Science joins the top tier as points see dramatic rise

Physiotherapy courses in UCD, TCD and RCSI all rose this year. UCD’s now requires 560 for entry while TCD’s course rose by 10 to 550 with random selection. The rise wasn’t universal however, with physiotherapy in UL experiencing a fall of 10 to 555 with random selection.

BUSINESS

Students aiming for business would have had fewer nasty surprises than their science oriented peers. Points for business courses largely rose or remained as they were. The rises however were less dramatic than those we saw in other areas.

Business, Economics and Social Studies in TCD went up by 15 to 475 while business studies in DCU rose by five to 425. Interestingly, points were more likely to rise sharply when a language was offered as part of a degree. DCU’s European business courses with French or German rose by 50 and 45 points respectively. In UCC, commerce rose by 10 to 435, but Commerce with German went up by 35 points, while Commerce and French remained steady at 500 points.

Commerce in NUIG was down by 20 to 340 but mirroring the trend in other colleges, commerce with a language was on the rise. Commerce and French jumped 20 to 495 while commerce and Spanish was up by 30 to 410.

ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION

While points for construction-related courses are still down overall, many have remained stable and the drops have not been very dramatic. The fall seems to have bottomed out somewhat.

Architecture in UCD is down by just five points to 480 and architecture in UCC and CIT has dropped by 20 to 400. While courses like quantity surveying and construction management in DIT are down by 15 and 10 points respectively, other courses such as property economics and planning and environmental management have actually risen. Property economics now stands at 320 points – a rise of 15 from last year.

Points for engineering are a mixed bag. UCC’s engineering courses are down, apart from electrical and electronic engineering which is up by five to 410. DCU’s engineering course jumped by 70 points to 370 and most of its more specialised engineering courses are also up. Most of NUIG’s engineering courses have also risen while its undenominated engineering rose by 30 points to 430.

TEACHING AND NURSING

Demand for primary teaching is down slightly in St Pat’s Drumcondra to 470 – a fall of five points. Entry to the other courses remains unchanged. Courses in St Angela’s College in Sligo, which prepares home economics teachers are up across the board. Home economics with Irish is up by a massive 50 points to 505 for example.

There are 1,300 nursing places available since the HSE reduced the number of places on offer two years ago. Competition for places is strong and points are up on average by 15 across the range of courses. Some of the courses on offer have passed the 500 points mark such as children’s and general nursing in TCD and UCD which have risen to 525 and 515 repectively.