Education in Ireland

The Irish education system is made up of first (elementary / middle school), second (high school) and third-level (university / college) education and of further education. Almost all education is funded by the State through the Department of Education and Science.

For further information on the first (primary) and second (post-primary) level schools in Ireland please see the Education Provider Search on the Department of Education and Science’s website. The Commission can provide advice to Fulbrighters regarding relevant and appropriate schools for their accompanying dependents.

The third-level education sector in Ireland consists of universities, institutes of technology, and colleges of education - collectively known as higher education institutions or HEIs. Third-level qualifications are Levels 6-10 in the National Framework of Qualification (NFQ). The Framework is a system of 10 levels which allows national and international educational qualifications to be compared.

The Higher Education Authority is the statutory planning and development body for higher education and research in Ireland. The HEA has wide advisory powers throughout the whole of the third-level education sector. In addition it is the funding authority for the universities, institutes of technology and a number of designated higher education institutions.

Universities in Ireland are state-funded, but they are generally autonomous. University students qualify with Ordinary Bachelors degrees (NFQ Level 7) or Honors Bachelors degrees (NFQ Level 8). There are  7 universities in Ireland  including:

• The members of the National University of Ireland (NUI), which is the accrediting institution comprising  University College Dublin, University College Galway, University College Cork, and St. Patrick's College in Maynooth. The NUI also has recognised colleges including the National College of Art and Design and the Royal College of Surgeons
• The University of Dublin, which is generally known as Trinity College Dublin (TCD)
• The University of Limerick (UL)
• Dublin City University (DCU)

There are 14 institutes of technology http://www.ioti.ie/ located around the country. In the Dublin area they are Dublin, Tallaght, Blanchardstown and Dun Laoghaire. Around the country they are in Cork, Waterford, Tralee, Dundalk, Athlone, Galway and Mayo, Sligo, Letterkenny, Limerick, and Carlow. These institutes run courses in Engineering, Computing, Science, Business, Catering and a wide range of other areas. Students generally qualify with Higher Certificates (NFQ Level 6) or Ordinary Bachelors degrees (NFQ Level 7). Honours Bachelors degrees (NFQ Level 8) are also available. Some institutions have begun to offer post-graduate degrees and research.

The following colleges of education provide specialised training for primary school teachers in Ireland:

1. Mary Immaculate College, Limerick
2. Mater Dei Institute of Education, Dublin
3. St Patrick's College, Drumcondra
4. St Angela's College of Education, Sligo

In addition to the state-funded colleges, there are a number of private fee-paying third-level educational institutions offering courses, mainly in professional vocational training and business. Some of these colleges are linked to universities or professional associations and their qualifications may be accredited accordingly. Others offer Higher Education and Training Awards Council (HETAC) accreditation. It is important to check out the accreditation on offer before you choose your course.

For information for international students and scholars about relocating to Ireland, some useful websites are:

Education Ireland

Irish Universities Association

Euraxess- Researchers in Motion