CAO: Time to decide on course selection

Classroom Central digest: Special supplement on Technological Universities and on the CAO’s Change of Mind facility

The final piece: Your CAO change of mind deadline.
The final piece: Your CAO change of mind deadline.

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Welcome to the Classroom Central email digest! The Irish Times published special supplements on Technological Universities and on the CAO’s Change of Mind facility in recent weeks. In this issue, we have selected a number of stories from each supplement that we think will interest you. Brian Mooney writes about the importance of getting your selection right and he has some sage advice for students considering changing their CAO course selection before the July 1st deadline. He also looks at alternative routes to higher education that differ to the traditional university approach.

What happens when a student chooses the wrong course? It happens quite a bit and Peter McGuire looks at what the options are when that happens. Business continues to be one of the most popular areas of study for students. Shauna Bowers looks at some of the options in this field of study. Éanna Ó Caollaí writes about the nascent Technological University sector and Brian Mooney gives an overview of the sector.

It’s time to decide on your college course choices: Whether you are a current year Leaving Cert student or sat your school leaving exams at another time or in another jurisdiction, and have applied to the CAO in 2023, now is decision time, writes Brian Mooney.

Thinking of changing your CAO course choice selection? Many applicants use the initial CAO application in January as a holding exercise but it will soon be time to submit a definitive list of options, writes Brian Mooney.

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Alternatives to the CAO application process: From enhanced apprenticeship programmes to opportunities in Ireland’s further-education sector, there are other routes you can take to achieve your career advancement goals, writes Brian Mooney.

Business one of the most popular courses at third level: Hundreds of courses are available with every higher education institute offering a range of programmes. Shauna Bowers reports.

What happens if you choose the wrong course? It happens to more people than you might think. But what should you do if you make the wrong decision when selecting your third-level course, asks Peter McGuire.

Why should I consider studying at a technological university? The newly created technological universities (TUs) may not be on the radar of many applicants who have focused exclusively on programmes on offer in the traditional research universities located in their geographic region, writes Brian Mooney.

For most students, particularly at undergraduate level, colleges, universities, TUs and IoTs all serve the same broad purpose: providing a third-level education in a particular subject or subject. It’s only when you break it down that you notice the differences, writes Peter McGuire.

Technological universities offer an alternative path: Ireland’s third-level education sector has expanded in recent years with the establishment of five fully accredited technological universities, writes Éanna Ó Caollaí.

Can a TU advance my career like a traditional university can? Close links with industry, a broad range of programmes, and plenty of work experience opportunities make technological universities (TUs) an alluring option for any student who wants to advance their career, writes Peter McGuire.

A new model of progression linking further education and higher education: Last month, the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Simon Harris, announced the development of more than a dozen pilot projects due to commence this September, in which students could commence their third-level study physically in an Education and Training Board (ETB) college and complete it in a Technological University or in IADT in the case of one of the pilot programmes, writes Brian Mooney.

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