Alternative to CAO points system opens for student applications

A new access route to third-level education allowing undergraduate students to obtain a university degree outside of the traditional points-based system opens for applications on Friday.

From September, successful applicants will be able to enrol in one of 23 courses across healthcare, enterprise, ICT and creative sectors to secure a degree. Each course will be delivered by a further education provider in collaboration with a higher education provider.

The programmes will be made available through an online portal managed by the National Tertiary Office, which was established by Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris last year to develop joint degree programmes.

The unified approach between the sectors represents a significant departure in educational provision, and will offer alternative pathways to learners outside the traditional CAO process. Mr Harris described the development as “the single biggest transformation to education in decades”.

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“Today, we can tell the next generation of students they can access degrees in nursing, business, engineering and media without ever having to worry about points,” he said.

Acknowledging the points system “has not worked” for all applicants, Mr Harris said his department had made it “a priority” to change the “unnecessarily stressful points race” that the CAO system put learners into.

He said people should not lose out on the opportunity to pursue their desired career “just because someone gets less points in their Leaving Cert than someone else”. He said the changed approach was “creating a more inclusive society in which students will have the opportunity to reach their potential without relying solely on an outdated system”.

Dr Fiona Maloney, director of the National Tertiary Office, said the pathways through further and higher education would help students achieve their career goals and offer advantages such as local availability of courses “with guaranteed progression and the removal of geographical and financial barriers”.

Information about the 14 tertiary education awards, across 23 different courses, will be available on the office’s online portal (nto.ie) from Friday. Courses currently listed are being delivered in collaboration with technological universities and a further call is being made for the development of further joint programmes by the end of the year. It is expected that universities from the traditional university sector will also participate.

Sample list of courses:

A four-year bachelor of business (honours) will be delivered, with one year of study at the Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board with three years at the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS).

A bachelor of science (honours) in software development will be delivered by the Portlaoise Institute in partnership with the South East Technological University. It will be delivered through two years at further education and two years at higher education.

A bachelor of science (honours) in mobile and web computing delivered by Limerick College of Further Education and LCETB. The course will be delivered over one year further education and three years at higher education.

A bachelor of science (honours) in general nursing, spanning five years, will be delivered by FET Centre Letterkenny, Mayo College of FET and Castlebar Sligo College of Further Education in association with Atlantic Technological University.

Other courses include a bachelor of arts (honours) in popular music; a BEng (honours) in sustainable engineering technologies, a BA (honours) in immersive production media and a BA (honours) in animation, visual effects and motion design.