Cork IT's computer department is growing at a fast pace, with numbers in many courses doubling over the past few years. The college now offers three ab-initio degrees, a national cert and a national diploma in computing as well as a national cert in computing in IT support.

Dr Brendan Murphy, head of the department, explains that the BSc in computer applications, the college's oldest degree offering, has been joined recently by degrees in software development and computer networking and in software development with German. These are all four-year honours programmes and include six-month work placement, says Murphy.

As for employment prospects for degree graduates, "110 per cent" is his summation while, at cert and diploma level, the shortage of computer graduates has also created buoyant demand. "Companies are recognising that cert, diploma and degree graduates have a role in the industry," he adds.

Aidan McDonald, co-ordinator of the BSc in software development and computer networking, says: "We have been aware of the fact that a lot of companies are developing software for the telecommunications industry .. . we believe that market will expand. We're producing graduates with these skills, and we believe industry will take these graduates in preference to others. They will not be in competition with the vast bulk of computing graduates. It's a niche market."

The course, in its second year, has two main aims. First, says McDonald, it will produce a person who can develop applications using programming languages. Second, that person will have very honed skills - he or she will have an in-depth understanding of computer networking and telecommunications. "That is not simply using the Internet but understanding how networks like the Internet are built up." The college's networking lab, with its state-of-theart facilities, allows students to build computer networks, he says.

Sitting in that lab, second-year student Paula Kelleher says: "I never thought of doing anything other than computers." There are seven girls among the 18 students and Kelleher is looking forward to graduating and working in "a very fast-growing area of industry."

Fellow student Eoin O'Sullivan spent two years studying architecture in DIT Bolton Street and then took a couple of years out and worked with computers in a company. "It was very basic stuff. There were lots of people doing more interesting stuff, mainly networking, and they were getting paid a lot more than me. There were no prospects without a qualification."

When he saw the networking degree advertised he had a fair idea what it entailed and what the job scene is like. It was difficult going back to college, lack of money being the main problem. "Apart from that, it's excellent; learning and studying was difficult at first but I'm getting into it," says 23-year-old O'Sullivan. "I'm learning stuff now as opposed to picking up bits and pieces while working."

Grainne Foley came directly into the course after the Leaving Cert. Her interest in computing began in sixth year. "I came to the college under a NOW (New Opportunities for Women) programme in sixth year and I met a woman who designed computer products for industry and small businesses. It was very interesting."

She finds the course a little difficult. There is a lot of maths and electronics - O'Sullivan is quick to interject that all the maths are relevant to networking and architecture. Foley agrees that the various subjects are interlinked and says the relevance is obvious. McDonald says the course is very specialised and students should be absolutely certain they know what they are getting into. The computer applications degree is broader. For those interested in computing with a language, one quarter of Cork IT's computing with German course is devoted to language studies, while the work placement will be spent abroad in a German-speaking country so near-native fluency should be acquired.

Cork IT has produced an excellent booklet entitled Careers in Computing @ CIT. This is a must for prospective students considering the college's varied computing options.