Institutes of Technology: All you need to know about open days

CARLOW INSITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

When is it open day?

The Carlow Campus Open Day takes place on November 17th and Wexford Campus Open Day takes place on November 25th.

Life on Campus

The majority of programmes are taught at IT Carlow campus on the Kilkenny Road just 10 minutes walk from Carlow town. The campus boasts modern sports and gym facilities and as with other higher level institutions, clubs and societies are numerous and play an important role in the social and cultural development of students. IT Carlow also offers some programmes in its Wexford campus on Summerhill Road, Wexford while art programmes are located at Hill Street, Wexford.

Strengths

IT Carlow offers degree programmes across a range of areas including business; sport, media and marketing; humanities; science; and health. The IT also offers a range of tech and computer-related programmes including a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Games Development.

What’s new?

The institute recently announced plans for the country’s first Bachelor of Science (Honours) Degree programme in Brewing & Distilling. The four-year course, which begins next September, follows two years of research and development by the IoT involving consultation with industry, representative organisations, national bodies and government.

Accommodation

Many students at IT Carlow rent accommodation from landlords. There are a number of private student accommodation centres near the institute. The accommodation office offers advice and support for students on accommodation issues.

More information: itcarlow.ie

CORK INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

When is its open day?

The CIT open day takes place on November 18th at Bishopstown campus. The CIT Crawford College of Art and Design and the CIT Cork School of Music take place on November 19th. Times are to be confirmed.

Life on campus

Spread over four campuses, CIT has been voted institute of technology of the year. The Bishopstown campus is the IT's main hub of student life: it's where the student centre is based, along with shops, restaurants, sports facilities and a bank. CIT has some of the best sporting facilities in the country hosting the Cork senior hurling team and Munster ruby. While CIT is renowned for sport, there are a range of clubs and societies from dance to urban art and athletics.

Strengths

CIT offers 73 courses through the CAO, 41 of these are on the Honours Degree (Level 8) list. Thirty courses on the Bachelor Degree Level 7 list have routes of progression to honours degree courses at CIT which makes it easier to progress.

CIT also offers a range of humanities, business and science courses, and there’s a strong jobs focus for students on these programmes. The facilities at CIT include its award-winning library and IT building and world-class laboratories. It also has innovation and research centres for medical engineering, manufacturing and a business incubation centre.

Accommodation

There is no on-campus student accommodation, but you’ll find that there are several private purpose-built student accommodation centres near the college.

Don’t miss

The careers exhibition and a series of information sessions, workshops, demonstrations, exhibitions of student work and laboratory visits in numerous departments on the various campuses.

More information: cit.ie/openday

DUBLIN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

When is its open day?

December 2nd and 3rd , 9am-3pm, at the Aungier Street campus.

Life on campus

DIT is currently spread over six campuses around Dublin city, since September more than 50 per cent of its courses have moved to Grangegorman, on the northside of the city. A cluster of listed 19th-century buildings have been refurbished, giving the campus an old-meets-new feel, with a host of sports and education facilities. With the other campuses in city centre locations, DIT has a vibrant and varied society scene with more than 100 groups to join.

Strengths

DIT offers a huge variety of programmes, from journalism to marketing, and from engineering to forensic science.

All of its programmes are career-focused, and there’s an emphasis on putting theory into practice.

What’s new

Grangegorman is now home to DIT field sports with the opening of the new all weather pitch, basketball court and tennis court. A full-size grass pitch for GAA, rugby and soccer has been seeded and us bedding in. It will be available for teams to play from the beginning of 2017.

Accommodation

DIT has no campus accommodation but works with private providers to source housing.

Don’t miss

Each school will have a stand where you can meet current students and learn about their experience of life and learning at DIT. Scientists will demonstrate experiments, engineers their formula cars, while student societies such as the DJ Society and the Juggling Society will keep the energy charged.

More information: dit.ie/openday.

WATERFORD INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

When is its open day?

December 13th from 10am until 2pm on the WIT main campus on the Cork Road, Waterford.

Life on campus

WIT is 20 minutes from Waterford city that offers nightlife, theatre, art, music and shopping. Waterford Walls has put the city on the creative, cultured and cool map with new urban art and graffiti installations added to the walls of Waterford every year

Accommodation for students is in abundance and great value compared to other cities. Tramore is a beautiful sandy beach accessible by bus from Waterford city – an ideal way to spend a sunny evening after your studies. There are more than 30 societies on campus, including academic, cultural and political societies. The SU runs events throughout the year, including race nights, fight nights, comedians, quizzes, gigs, inflatable games and a Raise and Give (Rag) week.

Strengths

WIT expects to introduce a number of broad entry route programmes over the next year in the areas Engineering, Health Sciences and Science & Computing. This is part of a major review of the Institute's 70 CAO courses to ensure they continue to meet the needs of industry. Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) is set to gain university status. This year, the Higher Education Authority announced a funding commitment of €1.5m towards the planning process for a technological university for the South East region.

What’s new

WIT has added a new Saturday event to its open day calendar – taking place just a month after Schools’ Open Day, and a fortnight before the February traditional 1st CAO deadline this event is well placed to help applicants make up their minds.

650 Health, Sport & Exercise students are benefiting from the Institute’s €20 million state of the art WIT Arena which opened its doors to students, staff and the general public this September. The 2,000-person capacity WIT Arena will be used as a sports facility for students and as a conference, entertainment and sporting venue.

Accommodation

Accommodation is on a first-come first-served basis at Waterford Institute of Technology, and there is no shortage of off-campus accommodation.

Don’t miss

Information sessions throughout the day from the institute’s departments. You’ll have the chance to meet staff and students to have all your questions answered. Students have the chance to get in-depth information about programmes.

More information: wit.ie/decemberopenday.

GALWAY-MAYO INSTITUE OF TECHNOLOGY

When is its open day?

GMIT will host five Open Days at three GMIT campuses between November and April 2017. An open day will take place on Novermber 11th at GMIT Mayo and November 25th at GMIT Letterfrack. See gmit.ie/general/open-day.

Life on campus

GMIT has a student community of approximately 6,700 students in five campuses in the west of Ireland – two in Galway city, one in Letterfrack, one in Mountbellew and one in Castlebar. The institute offers 90 courses at undergraduate and postgraduate level in disciplines such as business; engineering; furniture design; technology and education; hospitality and tourism; humanities; nursing and social care; science and computing; and outdoor education.There are 80 clubs and societies, with an eclectic mix of politics, swing dance, robotics, GAA and the living-history society.

Strengths

GMIT is renowned for its furniture design and offers a design scholarship worth €5,000. It is available to students from secondary schools in Mayo interested in studying furniture design; art and design; film and documentary; engineering; physics or computing in GMIT. GMIT also supports the development of talented athletes and recognises the increasing need for them to successfully balance academic and sporting commitments. The Sports Scholarship Programme has awards ranging from €1000.

What’s new

There are a number of new courses this year, including computing and digital media, sport and exercise, applied social care, business and rural enterprise and agriculture and environmental management.

Accommodation

There’s no on-campus accommodation, but there are a number of purpose-built student villages near the GMIT Galway and Mayo campuses.

Don’t miss

Along with tours and talks at the Galway campus there is also an Games Zone featuring Mocktail Demo, DIY Yourself Real or Photoshop, Spaghetti Structures, Create a Post card, Electronic Games & apps, and Laser Grid Show. There are also CAO talks, programme presentations and Career Clinics sessions incorporating psychometric testing and feedback on course choices regarding pupils’ suitability for certain programmes.

OTHER INSTITUTES OF TECHNOLOGY

There are a number of other institutes of technology offering courses across a broad range of disciplines. Their open days offer the chance to get more information on courses and speak to lecturers and current students.

Athlone IT

When is its open day?

November 25th, 10am-2pm, November 26th, 10am-1pm. Offers courses across 13 areas, including hospitality and tourism, nursing, computing, business, and graphic and design. AIT has been named as the "Institute of Technology of the Year – Runner Up 2017" in the Sunday Times Good University Guide. ait.ie.

Limerick IT

The open day is over, but information on courses is at lit.ie. Spread across five campuses in Limerick and Tipperary, LIT offers art and design, fashion, engineering, technology and applied science and business, and humanities. It has close links to a broad range of industries, with 80 per cent of its graduates going directly into paid employment.

IT Sligo

Its open day has already happened but there is another one on April 1st 2017. IT Sligo offers a variety of courses across its schools in business and social science, engineering and design and science. Students benefit from small classes and ongoing investment in student facilities and research laboratories. itsligo.ie.

IT Tallaght

IT Tallaght opened a new premises to cater for its growing number of students this year. Internships and work placements are a key focus for the college, which offers computing, engineering, accountancy, marketing, science, hospitality and social-care courses; it-tallaght.ie. Open days take place on November 11th and 12th 10am-2pm.

IT Tralee

There’s a range of courses across its schools of business, computing and humanities, science, technology, engineering and mathematics and health and social science; ittralee.ie and #ittopenday. Open day takes place on November 13th, 9.30am-1.30pm.

IT Blanchardstown

Opened in 1999, ITB is located on a modern 56 acre campus and boasts a new sports centre and recently invested €1 million in a Food Production and Urban Horticulture facility. ITB offers a range of practice-based, career-focused programmes in business, engineering, computing, horticulture, digital media, sports management, early childhood care, social care & youth and community development; itb.ie. Contact IT Blanchardstown for open day details.

Letterkenny IT

Letterkenny IT offers courses across 10 departments, including law, gastronomy and culinary arts, civil engineering and construction. Contact lyit.ie for open day details.

You can get more information about, and dates for, college open days atqualifax.ie and careersportal.ie