![St. Patrick's College Drumcondra [logo]](/main/includes/global_graphics/logo.gif){kind=logo}
Mature Applicants
Who is a mature Applicant?
A mature applicant is one who is 23 years of age, or over, on the 1 January of the year of entry in which application is made.
What can you Study at St Patrick's?
Mature applicants can apply to study for a BA in Humanities or a Bachelor of Education degree.
BA in Humanities Degree
Students take three subjects in first year and two subjects to degree level from amongst the following subjects: English, History, Human Development, French, Gaeilge, Geography, Mathematics, Music, Religious Studies & Bioscience (first year only).
Bachelor of Education Degree
This degree prepares students to qualify as primary school teachers. Students follow courses in the history, psychology, philosophy and sociology of education, classroom management, teaching & curriculum. Students undertake periods of teaching practice in schools. Currently students also study two academic subjects in first year and one to degree level, selected from those listed above under humanities*.
*Note, the B.Ed. degree is presently being re-designed, further details on the new programme will be available in late March 2012. It is expected that the degree will follow a four year programme, with increased time and credits allocated to teaching practice and to primary curriculum areas.
Places Reserved for mature Students
Approximately 25-30% of places are reserved for mature students on our Humanities degree. The places reserved on our B.Ed. programme is determined by the Department of Education, but is usually about 10%.
How do you apply for admission to our undergraduate degrees?
Mature applicants may apply for a place in the BA and B.Ed. through the CAO and/or make a direct application to the College. Note, your CAO application is considered on Leaving Certificate points only, your direct application will be assessed on mature entry criteria (see below).
Students with appropriate FETAC Level 5 qualifications (ECHSX, ELESX,ELAXX) with distinctions in 5 modules, may be admitted on a competitive basis to the first year of the BA degree. Application for FETAC places is through the CAO.
CAO Applicants
Applicants should apply through the CAO by 1 February of the year of entry.
Direct Applicants
Applicants should apply directly to the College before 2 April each year, application forms are available from mid-February.
B.A. Entry Requirements: Direct Applicants
Mature applicants who make a direct application to the College do not compete with school leavers in terms of prior academic achievement and points but applicants may have completed a recent course of study, such as one of the university foundation or VTOS courses. Others have no formal qualification such as the Leaving Certificate. Work and life experience is taken into consideration. See below for details of selection procedure.
B.A. Minimum Entry Requirements: CAO Applicants
Mature applicants who opt to apply through the CAO system must have Leaving Certificate (or an approved equivalent) with Grade C3 in two Higher Level subjects and Grade D3 in four Ordinary or Higher Level subjects (which must include Mathematics and either English or Irish) Note, Ordinary Alternative or Foundation Level Mathematics is accepted for matriculation purposes but the College does not award points for this level in Mathematics.
B.Ed. Minimum Entry Requirements: CAO & Direct Applicants.
Both CAO and direct applicants to the B.Ed. degree are required to have a Leaving Certificate (or an approved equivalent) with Grade C3 in three Higher Level subjects, and a grade D in three other subjects. Essential subjects include:
a C on a Higher Level paper in Irish,
a C in Ordinary Level or a D on an Higher Level paper in English
a D in Higher or Ordinary Level Mathematics.
Note, applicants may combine Leaving Certificates to satisfy the entry requirements. Where applicants are due to re-sit Leaving Certificate subjects in order to qualify for mature entry, they may apply for a place in the same year. Check out www.examinations.ie for further information on re-sitting Leaving Certificate subjects as an external candidate.
Entry requirements for admission to the B.Ed. are expected to change in 2016/17. Details of the proposed entry requirements have yet to be agreed.
Matriculation Examination (which existed up to 1992)
In the case of Irish, a Grade C in the Matriculation Examination will be accepted in lieu of the Leaving Certificate Examination/GCSE requirement. In the case of Mathematics a pass in that subject in the Matriculation Examination will be accepted.
GCSE/GCE
The minimum academic requirements for GCSE and GCE A Level and AS Level Examinations are set out in the Department of Education document:
Entry Requirements for mature entrants to the B.Ed. primary 2011 will be available shortly from the Department of Education.
University Examination Equivalent
A pass in a University First Arts Examination in Irish, English or Mathematics will be accepted in lieu of the Leaving Certificate Examination/GCE/GCSE requirement for that particular subject.
OTHER ACCEPTABLE ALTERNATIVES in Irish:
- B2 Teastas Eorpach na Gaeilge for Grad.Dip.Ed.*
www.teg.ie
( * Note, while this qualification is accepted by the Department of Education for entry to the Grad.Dip.Ed., we await clarification from DES re mature direct entry to the B.Ed., please check back later) - Diploma in Arts (Applied Irish) from University College Cork
- Dioplóma sa Ghaeilge from NUI Galway
- Dioplóma sa Ghaeilge Fheidhmeach from University College Dublin
- Dioplóma sa Ghaeilge from NUI Maynooth
- Diploma in Irish from the University of Ulster
- Dioploma sa Ghaeilge (An Ghaeilge sa Saol Comhaimseartha) of Aonad na Gaeilge from the University of Limerick
Method of Selection: CAO Applicants
Qualified mature applicants (see entry requirements above) who opt to apply for a place on either our BA or B.Ed. programmes through the CAO are offered a place based on their Leaving Certificate points, there is no interview for CAO applicants. The cut off point in 2011 for the BA was 420 (random selection), the cut-off point for the B.Ed. was 475 (random selection). Check out the CAO web site to calculate your points score. If you completed your Leaving Certificate prior to 1992, your grades are averaged at B2, C2, etc.
Method of Selection: Direct Applicants to the B.Ed.
Selection of mature students usually takes place in early May. B.Ed. direct applicants are interviewed and must also attend for an oral Irish examination. Qualified applicants will be placed in order of merit determined by the combined results of their interview and their oral Irish test. The selection criteria are available here, see also guidelines for interviews.
Method of selection: Direct Applicants to the BA
B.A. in Humanities applicants sit a short written test and interview. All applicants are contacted within one month of their interview to advise them of the state of their application. Where applicants are sitting exams, the results of these may be sought before coming to a final decision.
What happens when you are offered a place?
Mature applicants are contacted by the College within one month of their interview to advise them on the result of the selection process. Successful applicants are asked to return their acceptance form to the College with a deposit to secure their place by a set date. The deposit in 2012 will be:
(a)
BA: €250.00 for successful candidates who are eligible for a means-tested Higher Education Grant.
B.Ed: €175 for successful candidates who are eligible for a means-tested Higher Education Grant or
(b)
€2,250 for successful candidates who are not eligible for a means-tested Higher Education Grant.
The deposit is offset against student charges at registration. Check out the Higher Education Grant Scheme here
Financial Support
Under the Free Fees Initiative*, college tuition fees are covered by the Department of Education for full-time, undergraduate, European Union students and students from outside the EU who have refugee status or humanitarian leave to remain in Ireland and who have been ordinarily resident in an EU member State for at least three of the five years preceding their entry into the College. For other categories please see studentfinance.ie In 2012, the annual Registration/Student Contribution Charge will be €2,250 (mature applicants may apply to studentfinance.ie for a means-tested grant towards this fee).
*Under the Free Fees Initiative, tuition fees are not paid in respect of students pursuing a second undergraduate degree, but students progressing from a National Certificate or Diploma (Level 7 qualification) who have received a terminal qualification from such courses may be deemed eligible for free fees. The Free Fees Initiative may be reviewed by the Department of Education in the future.
Maintenance Grants for Mature Students
For information on the Higher Education Grant scheme and the means test, consult student finance.ie Entrants in 2012 apply online for a grant through studentfinance.ie Mature entrants who are in receipt of a BTEA allowance, will no longer be entitled to receive a higher education maintenance grant. They may apply for a grant to studentfinance.ie to cover registration fees. Lone parents are entitled to keep their Lone Parents Allowance and may apply for the Higher Education Grant but may loose their rent allowance if in receipt of both.
Mature students are no longer automatically entitled to the non-adjacent rate of the Higher Education Grant.
Previously, all mature students were entitled to the "non-adjacent" rate of maintenance regardless of how close their residence was to the college. All grant applicants will be assessed based on the distance their residence is from the college.
The residency requirement in the State for grant eligibility is now three out of the previous five years immediately before the date on which a year of study commences on an approved course.
The Back to Education Allowance Scheme
Mature students who are in receipt of Social Welfare allowance or signing on for credits may be entitled to a BTEA (Back to Education Allowance). The qualifying period is 9 months. If you have been awarded Statutory Redundancy, you may access the BTEA Scheme without delay, provided you first establish an entitlement to a Social Welfare payment. Students entering college in 2012, who are in receipt of the BTEA are not entitled to apply for a Student Maintenance Grant, but may be entitled to a means tested grant from student finance.ie to cover registration fees (see Maintenance Grant above). For further information, consult the Department of Social Protection, T:01- 7043000 or check out the Department's web site here: Back to Education Allowance Please read, in particular, sections 1.10-1.13 which outline the qualifying conditions, including linking periods on social welfare allowances. Applicants who already have a degree should pay special attention to section 1.13.
Cost of Education Allowance
The €300.00 Cost of Education Allowance is payable to all approved participants in the BTEA Scheme (except credits only cases). This allowance is payable at the beginning of each academic year. Participants must supply written confirmation from the school or college that they have registered as a full-time day student before the Cost of Education Allowance is payable.
How will participating in a third-level course alter your Lifestyle?
Studying at third-level requires commitment, discipline and good time management. Students with families and partners need to be aware of the demands involved. Support from family and friends are vital elements in successful application to study.
College Support
As St. Patrick's College has a smaller student population than other third-level colleges, our staff is in a position to offer a considerable amount of personal support to students. Formal support is offered to students through the following schemes:
An Induction Programme
Drop-in Advisory Service
The Student Counselling Service
The Careers Service
The Mature Student Tutor Scheme
Study Workshops
Individual writing workshops
Síol: Library research support service
Student Accommodation
On campus student accommodation is limited and reserved for school leavers. St Patrick's Students' Union maintains a student accommodation list available to all students.
Further information may be obtained from:
The Admissions Office: Phone: 01-8842013, Email:admissions.office@spd.dcu.ie
The Mature Students' Office: Phone: 01-8842280, Email:cora.cregan@spd.dcu.ie
Disclaimer:
The information outlined above was correct at the time of publication. This information is intended as a general guide for mature applicants and shall not be deemed to form a contract between the College and an applicant or any third party. St. Patrick's College accepts no liability for any loss or damage howsoever arising as a result of use or reliance on this information.
Last Updated: Monday February 27 2012