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

Carlow Institute of Technology

When is open day?

Carlow Campus: November 16th

Wexford Campus: November 17th

Life on campus

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Just 10 minutes' walk from Carlow town, Carlow IT 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. While the majority of programmes are taught at IT Carlow campus on the Kilkenny Road, the institution 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. In 2015 the institute was awarded the Aviation Academic Education Award at the Irish Aviation Awards. In the same year, a €5.5 million Centre for Aerospace Engineering was built, comprising an avionics workshop and a fleet of aircraft inside its own hangar. Programmes include pilot studies, aerospace and aircraft systems engineering with a simulated live aircraft maintenance environment in which to acquire the most up-to-date industry skills.

What’s new?

Innovation is the name of the game at Carlow. This year, engineering students from the Department of Aerospace, Mechanical and Electronic Engineering built a racing car to take part in the UK’s Formula Student – an international design competition organised by the Institute of Mechanical Engineers.

The institute also had its first intake of students this year on the country’s only honour’s degree course in brewing and distilling. The institute recently announced the course received the endorsement of the Institute of Brewing and Distilling (IBD), making it one of only four programmes worldwide to boast this recognition. Upon graduation students of the degree will be eligible to sit the Master’s-level professional qualifications of the IBD.

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 open day?

October 26th – NMCI Ringaskiddy, Co Cork

November 27th – CIT Bishopstown Campus, Bishopstown, Co Cork

CIT Crawford College of Art & Design, Sharman Crawford Street, Cork

November 18th – CIT Cork School of Music, Union Quay, Cork

CIT Crawford College of Art & Design, Sharman Crawford Street, Cork

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 Honour’s Degree (Level 8) list. Thirty courses on the Bachelor Degree (Level 7) list have routes of progression to honour’s 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 open day?

December 1st and 2nd from 9am -2pm 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. Currently over 1,000 students of Fine Art, Photography, Visual Communication, Furniture and Interior Design, Visual Merchandising, Product Design, Social Care and Early Childhood Education are located on the new campus. Grangegorman is also home to DIT field sports for students across all of DIT. Facilities include an all weather pitch, basketball court and tennis court; a full-size grass pitch for GAA; and a grass pitch for rugby and soccer.

Strengths

DIT offers a huge variety of programmes, from journalism to marketing, and from engineering to forensic science. The college slogan is “It’s a step closer to the real world” and 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 and a full-size grass pitch for GAA, rugby and soccer. The Greenway Hub is the latest building to be completed and is now home to the researchers and PhD students of the Environmental Sustainability and Health Institute (ESHI) and to DIT Hothouse, which provides programmes for entrepreneurs and incubation units for start-up companies. First-year students who score 500 points or more in their Leaving Certificate will receive a €1,000 scholarship upon enrolment in a range of DIT programmes in recognition of their performance.

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.

More information: dit.ie/openday.

Waterford Institute of Technology

When is open day?

January 19th 2018 at the WIT Arena, the institute’s new €20m sports facility and conferencing venue 4km from the main campus.

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 plentiful supply 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 week.

Strengths

WIT has introduced a number of broad entry route programmes 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 is working towards university status. Last 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 the day after Schools’ Open Day, and a fortnight before the February traditional first CAO deadline. Some 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 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.

More information: wit.ie

Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology

When is open day?

GMIT will host five open days at three GMIT campuses between November and April 2018.

Life on campus

GMIT has a 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 & Tourism, Humanities, Nursing & 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 €1,000.

What’s new

There are new courses in Agricultural Engineering, Early Childhood Education and Care, and International Hotel 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

Tours and talks at the Galway campus, programme presentations and Career Clinics sessions incorporating psychometric testing and feedback on course choices regarding pupils’ suitability for certain programmes.

More information: gmit.ie

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

Athlone IT’s open days are on October 21st from 10am to 1pm and April 21st from 10am to 1pm. The institute offers courses across 13 areas, including hospitality and tourism, nursing, computing, business, and graphic and design.

More information: ait.ie.

Limerick IT

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.

More information: lit.ie

IT Sligo

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. An open day is planned for October 19th – 10am-2pm.

More information: itsligo.ie.

IT Tallaght

IT Tallaght opened a new premises to cater for its growing number of students last 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's open day has already happened but for information on courses see it-tallaght.ie

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.

More information: ittralee.ie and #ittopenday

IT Blanchardstown

IT Blanchardstown has an open day planned for November 14th – 5-7pm. The IT opened in 1999 and offers programmes in horticulture, engineering, computing and business. It also offers apprenticeship training in plumbing and electrical trades.

More information: itb.ie.

Letterkenny IT

Letterkenny IT has an open night planned for November 24th – 9am-3pm. It offers courses across 10 departments, including law, gastronomy and culinary arts, civil engineering and construction.

More information: lyit.ie.