Education

Wide range of qualifications from apprenticeships to PhDs offered

Ireland’s five technological universities are the result of significant reform of the higher education sector

The expansion of Ireland’s third level sector in recent years was planned to improve access to university education in every region of the country. Photograph: iStock.

Éanna Ó Caollaí
Tue Apr 30 2024 - 01:25

Since the beginning of the academic year in 2022, students who graduate from any of the country’s five technological universities will do so with a university qualification.

The expansion of Ireland’s third-level sector in recent years was planned to improve access to university education in every region of the country.

The recognition of the five fully accredited technological universities (TUs) follows the National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030, which recommended significant reform of the higher education sector, including the consolidation of the country’s 13 institutes of technology.

The five TUs are:

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Technological University Dublin: Established in January 2019, TU Dublin was the first technological university to be established following the merger of DIT, IT Blanchardstown and IT Tallaght.

Munster Technological University: MTU was established in January 2021 following the amalgamation of Cork IT and IT Tralee.

Technological University of the Shannon: TUS was established in October 2021 following the merger of Athlone and Limerick ITs.

Atlantic Technological University: ATU was established in April 2022 following the merger of Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Institute of Technology Sligo, and Letterkenny Institute of Technology.

South East Technological University: SETU was established in May 2022 following the merger of Waterford Institute of Technology and Institute of Technology Carlow.

Prospective students considering their options might ask how the amalgamated technological universities differ from traditional universities and why should they consider studying at one.

Theory and practice

Traditionally, universities and students approached teaching and learning with a blend of lectures, tutorials, written assignments, note-taking and examinations.

While this model remains a cornerstone of third-level education delivery at our traditional universities, technological universities take a more hands-on approach by combining theory with practice in many programmes.

Students often find the active-learning experience rewarding as they engage directly in programmes that require them to use their knowledge in a practical setting.

TU programmes will generally be vocationally and professionally oriented and while some courses extend into areas not traditionally associated with technology, such as law and business, the focus is primarily on science and technology programmes.

Typical offerings include Computing with Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence at TU Dublin, a BEng (Hons) in Smart Product Engineering at Munster Technology University (MTU) and a BSc (Hons) in Biosciences with Biopharmaceuticals at South East Technological University (SETU).

Many traditional universities are located in the country’s main cities often leaving students with no option but to seek expensive accommodation or to commute long distances.

The technology university sector has a regional focus. The consolidation of the ITs aimed to improve region-based higher education options and provide wider access and more flexible learning opportunities.

Technological universities are expected to play a key role in facilitating greater access and progression through the development of relationships with the further education and training sector. Doing so means the provision of a wide range of educational qualifications. They currently include apprenticeships, degrees, professional accreditations, master’s and PhD programmes.

Since last September prospective students could avail of a “joint tertiary-degree route” where they could start a course in areas such as nursing, computer science, engineering and business in a further education college before transferring to a technological university to complete their degree. The number of available courses under this scheme has increased to 40 this year.

Technological universities are rooted in regional and local communities and economies where they foster links with businesses and industry to develop partnerships, industry-focused research, and programmes which give students valuable exposure to industry before starting their career.

The newly amalgamated institutions also recognise and participate in the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS), an internationally recognised points system which makes international educational credentials more easily comparable.

In this supplement, we explore the reasons students might consider applying to study at a technological university. We profile each of the country’s five accredited technological universities and how they prepare students for the workforce.

Éanna Ó Caollaí

Éanna Ó Caollaí

Iriseoir agus Eagarthóir Gaeilge An Irish Times. Éanna Ó Caollaí is The Irish Times' Irish Language Editor, editor of The Irish Times Student Hub, and Education Supplements editor.

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