UNIFIED TERTIARY EDUCATION SYSTEM IS KEY PRIORITY OF DFHERIS

The ambition to create a unified tertiary education system has been a key priority of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science for a number of years.
The National Tertiary Office (NTO) is responsible for coordinating and supporting the development of policy in relation to further and higher education progression pathways. Working with the higher education institutions and the Education and Training Boards, the NTO is advancing a strategic approach to enhancing the pathways between the further education and training (FET) and higher education sectors. Collaborations between these sectors have lead to the development of the joint tertiary degree programme. Joint tertiary degrees provide students with the opportunity to start a degree course in a college of further education – operated by Education and Training Boards – and upon completion of 1-2 years of study here, and the successful completion of exams, they can automatically transition to a higher education institution to complete the course.

Through the tertiary degree programmes, students have access to courses that they may not have otherwise considered: there are no Leaving Cert points requirements; there is a broad geographical spread of courses across the country – so students are not required to relocate; and there are no fees required for the duration spent in a further education college. In addition to this, students also benefit from the amenities and services of both the further education college, and the partner higher education college – giving them access to libraries, sports and other facilities across both campuses. Building on the success of the launch of the tertiary degree programmes in 2023, there are now over 40 courses to choose from across a range of disciplines. Applications for the 2024 intake are now open, and will remain open until September. More information on the range of courses, and application process is available on www.NTO.ie.