What is a Tertiary Degree?
A tertiary course is a new pathway for students to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree. They start in an Education and Training Board (ETB) and continue in a Higher Education Institution (HEI), resulting in the award of a degree. This means that for a lot of students, they can start their degree journey in their local ETB for a year, and then complete their degree at a participating Higher Education Institute.Tertiary degree programmes are ideal for individuals who have a strong interest or previous experience in the subject area but may not have considered a third level institute due to various reasons.
Where can I do it and what type of course can I do?
There are 23 tertiary degree courses starting in September 2023 across 11 locations in the subject areas of Business, ICT, Arts, Engineering, Manufacturing & Construction and Health & Welfare. For a full list of the courses, ETBs and HEIs taking part you can view that here.
Do I need a certain amount of points to do these types of courses?
Applicants do not need to rely on CAO points as they can apply directly online via FETCHcourses.ie. You can also apply through your local ETB or HEI. For example, students from Mayo/Sligo/Leitrim could visit https://msletb.ie/tertiary-degrees-with-msletb/ or https://www.atu.ie/tertiarydegrees for application information and application deadlines.
Shortlisted applicants will be invited for an interview and will be asked to show evidence of their eligibility based on the information provided in the application process.
How much are the fees?
There are no tuition or student contribution fees attached to the first year of these courses in the Education and Training Boards. Normal registration fees will apply once the student progresses to a HEI.
Are there any financial supports available?
Students may be eligible for a maintenance grant for the course years that take place in an Education and Training Board centre. Students that progress to university may be eligible to apply for a SUSI grant or may be eligible to avail of the Free Fees Initiative.
Who do I find out more about Tertiary Degrees?
You can contact a participating Education & Training Board and speak with someone from their Guidance and Information Service. For example MSLETB’s Guidance and Information Service is contactable at https://www.msletbadultguidance.ie or on Freephone 1-800-100-100.
If you have any questions about Tertiary Degrees or your further education & training options in general, you can also chat online to a trained Youth Information Officer or contact us on yicsligo.ncycs@gmail.com or 085 8041020 (WhatsApp) and we can get back to you.