TERTIARY degrees offer a cost effective and accessible alternative to the traditional college route for prospective third-level students weighing up their options for this coming September.
And with the CAO change of mind deadline coming up on July 22, learners across Limerick are being reminded there’s still time to start on the path to their dream career.
According to Dr Fiona Maloney, director of the National Tertiary Office, tertiary courses offer an alternative path to a third-level degree “without the points race, without CAO deadlines, and with applications open until late September”.
There are more than 40 tertiary degree courses offered nationally, including in Limerick, in partnership with local Education and Training Boards (ETBs) and Higher Education Institutes.
In Limerick, tertiary courses – offered in collaboration by the Technological University of the Shannon and Limerick and Clare ETB – include bachelor’s degrees in business, computing, construction management, and mobile and web computing.
“For many students, there are barriers which can hold them back from pursuing their dream career – the points race, the application deadlines, the cost of higher education, moving away from home, the leap from the school classrooms into huge lecture halls,” Dr Maloney said.
“Tertiary degrees are learner-centered – applications are based on a student’s potential and passion for their dream career; they can start their studies in a local town or county rather than moving away from home; and importantly for many, there are no tuition or student contribution fees for the first year or two spent in an ETB.”
