Education

ATU: ‘Building on strong tertiary engagement’

Atlantic Technological University offers more than 600 undergraduate courses and more than 100 postgraduate courses

ATU has nine campuses in the west and northwest encompassing an area the size of Wales

Colin Gleeson
Tue Apr 30 2024 - 01:16

Name: Atlantic Technological University (ATU)

Location: Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Donegal

Established: April 1st, 2022

Students: 23,869

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Overview: ATU offers more than 600 undergraduate courses and more than 100 postgraduate courses including craft and consortia apprenticeships, upskilling courses (Springboard and HCI) and tertiary programmes with education and training boards (ETBs).

Courses are from level six to 10 on the National Framework of Qualifications, leading to awards of higher certificate, bachelor, bachelor (hons), higher diploma, postgraduate certificate, postgraduate diploma, master’s and PhD.

More than half of its programmes last year were classified as science, technology, engineering and maths (Stem).

ATU president Dr Orla Flynn said the university has seen an increase in student numbers and is expanding its provision to include new routes into third level.

“Our CAO performance was good in 2023 and retention improvement measures have seen an increase in ATU student numbers in the current academic year,” she said.

“We are expanding our apprenticeship provision across the university – both craft and third-level consortia – leading to new provision at both Mayo and Killybegs campuses, and this is really significant for regional provision.

“We are also building on strong tertiary engagement with the ETBs across the region to support new routes and pathways into higher education.”

She said ATU experienced a strong budgetary surplus in its out-turn for the 2023 calendar year.

“For ATU, the key to our success will be acting as one to enrich the lives of everyone in the northern and western region and beyond,” she said.

“TU Rise research funding will help us grow our research, but our lack of approval to appoint professors will have to change if we are to capitalise on this.

“We are also eagerly awaiting the outcome from last year’s expression of interest call for veterinary medicine and pharmacy – the ability to offer these two programmes would truly change the higher education landscape in the northern and western region.”

Campus: ATU has nine campuses in the west and northwest encompassing an area the size of Wales.

The Letterkenny campus includes more than 18,000sq m of educational and support accommodation with specialised teaching and research facilities. It also houses a library, dining areas, meeting rooms and state-of-the-art sporting facilities.

The Killybegs campus offers two undergraduate courses and a wide variety of part-time, flexible, online and postgraduate courses. The campus is renowned for the culinary arts, hospitality and tourism disciplines.

The St Angela’s campus near Sligo town centre offers undergraduate, postgraduate and part-time courses in nursing, health sciences and disability studies, home economics and education.

ATU Sligo is home to more than 10,000 students within two campus locations. It combines modern buildings, state-of-the-art facilities and landscaped grounds.

It houses engineering and science labs, as well as an Apple Mac computer lab and a new creative hub for arts, design and architecture.

ATU Mayo offers courses in nursing, social care, early childhood education and care, community development and youth work, outdoor education and history and geography at undergraduate and postgraduate level.

There are also numerous courses available for adults wishing to get back into education both full and part-time. In 2011, it became the first Institute of Technology campus in Ireland to be awarded green campus status.

The ATU Connemara campus is regarded as a leading provider of third-level courses in furniture, wood products and teacher education.

The campus is home to more than 200 students, studying five different degree courses in workshop facilities with advanced machinery and computer technology.

The campus has links to major furniture design and manufacturing companies around the globe, allowing students to avail of work placement opportunities with leaders in furniture design and manufacturing.

ATU’s campus in Mountbellew, Co Galway, about 30 miles northeast of Galway city, offers degrees at level seven and level eight. It offers courses in agriculture, food production and environmental management.

Farm facilities include a total area of 169 hectares, a milking parlour, a grain store and sheep and cattle housing facilities, as well as handling facilities.

ATU Galway offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses ranging from business, science, computing, engineering, culinary arts, hospitality, tourism and heritage.

Its building on the Wellpark road is home to the school of design and creative arts. It offers courses in design, contemporary art, film and documentary and teacher education in art, design and graphics.

ATU operates four innovation hubs, one in each of the four counties in which it has campuses, as well as eight research centres.

ATU does not own or operate student accommodation. However, there are several purpose-built student villages located around ATU campuses that are within walking distance.

The university said these self-catering student villages have been designed with the needs of the student in mind. “The standard of student villages is very high, with various packages and services available including high-speed broadband, laundry facilities and security officers,” a spokeswoman said.

Sample course:

The bachelor of science (hons) in furniture design and manufacture initially focuses on hand and power tools, and students will acquire the skills to utilise a range of woodworking machinery, CNC technology, laser equipment and digital manufacturing. Keen attention is paid to intelligent design that addresses issues such as markets, competitiveness, cost and environment and these criteria are closely linked with the ability of graduates to produce high-quality furniture product prototypes.

Colin Gleeson

Colin Gleeson

Colin Gleeson is an Irish Times reporter

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