Limited number of places still available – apply now
Overall CAO figures this year show an increase in the number of Leaving Certificate students listing IT Sligo as their first preference. The Institute’s School of Science alone witnessed a 37 per cent increase in first preference listings for its courses and demand for Computing programmes has also increased significantly – both of which are reflective of national trends.
With employment opportunities on the increase in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) areas nationally, students appear to be basing their preferences strongly on career prospects in Ireland.
A number of courses at the Institute have also seen a points increase. The BSc in Environmental Science, the BSc in Occupational Safety and Health, the BSc in Medical Biotechnology and the BA in Accounting are amongst the Level 8 programmes which have increased by more than 10 points.
Meanwhile, the Level 7 courses which have witnessed an increase of more than 10 points include the BEng in Mechatronics, the BSc in Occupational Safety and Health and a number of the computing programmes, including BSc in Computing (Games Development), the BSc in Web Development and Creative Media, the BSc in Computing (Software Development) and the BSc in Computing (Systems and Networking).
With second round offers due on Tuesday, August 27th, students who are still considering their options are being encouraged to investigate the opportunities available at the Institute through the CAO Available/Vacant places process.
Registrar at the Institute Dr Brendan McCormack (pictured below), explained that anyone interested in taking up a third level course can apply for admission to Available/Vacant places, regardless of whether they previously applied through the CAO or not. “There are still a limited number of places available places on some of our courses in the areas of pharmaceutical science, engineering, business and marketing amongst others, and I would urge anyone who is interested in finding out more to contact us to discuss their options.”
Dr Mc Cormack said IT Sligo’s reputation for its quality courses and supportive learning environment are proving to be an attraction for students; “IT Sligo has a strong academic reputation. Our relationship with local and national industry ensures that our courses are kept relevant and that our graduates continue to be in demand. The Institute’s modern learning and sports facilities continue to be popular with students also and we look forward to welcoming this year’s first years to Sligo.”
Amongst those starting at the Institute this year will be 250 international students, including students from Oman. Kuwait, the USA, Canada, China and all over Europe.
A significant building programme is almost complete at IT Sligo making its campus amongst the most modern in the country. The Institute offers a wide range of internationally recognised programmes across the fields of science, engineering, business and social sciences.
The Available/Vacant Places facility is now open on the CAO website. Existing CAO applicants can update their preferences without any charge. Applicants not already in CAO can apply through the CAO for a fee of €40. To see the full list of Available/Vacant places at IT Sligo see www.itsligo.ie/vacantplaces or telephone +353 (0) 71 9318510.
Graduate Profile: Business Degree leads Leitrim’s Hamrogue to Co- Op Chief Operating Officer role
Colm Hamrogue from Co Leitrim graduated with a Bachelor of Business from IT Sligo in 2004 and is now working as Chief Operating Officer at the leading rural supplies and services farmer-owned co-operative in New Zealand, Farmlands Co-Operative Society.
He credits the course with providing him with the skills he uses now in his everyday working life; “I gained technical skills like financial accounting and more importantly, management accounting for my current role. While you don’t use theory in your everyday job, learning the way in which other organisations do things through case studies and understanding management theory has helped me to identify, assess and create action plans to solve problems and capture opportunities.”
Now working with a business with 1,000 staff and a turnover of NZ$2.2 billion per annum, he highly recommends studying at IT Sligo; “There are so many colleges out there to choose from and, as a former president of IT Sligo Students’ Union and the Union of Students in Ireland, I have travelled to most and IT Sligo is up there with the best of them.
“IT Sligo will not disappoint, I loved every minute of it,” he said.
There are still places available on a number of business courses at IT Sligo, including the Bachelor of Business (Level 8); Certificate in Business (Level 7); Certificate in Office Information (Level 7); and Certificate in Accounting (Level 7). For more information see www.itsligo.ie/vacantplaces or telephone +353 (0) 71 9318510.
Graduate Profile: Marketing course leads to international role for Sligo’s Mella
Sligo native Mella O’Rourke graduated from a course in Marketing with Languages at IT Sligo in 2009 and is now working as Corporate Internal Communications Manager at Airbus SAS in France.
She said the structure of the course allowed her time to find her specific area of interest; “The fact that the course was more general in the first two years meant that I didn’t need to be 100% positive about what my degree would be in. Marketing then became my natural choice because I was interested in the coursework and really enjoyed the project work.
“My job is high paced, high energy. We take the company objectives, set priorities and then work with the communications network around the world to ensure accurate, consistent and aligned messaging and channels are used,” she said.
There are still places available on a number of marketing courses at IT Sligo, including the Bachelor of Business in Marketing with Languages (Level 7), the Bachelor of Business in Marketing with PR and Event Management (Level 7)and the Bachelor of Business in Marketing (Level 7). For more information see www.itsligo.ie/vacantplaces or telephone +353 (0) 71 9318510.