Application Guide

STANDARD APPLICANTS

Applicants for admission to the first year of the Institute’s full-time courses should apply to the CENTRAL APPLICATIONS OFFICE (CAO),Tower House, Eglinton Street, Galway.Tel 091-509800. The closing date for applications from IRISH CITIZENS AND EUROPEAN UNION CITIZENS IS 1st February.

INTERNATIONAL (NON-EU) CITIZENS

International applicants (including Erasmus and Socrates should apply directly to the Institute’s International Office (not to the CAO): Ms Eileen Gillen Tel: +353 71 91 37347, Fax: +353 71 91 44500, e-mail: gillen.eileen@itsligo.ie

Original documentation with translation, where required, should be submitted to the Institute to indicate the level of achievement in academic examinations which are regarded as equivalent to Ireland’s Leaving Certificate. Oral and written proficiency in the English language is essential. Tuition Fees for International (Non-EU) Citizens are €11,500 per annum for Higher Certificate, Ordinary Degree and Honours Degree programmes. This includes the Institute’s registration/exam fee. The annual increase of these fees will be in line with the Department of Education and Science increase in tuition fees for the previous year. A quota of 5% of first year places is allocated to International (Non-EU) students.

LATE APPLICANTS

The closing date for late applications in the CAO system is 1st May.   The Institute of Technology, Sligo, accepts late applicants.  Please note the late application conditions for non-traditional applicants below.

MATURE AND OTHER NON-TRADITIONAL APPLICANTS

Mature and other non-traditional applicants should also apply to the CAO by the above closing dates. Non-traditional applicants are applicants who wish factors other than Leaving Certificate results to be taken into account when being assessed for admission to the Institute. They would include mature applicants, applicants with a special need, applicants who are not Irish Citizens or who have academic qualifications other than the Irish Leaving Certificate Examination.

Mature applicants are applicants who were 23 years or more on 1st January of the calendar year of application. Applicants applying on a mature years basis are not required to possess the minimum entry requirement and are assessed by interview. Interviews are normally held in early May. The interview process assesses people under such headings as appropriateness and level of education to date, work experience, motivation, knowledge of career choice, relevance of course choice to career objectives and general suitability for third level education. Candidates are notified of the outcome of their interview within two weeks of taking the interview.

It should be noted that non-traditional applicants who apply late to the CAO (by 1st May) may not be called for interview until vacant places may be available in September. Therefore, late applicants should contact the Admissions Office on 071-9155379 once application has been made to the CAO. Please note the Access Officer, Catherine McNelis, can be contacted on 071-9155381 or by e-mail on access@itsligo.ie.

FOUNDATION CERTIFICATE APPLICANTS

Applicants with Foundation Certificates from the Institute of Technology, Sligo or other third-level institutions, should contact the admissions office on 071- 9155379 in order to be called for interview as a non-traditional applicant once application has been made to the CAO.

SPECIAL NEEDS APPLICANTS

Non-traditional applicants applying on special needs grounds should note that supporting documentation must be provided with the CAO’s Confidential Medical Condition/Disability Information Form or directly to the Admissions Office in the Institute marked private and confidential. The special needs condition must also be brought to attention at the applicant’s interview. Please note the Access Officer, Catherine McNelis, can be contacted on 071-9155381or access@itsligo.ie

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

IRELAND Higher Certificate (Level 6) and Ordinary Degree (Level 7) Courses:  The normal minimum entry requirements for Higher Certificate (Level 6) and Ordinary Degree (Level 7) Courses are 5 grade Ds in Leaving Certificate Examinations, ordinary level, including English or Irish and Mathematics. An E in Higher Level Mathematics is accepted in all cases, except the Level 8 Degree in Civil Engineering. There are certain exceptions such as where a language is required. Where this is the case, precise entry requirements are given in the next section or in the Institute prospectus.

Ab Initio Honours Degree (Level 8) Courses:  Six subjects in the Leaving Certificate at a minimum level of Grade D3, two of which must be on higher level papers, Grade C3 or better.  English or Irish, and Mathematics must be included. An E in Higher Level Mathematics is accepted for the entry requirement.

For the purpose of calculating points all subjects must be obtained at one sitting. However, for the purpose of meeting the entry requirements, more than one sitting may be considered.

BRITAIN & NORTHERN IRELAND

UK Applicants:

 For entry to IT Sligo degree programmes minimum entry requirements and a points system apply.   Applicants must hold GCSE Maths and English at grade C or higher.  The points required for entry to a course are determined by the level of demand on course places.   As a guide, entry to Level 7 will require at least 200 points and entry to Level 8 will require at least 300 points.   Please note that AS subjects are only considered if the subject is not continued to A2.  Applied A Levels (AVCE) are treated in the same was as A Levels.

Points scoring system:

The scoring system for A Levels is as follows:

Alternative qualifications for entry to Bachelor Degree Programmes:

IT Sligo accepts BTEC National Award Level 3 and Access Diplomas as alternative qualifications for admission to first year Bachelor Degree (Level 7) programmes.

How to Apply

First Year candidates can apply through the Central Applications Office (CAO).  The CAO is a centralised processing centre that handles the application process for Higher Education Institutes in the Republic of Ireland.   You can apply online through www.cao.ie up to 1 May. 

We also operate a clearing process in late August through which vacant places are offered on a first come, first served basis to qualified applicants.

SPECIFIC ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Certain courses have additional specific requirements. They are:

• SG105 Higher Certificate in Office Information Systems - Mathematics is not a requirement for this course.
• SG231 Level 7 degree BA in Fine Art - Applicants are also required to submit a portfolio of work for this course. Portfolio Assessments take place in early April.  If an applicant is unable to submit a portfolio at this time, the Institute will try to accommodate such a person at a later date. Mathematics is not required for this courseSG233.
• SG233 National Diploma in Social Studies – Mathematics is not required for this course.
• SG342 Honours degree in Civil Engineering – Mathematics at higher level, C3 or better is required.

 SCHEDULE OF POINTS FOR CAO COURSES FOR THE ACADEMIC YEAR 2012