Qualifications

There are some differences between private colleges and the other Irish third level institutions in the awarding of qualifications. While Irish universities are sanctioned by the government to award third level qualifications, and courses at ITs and other government funded independent colleges are generally overseen by the Higher Education and Training Awards Council (HETAC), not all the courses in private colleges are officially validated by the Irish authorities. Most private colleges have a mixture, where some courses are accredited by HETAC, and other programmes are overseen by a foreign (e.g. UK or US based) university. In theory honours degree awards (for example) given out at all of ireland’s third level institutions have the same significance and merit, but there are not the same official guarantees for private college qualifications as for those granted by Irish universities or ITs. The levels of qualifications available are broadly the same as in other institutions though. Most courses at private colleges fit within the National Framework of Qualifications, which was introduced in October 2003 to streamline the Irish education system. The Framework is intended to cover all education and training awards in Ireland, providing recognition for learning achievements at all levels, and organising all courses into an easy to understand ladder system. Within the Irish third level undergraduate system the courses available are higher certificates, ordinary bachelor degrees (formerly known as national diplomas) and honours bachelor degrees. These qualifications fit in at levels six, seven and eight respectively in the National Framework of Qualifications. Irish private colleges offer undergraduate courses at each of all three levels. In some cases students have the opportunity to get on the third level ladder at level six by enrolling in a higher certificate course and then progress on to an ordinary degree and finally to a higher degree. Higher Certificates and Basic and Honours Degrees are available in a variety of subjects at Irish private colleges. Traditionally, private colleges concentrated on business courses, but recently they have widened their course portfolios to include a range of courses in subjects such as law, media studies, tourism and IT. While the vast majority of courses at Irish third level private colleges are highly regarded, it is a good idea for students to ensure that the course they are applying for is fully accredited and recognised. A little bit of research in advance is always a good idea.