The Tertiary Degree programme is a recent initiative and was launched in 2023.  This education pathway is co facilitated and managed by the localised Education and Training Boards in conjunction with certain Higher Education providers. The goal of The Tertiary Degrees is to provide an easier route for students to access third level education outside of the competitive CAO point’s race. To facilitate this option the two managing bodies have come together and developed specific further education pathways which allow direct progression from specific PLC Courses to the linked course in the third level provider.  The good news is that students do not have to worry about having the required CAO points in order to access these courses! Please note there are a set of minimum requirements attached to all courses and students are urged to research this prior to applying.

How do the tertiary degrees work?

There are a vast number of degree options available through the Tertiary pathway with new options being added all the time.  The options in Nursing, Social Work and Occupational Therapy have proven very popular since their inclusion.

The structure of the degree is broken down between time spent studying in one of the many Colleges of Further Education and time spent studying in the Third Level College. The majority of the courses involve the student spending 1 year in a College of Further Education and 3 Years in the Third Level College. 

However, there are some exceptions here, notably for the Nursing and Occupational Therapy options where the student will spend one year in the College of Further Education and a full four years in the partnered Third Level College.  Another notable exception is Audio Music Production where the degree is broken down into 2 years in the College of Further Education and 2 years in the partnered Third Level College.

After completion of the Further Education element the student will be awarded a QQI Award, and after completion of the Third Level element the student will be awarded their Level 7 or Level 8 Hons Degree depending on what option they applied for.  

While progression to the Third Level College element is streamlined, students must pass their QQI exams. Once again a notable exception here is the Nursing option where students who wish to progress must achieve a specific standard in their QQI award. 

How to apply?

The first step is for applicants to check out the array of courses available.  They can do this on the National Tertiary Office (NTO) website https://nto.hea.ie/courses/ . Once the student has reviewed the entry requirements and structure of their chosen course, they can use the ‘Apply’ button on the course information page. This button will direct the student to Fetch Courses https://www.fetchcourses.ie/.  Here the student will set up an account and make a simple application for their desired course via this platform.

The next step is usually an interview.  If successful at interview and if all minimum Leaving Certificate requirements are achieved, the student may receive confirmation of their place..  

Students can apply for the Tertiary Degrees from February up to late September depending on availability.

While this pathway is relatively new it is hoped that it will provide greater access to Third Level Education for a diverse cohort of learners.  It supports facilitating a more inclusive and collaborated model of education enabling not only professional development but also personal growth for those that may be excluded based purely on the format of the Irish Leaving Certificate Exams.