It sounds too good to be true: a route to a college degree with no need for CAO points and at a fraction of the cost.
Tertiary degrees were announced three years ago by then minister for higher education, Simon Harris.
They were, he said, ”a game-changer” and had the potential to lift the stress on students forced to compete in a highly competitive CAO points race for college places.
“With these courses I want to send a clear message to young people and their parents when considering options after school: you can be an engineer, a nurse, study business or work in ICT without ever having to worry about those archaic and stressful Leaving Cert points.”
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A total of 38 tertiary degrees are on offer this year across business, ICT, arts, engineering, social sciences, early learning & care, agricultural science, sport, construction and nursing.
Details on all courses and how to apply are available at the National Tertiary Office.
It is an option well worth exploring, especially for students worried about their exam results or who want to take a more hands-on route to a college degree.
What’s the catch?
The courses start in a further education college and then progress to university. It means students face a nominal cost at the start of the course and regular fees when it moves to university.
Yet, three years into the operation of the initiative, the numbers taking part are modest.
A total of 152 students started courses during the first intake in 2023 across 14 different degrees. Last year the number climbed to 224 tertiary students.
By comparison, the CAO this year received a record 83,000-plus applications, up from almost 77,000 last year.
Slow take-off
So, why haven’t tertiary degree options caught the imagination of school leavers?
One reason is that quite a number of the degrees are for third level courses which weren’t in high demand in the CAO system in the first place.
There are signs of change, however.
University College Cork (UCC) is the first traditional university to offer tertiary degrees. One of its offerings this year is a BSc in occupational therapy, which had CAO entry points in excess of 500 points last year.
More programmes are now being designed in partnership with industry to tackle skills shortages and equip students for careers in sectors that need them.
Today’s exams:
Thousands of students were again completing Leaving Cert exams in Spanish and chemistry - both exams were broadly well received, but had their challenges.
Up tomorrow:
Physics (9.30-12mdday) and accounting (2-4.30pm)
How are we doing?
If you are a parent/ guardian of a Leaving Cert student, we’d love to hear from you.
Maybe you have a personal story to share, have a burning question or want to comment on the exams, CAO and further education applications process.
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