have a keen interest in the topic – studying at higher level in another country is hard enough without becoming bored or frustrated by your subject matter
• Does the course provider have an international students department? If so be sure to contact them about what services and assistance they provide
• Does the college provide good study facilities in terms of access to a computer, desk, etc?
• What size will the class be and will there be a sizable contingent of other international students? Some of you may be more comfortable learning and socialising in a course with a good mix of non-Irish students
• Does the college in question have a good international reputation for the course topic? Particularly relevant for postgraduate programmes, and more important still for postgraduate research

Choosing a location

Ireland is a small country but its colleges are located in a variety of locations that feature different social, cultural and topographical aspects

• Do you prefer the exciting hustle and bustle of city life (e.g. Dublin, Cork) or a more relaxed lifestyle in a rural town in Ireland’s beautiful countryside (e.g. Carlow, Sligo), or something in between such as the medium-sized, student-friendly city of Galway?
• Do you want to have ready access to particular facilities, e.g. national archives or museum, or geographic features, e.g. the sea?
• Do you want to learn in a -
Campus college, where the teaching, student accommodation and learning facilities are all located on the same site (e.g. UCD)
Precinct college, where the teaching and student accommodation are close together within a city or town (e.g. Limerick IT)
City Centre college, where the teaching takes place in the city but the living accommodation is elsewhere in the city (e.g. DIT)
Suburban college, where the facilities of the college are in a suburban area a little distance from the city centre (e.g. DCU)