Poist pholasaí
Tertiary programmes
Ó An Roinn Breisoideachais agus Ardoideachais, Taighde, Nuálaíochta agus Eolaíochta
Foilsithe
An t-eolas is déanaí
Teanga: Níl leagan Gaeilge den mhír seo ar fáil.
From September 2023, students can enrol in a further education institution before progressing to a higher education institution to complete their fully-accredited degree.
The individual institutions involved have created each course in line with their local context and so there is variation the structure of the courses. But they have been developed with the guidance and co-operation of the National Tertiary Office (NTO) and have common features distinguishing them from existing further education to higher education pathways, such as:
Tertiary programmes have guaranteed progression between the further and higher education element of the programme, as long as the learner reaches a required academic standard.
Step-back awards are built into the programmes' design, meaning that if a learner leaves the programme before completing the final award, they have formal recognition of the learning they have already completed.
Details of each course including entry requirements, structure, and step-back awards will be available on nto.ie , as well as details on how to apply for each course.
List of tertiary programmes
Last updated on 7 July 2023
Íosluchtaigh nasc le haghaidh
Íoslódáil
féachaint ar an gcomhad
Amharc
14 tertiary awards across five fields of study, covering 23 different courses, were launched on 7 July 2023 and will be accepting applications from potential learners for their September 2023 intake.
This first tranche of programmes is a pilot. What is learned from this initial phase will be used to shape the way in which joint further-to-higher education programmes are further developed and expanded.
The NTO has commissioned an evaluation of the pilot phase of the tertiary programmes that will engage all stakeholders to reflect their experiences and recommendations, and will inform future developments in this area. Feedback on the initial development phase of the programmes is also being sought at the regional dialogues.
Based on these learnings, the NTO will issue a call for more joint further-to-higher education programmes later this year. This call will be open to all education and training boards (ETBs) and HEA-funded higher education institutions (HEIs). Engagement from community education and private providers will also be welcome.
The ETB on a tertiary programme will not apply any tuition fee or student contribution fee for the duration of their tuition. The Free Fees Initiative and student contribution arrangements will apply to the agreed duration of the tuition delivered by the HEI on the tertiary programme.
Tertiary students are eligible to apply for maintenance and fee grants , subject to eligibility criteria.
The development of diverse and progressive pathways for learners in further and higher education is a key strategic goal of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.
In October and November 2022, the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and SOLAS engaged in a series of meetings with several HEIs and ETBs and agreed a number of pilot tertiary programmes. These would be co-developed and co-delivered between further and higher education institutions. Five regional clusters of providers emerged, with each cluster containing at least one HEI and ETB.
In December 2022 , the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science announced the establishment of the NTO to support the development of these joint further and higher education degree programmes which would allow learners to progress in a clear, seamless manner between further and higher education.
The Department is developing a policy to more closely align the further education and training, higher education and research and innovation sectors.
Funding the Future addresses the question of how to fund the higher education system. This policy identifies five priority strands of work, one of which is the creation of a unified knowledge and skills system which is balanced and integrated.
The NTO is based in the HEA and is jointly-managed by the HEA and SOLAS. Dr Fiona Maloney was appointed Director for the NTO in February 2023 . Following on from the establishment of the NTO and appointment of the director, 10 regional co-ordinators were appointed – two for each of the regional clusters involved.