Back to college time: are you considering starting a course this September?

The IBAT College Dublin campus has become a landmark along Dublin city's south quays since it opened in 2011, thanks partly to the colourful logo that sometimes stretches the width of its imposing building during the summer. Its location beside Temple Bar is a huge draw for full-time students who want to experience a capital city lifestyle when studying for their degree or diploma, while its close proximity to Dublin's main transport hubs benefits part-time students who need to study in the evenings after work.

IBAT College Dublin, or the Institute of Business and Technology, has gone from strength to strength since its first campus was established in Swords in 2004. The second campus in Dublin 2 was purpose built over five floors with state-of-the-art facilities that include IT labs, common areas for students, a dedicated MBA floor with debating chamber, an auditorium, break out areas, a meeting space for group work and high speed wifi.

The college offers industry relevant full-time and part-time programmes in a wide variety of subjects, at undergraduate, postgraduate and diploma level. These courses, designed by an academic team with significant industry experience, range from business, marketing and management to computing, ICT, accounting and finance, as well as recently launched sports management and international tourism programmes.

'The sports industry and the tourism industry have both seen record growth in recent years with excellent career prospects available in both sectors", says Marie McTigue, Marketing Manager with IBAT College Dublin.  

Part-time courses

IBAT College Dublin also offers a wide range of professional development courses in specialist areas where individuals need to upskill, or add to their existing skillset, in order to progress their career. Professional development is essential as companies are continuously evolving, updating and changing.

"The benefits to the employer can also be huge", says McTigue, "As the workforce becomes more efficient and confident, productivity is increased but morale and job satisfaction are also significantly increased."

Some of these courses include a Diploma in Project Management (recognised by the Project Management Institute, fast becoming the industry standard for Project Management training), a Diploma in Financial Management (for non-financial managers who may have financial or budgetary responsibilities) and a range of programming and ICT Diplomas offering advanced Java programming, Visual C#, Mobile App Development, Cyber Security and Predictive Data Analytics to name but a few.

Digital Marketing courses

Recruiting marketers with the right mix of digital skills can be a challenge for businesses. As there is still a serious requirement for this training, IBAT College Dublin partners with The Digital Marketing Institute to offer classroom courses in Digital Marketing. You can study for a Professional Diploma (one evening per week for 10 weeks), or take a Postgraduate Diploma in Digital Marketing over two evenings per week, for one year.

The MBA

IBAT College Dublin's postgraduate MBA programme is offered full-time over one year and part-time over two years.  The part-time MBA is delivered two evenings per week, allowing students to balance their studies with other full-time commitments. "The MBA programme is no doubt a challenging programme, but it is often also a life changing one as many of our graduates have gone on to move jobs, obtain promotion within their company, or even set up their own successful enterprise as a result of completing the MBA." says McTigue.

Martin Minchin is currently studying for his MBA on a part-time basis with IBAT College Dublin:

"For me, the practical, corporate-focused course content is one of the strongest points of the IBAT College Dublin MBA, and this is backed up by a dedicated team of lecturers who are able to combine their significant academic credentials with some hugely beneficial insights from their respective career backgrounds. As well as this, in-class discussions and debates amongst fellow students were always encouraged and contributed greatly to making the overall learning outcome even more rewarding. I find myself constantly taking insights from these discussions back to my day job."

What course is right for me?

The College holds open events throughout the year so that potential students can get a flavour for the college, but they also offer a drop in course advisory service, that makes it very easy for those thinking about taking on a course in IBAT College to pop in and get the information they need.

"Course Advisors from the Admissions Office are available outside of the times that we hold open evenings and information evenings" McTigue says. "So, if people drop into our campus during the day, they can speak to someone, one-to-one, about their study options, entry requirements and career development opportunities as well as view the study facilities."

IBAT College Dublin is currently enrolling for all courses starting in September. View the full range of courses on offer and apply online at ibat.ie.