Since the onset of the 2022 educational term, any student graduating from one of Ireland’s five technological universities will receive a university degree. The recent growth of the country’s tertiary education sector was purposefully designed to enhance accessibility to university education throughout all parts of the country. The five fully recognised technological universities (TUs) exist as a result of the National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030. This strategy suggested comprehensive reforms within higher education, including the merging of the nation’s 13 technology institutions.
The technological universities include:
Technological University Dublin: This was the inaugural TU, created in January 2019 after DIT, IT Blanchardstown, and IT Tallaght joined forces.
Munster Technological University: Formed in January 2021 from the consolidation of Cork IT and IT Tralee.
Technological University of the Shannon: This university was born in October 2021 through the combination of Athlone and Limerick ITs.
Atlantic Technological University: Formed in April 2022 after Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Institute of Technology Sligo, and Letterkenny Institute of Technology amalgamated.
South East Technological University: Established in 2022, May as a result of the merger between Waterford Institute of Technology and Institute of Technology Carlow.
Students assessing where to study may question what sets these combined technological universities apart from traditional universities and why they should consider enrolling there.
Theory accompanied by application
Typical universities and their students typically approach education through lectures, tutorials, written work, making notes and exams. While this remains a key method of tertiary education delivery at conventional universities, TUs adopt a more immersive approach, marrying theory with application in many courses. Students frequently report finding the active learning experience rewarding as they participate directly in programmes necessitating them to apply their theoretical knowledge to real life settings. TU courses will mainly be vocationally and professionally oriented and while some courses venture into domains not typically associated with technology, like law and business, the emphasis is predominantly on science and technology programmes.
Typical courses available include Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence Computing at Dublin’s TU, a BEng (Hons) in Smart Product Design at Munster Technology University (MTU), and a BSc (Hons) in Biopharmaceutical Biosciences at South East Technological University (SETU).
Conventional universities, located in the major urban areas of the country, often lead students to either opt for costly housing or face long commutes. Technological universities have a more regional approach. The merging of IT-focused institutions was designed to enhance the availability of higher education in different regions, offering broader access and more adaptable learning options.
Such institutions play a pivotal role in hastening accessibility and advancement in higher education through the fostering of relationships with further education sectors. Consequently, they offer an extensive assortment of educational qualifications, including apprenticeships, degrees, professional qualifications, master’s, and PhDs.
From last autumn, potential students were offered the opportunity to leverage a “combined tertiary-degree pathway”, starting their course in disciplines such as nursing, computer science, engineering, and business at a further education establishment. Afterward, they could switch to a technological university to conclude their degree. This year, the count of courses offered under this scheme rose to 40.
Technological universities establish strong connections with the local communities and regional economies, building partnerships with local businesses and conducting industry-focused research. They also offer programmes that provide students with invaluable industry experience ahead of their professional careers.
These recently combined institutions also acknowledge the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS), which is a globally recognised points system that simplifies the comparability of international academic credentials.
In this special feature, we delve into why students might contemplate enrolling at a technological university. We provide an overview of the nation’s five accredited technological universities and discuss how they ready students for their employment journey.