Check out course carefully before applying for a vacant place

Now that first-round offers have been made, the CAO has notified College 2000 of vacant places in 23 degrees and 39 certificate…

Now that first-round offers have been made, the CAO has notified College 2000 of vacant places in 23 degrees and 39 certificate/diploma programmes. Many of them are in private, fee-paying colleges.

If you didn't get an offer on Tuesday, or you definitely don't want the offer you have, then you should browse through the list below.

These places are open to you whether you have applied to the CAO or not. If you have applied, there is no need for another form. Simply inform the CAO of the desired course(s), quoting your application number.

If you have not applied previously, you must contact the CAO at Tower House, Eglinton Street, Galway, for an application form. In this case a fee of £18.90 applies.

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If you prefer, you can apply electronically. Each evening, during the offer stage (August 22nd to mid-October) the CAO will put a list of courses with vacant places on its website (www.cao.ie). An existing applicant need enter only their CAO application number to request vacant-place application material. Those who have not applied this year may enter their names and addresses and the CAO will send on the material.

Remember, to be eligible for a place, you must fulfil the minimum educational requirements, including any specific subjects. For instance, you need an ordinary-level B or higher in maths for a place on Athlone IT's polymer technology degree.

If you are considering applying for a vacant place you should research the course thoroughly. What subjects are offered each year? How much practical work will the course entail? Is there a work experience element? How have graduates fared in the past? What is the drop-out rate?

Degrees

Athlone IT: AL032 polymer technology

UCC: CK601 food process engineering

American College Dublin: AC110 liberal arts (English, history or international relations); AC120 international business (management or marketing); AC130 international tourism; AC141 behavioural science (psychology); AC142 behavioural science (applied social studies)

Dublin Business School: DB512 business studies; DB521 accountancy and finance; DB531 business studies (marketing).

Griffith College Dublin: GC401 accounting and finance; GC402 law with business

LSB College, Dublin: LS101 anthropology; LS201 arts (general); LS202 arts (psychology); LS501 business (marketing)

UCD: DN022 arts (evening modular course)

Letterkenny IT: : LY151 computing with data communications

Certificate/diploma

Athlone IT: AL002 business studies (Cavan); AL004 office information systems (Cavan); AL007 front office administration; AL008 hotel/catering supervision; AL009 plastics engineering: AL010 mechanical engineering; AL014 mineral engineering; AL016 science (applied biology); AL017 science (applied chemistry); AL019 professional accountancy; AL023 accounting technician; AL025 equine studies.

Burren College of Art: BC001 art (fine art).

American College Dublin: AC100 humanities.

Dublin Business School: DB522 business studies (accounting); DB533 business studies (marketing); DB542 business studies (computer applications).

Griffith College Dublin: GC415 legal studies; GC416 business studies; GC440 computing.

LSB College: LS211 arts in cultural studies; LS421 computing/ IT; LS521 business studies.

Portobello College, Dublin: PB202 computing; PB203 business studies; PB204 business studies (accounting and financial services); PB205 business studies (computer applications); PB206 business studies (marketing). Galway Mayo IT: GA046 hospitality information technology.

Letterkenny IT: LY001 aquatic science; LY002 accounting technician; LY010 electronic engineering; LY011 mechanical engineering; LY014 chemistry; LY046 environmental engineering.

Shannon College of Hotel Management: SN101 business studies (plus international hotel management).

Tallaght IT: TA404 engineering (microelectronics and semi-conductor manufacturing); TA504> engineering (electro-mechanical systems). Tralee IT: TL670 mechanical engineering.

In addition to the courses with vacant places, there are a number of new courses in Cork IT which are still accepting applications. Application should be made directly to the college, not the CAO.

Cork IT: has five new courses for which you can apply up to August 30th: a bachelor of engineering in structural engineering; BSc in computerised instrument systems; BA in multimedia; BSc in software development with French (includes a six-month industrial placement in France); and a national certificate in biomedical engineering (there will be a one-year add-on diploma for certificate graduates who meet certain criteria). Apply to the admissions office, CIT, Bishopptown, Cork, tel 021 432 6221.

UK options

Vacant places in UK colleges are being offered through the clearing process. The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) website holds details of more than 25,000 courses with vacancies (www.ucas.com).

If you don't have Internet access, you can find listings of vacant places in the London Independent on the following dates: today, tomorrow, August 29th, September 5th and 14th.

By yesterday UCAS said 258,831 people had accepted places on full-time higher education courses starting this autumn. Already 1,992 students from the Republic of Ireland have accepted places in UK colleges, about 16 per cent down on acceptances this time last year.

There are tuition fees (maximum £1,050 sterling per annum) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Means-tested help may be available. UCAS helpline: 0044 (1242) 227788.

Webcast: Thanks to everyone who sent e-mails to yesterday morning's webcast, a Q & A session with the Irish Times careers and guidance correspondent Anne Byrne and guidance counsellor Sile Sheey. It is archived at www.ireland.com/education/ cao/2000/ and is available in both audio and text format. College 2000 will have another webcast on Wednesday, September 6th, after the second round of CAO offers. Queries to education@irish-times.ie