Expand+Minimum Number of:
Subjects 6
Honours 2H5's

Minimum Grade in:
Maths 06/H7
English or Irish O6/H7

Important Information
Students will be required to undergo Garda Vetting. Students must complete the required documentation, including a full ...

Hide-Minimum Number of:
Subjects 6
Honours 2H5's

Minimum Grade in:
Maths 06/H7
English or Irish O6/H7

Important Information
Students will be required to undergo Garda Vetting. Students must complete the required documentation, including a full list of all previous addresses, in order for clearance checks to be made. Currently Irish addresses are vetted by the Garda Vetting Bureau at no cost to the student.

Information On Eligibility And Selection
To be eligible for consideration for a programme an applicant must possess the minimum entry requirements for that programme.

Where a programme requirement is 2 or 3 honours, grade H5 or better on Higher Level Leaving Certificate papers is needed to meet such a requirement.

Where a specific grade is required in a subject (H4, O3 etc) an applicant must achieve that grade or better in order to be eligible for consideration (H = Higher Level; O = Ordinary Level).

In the case of both Higher and Ordinary Level Leaving Certificate results, grades lower than H7 (Higher) or 06 (Ordinary) are not acceptable for eligibility purposes or for points calculation.

For the purpose of meeting minimum entry requirements, results from any number of sittings of the Irish Leaving Certificate Examination may be combined.

An applicant’s examination score will be calculated by adding together the points scored in the best six subjects in a single sitting of the Irish Leaving Certificate Examination.

Matriculation Examinations will not be accepted either for the purpose of meeting minimum entry requirements or for calculating examination scores.

Selection for entry to DIT programmes will be determined on the basis of examination score except in the case of programmes which involve suitability tests, interviews and other assessment procedures. All suitability tests/interviews/auditions/portfolio reviews etc will generally be carried out during the period March - May each year.

Demand usually exceeds the number of places available and therefore examination results better than the minimum entry requirement are likely to be required.

When a number of applicants have the same points score, a random number is attached to the score for each course preference. This will then determine the position of each applicant on the waiting lists for offers.

Bonus Points Maths (Irish Leaving Certificate)

25 bonus points will continue to be awarded for Higher Level Mathematics for H6 grades and above. The bonus points will only be relevant where that subject is scored as one of the applicant’s best six subjects for points purposes.

Foundation Level Mathematics

The Institute will accept Foundation Level Maths for the purposes of entry requirements in the case of any programme where Higher or Ordinary Level Maths is not a requirement.

Points will not be awarded.

Foundation Level Irish

The Institute will not consider Foundation Level Irish for the purposes of entry requirements or for points.

Expand+Mature Students

Whatever your reason for coming back to education, updating your skills, gaining a new qualification, achieving a personal goal or ambition, DIT welcomes all mature students.

Mature Students / Thinking of returning to study?

...

Hide-Mature Students

Whatever your reason for coming back to education, updating your skills, gaining a new qualification, achieving a personal goal or ambition, DIT welcomes all mature students.

Mature Students / Thinking of returning to study?

Whatever your reason for coming back to education, updating your skills, gaining a new qualification, achieving a personal goal or ambition, DIT welcomes all mature students.

We know it can be daunting, but you are not alone and DIT has a range of supports in place to help you decide what course to take, get through the application process and get settled into college life.

To be classified as a mature student and wishing to enter the 1st year of any undergraduate full time course in DIT you must be 23 years of age or older on or before 1st January 2018 and be an Irish/EU citizen. You make your application for admission to the 1st year of any undergraduate full time course through the Central Applications Office (CAO)

Submitting an Application

Applying as a Mature Student is different to those who are applying directly from School. As part of your application you will be asked to include:

•Courses you are applying for
•Details of your schooling
•Any further education you may have completed*
•Details of any current studies (if you are currently studying)*
•Information about your work and life experience &
•A personal statement about how these relate to your current application

*If you have any documents you think will support your application (transcripts, certificates etc.) you can send these by post, clearly marked with your Application Number directly to the CAO. Documents are scanned and added to your application online. DIT staff can assess them there.

CAO Applications must be submitted before the 1st of February each year.

Late applications will be accepted on behalf of DIT through the CAO up to the 1st of May (subject to the payment of a late fee). Please note that places are limited and there is no guarantee late applications will be considered especially in popular courses. No late applications will be accepted for restricted programmes where candidates are expected to attend suitability test, audition or submit a portfolio.

Part-time Study: Applications for part-time courses are made directly to the relevant School here in DIT. Applications can be accepted much closer to the starting date for the part time programmes, but you are advised to make contact as early as possible and to request course details and an application form. dit.ie/studyatdit/part-time/

Expand+Early online application (discounted): Fee €30 Closing Date: 20th January 2019 at 5:15pm

Normal online application: Fee €45 Closing Date: 1st February 2019 at 5:15pm

Late online application - restrictions apply: Fee: €60 Closing Date: 1st May 2...

Hide-Early online application (discounted): Fee €30 Closing Date: 20th January 2019 at 5:15pm

Normal online application: Fee €45 Closing Date: 1st February 2019 at 5:15pm

Late online application - restrictions apply: Fee: €60 Closing Date: 1st May 2019 at 5:15 pm

Change of Mind - restrictions apply: Fee: Nil Closing Date: 1st July 2019 5:15 pm

Exceptional online late application - see page 14 of the 2019 CAO Handbook: Fee €60 Closing Date: 22nd July 2019 at 5:15pm

You should avoid submitting an application close to a closing date. No extensions to closing dates will be allowed and all fees are non-refundable.

LATE APPLICATIONS
Late Applications are those which are received after 5:15pm on 1st February 2019 and will be accepted up to 5:15pm on 1st May 2019, subject to the restricitions listed on page 3 of the 2019 CAO Handbook. The online facility for late applications opens on the 5th March 2019 at 12:00 noon - a fee of €60 applies.

Exceptional Late Applications (Exception to the Timetable)
The exceptional closing date of 22nd of July at 5:15pm applies only to applicants who are registered as an undergraduate student on 1 May 2019 in any year in any one of the participating HEIs (subject to the exclusions listed below). In order to avail of the Exceptional Late Application facility you must have entered the HEI through the CAO system.

If you did not enter your current course through the CAO system, you must first contact the Admissions Office of the HEI to which you wish to apply and they will inform you if you may submit an application direct to the institution.

Exclusions:
You may submit a late application only for entry to courses other than your existing course. If you wish to repeat the year in the same course you must arrange this within your HEI.

Mary Immaculate College Limerick, Marino Institute of Education, Trinity College Dublin, University of Limerick, Maynooth University and Galway Mayo Institute of Technology have special procedures in place in the case of current or previous students who wish to apply for entry to another course in the same HEI. Such applicants must contact their Admissions Office to determine the application procedure. However, if you are a student in another HEI and you wish to apply to any of these five HEIs, you should apply through CAO.

Refer to page 21 of the 2019 CAO Handbook on how to make an Exceptional Late Application.

Restricted-category Applicants
Mature applicants – most HEIs will require mature applicants, who wish to be assessed on mature grounds, to have applied to CAO by 1st February 2019 at 5:15pm. (This restriction does not apply if the applicant wishes to be considered on the basis of school leaving qualifications only.) For more information about applying to CAO on the basis of mature years go to www.cao.ie/mature.

Applying for the HEAR and/or DARE schemes – to be considered for the HEAR and/or DARE schemes applicants must have registered on the CAO system by 1st February 2019 at 5:15pm. To apply to DARE, you must anser YES to Question 1 ('Do you wish to be considered for DARE?) on Section A of the fully completed Supplementary Information Form (SIF) by 5:15pm on 1 March 2019.

To apply to HEAR, you must indicate on your CAO application that you wish to apply for HEAR and fully and correctly complete all elements of the online HEAR form by 5:15pm on 1 March 2019.

Supporting documents for DARE and/or HEAR applicants must be sent to CAO offices before 1 April 2019 at 5:15pm

Expand+What is Early Childhood Education?
Early Childhood Education generally refers to the care and education of children in Early Years settings and generally means education before the start of primary school attendance which is 0-6 years in Ireland. Th...

Hide-What is Early Childhood Education?
Early Childhood Education generally refers to the care and education of children in Early Years settings and generally means education before the start of primary school attendance which is 0-6 years in Ireland. These services include pre-schools, Naíonraí, specific intervention centres such as community support preschools, Barnardo childcare services, Focus Ireland support services, Crèches, Child minding and After-School groups.

The early years are now well recognised by legislators, policy makers, educationalists and researchers as a critical period in children’s learning and development. Responding to the needs and rights of children and families receiving services in this sector, the Early Childhood Education professional needs to understand many facets of the young child’s learning and development and the role of early education.

Learning Outcomes: What will I Study:
The Learning Outcomes are set out in accordance with the QQI framework and developed related to Knowledge, Know-how/ Skill and Competence.

Expand+Module Listing
Year One
• Psychology & Child Development
• Early Education
• Professional Practice in the Early Years
• Child Health & Nutrition
• Art in Early Education
• Drama in Education
• Supervised Practice Placement
• Sociology &...

Hide-Module Listing
Year One
• Psychology & Child Development
• Early Education
• Professional Practice in the Early Years
• Child Health & Nutrition
• Art in Early Education
• Drama in Education
• Supervised Practice Placement
• Sociology & Social Policy
• Research Methods in the Early Years
• Skills Development

Year Two
• Child Development in Context
• Mental Health during the Early Years
• Inclusion in Early Years Practice
• Language, Literacy & Numeracy
• Aistear & Early Years Curricula
• Outdoor Learning
• Supervised Practice Placement
• Law
• Documenting Children’s Learning
• Options: Art in Early Education or Drama in Education

Year Three
• Pedagogy & Curriculum
• Perspectives on Early Childhood Education: Issues in Policy, Practice & Research
• Digital Childhoods
• Working with Families & Communities
• Child protection in Early Years Services
• Introduction to Business & Management Skills in Early Years Services
• Sociology of Education & Inequality
• Supervised practice Placement
• Research Methods & Dissertation

Expand+What are my career opportunities?
Graduates of the Early Childhood Education degree work as practitioners and as managers in an early years setting such as crèches, day nurseries, pre-schools, after-school services, special education services, early...

Hide-What are my career opportunities?
Graduates of the Early Childhood Education degree work as practitioners and as managers in an early years setting such as crèches, day nurseries, pre-schools, after-school services, special education services, early start classrooms and family centres. Graduates also work in the area of project development and in management positions in the Health Service Executive, country childcare committees and an voluntary organisations.

What other options do I have after completion?
Graduates of this Level 8 programme will be eligible to progress to Masters Degrees (Level 9) in a wide range of disciplines across the Social Sciences, e.g. MA in Child, Family and Community Studies, Graduate Diploma in Education (Primary Teaching) or MA in Mentoring, Management and Leadership in the Early Years.