Universities in Ireland

The system of higher education (or “third-level education» ) – are state universities, professional colleges and educational institutions. Recently began to appear private, mainly business colleges. In Ireland, there are  six universities.

• The most famous – Trinity College Dublin (University of Dublin, Trinity College).
• Another famous University – National University of Ireland (NUI) – consists of three colleges: University College Dublin, University College Cork and University College Galway.

All three colleges are autonomous and self-governing, each of them has the status of a university itself. There are NUI accredited colleges, one of the most prestigious medical schools in Europe, The Royal College of Surgeons, St. Patrick’s College (St Patrick’s College) and St Angela’s College. Irish include the six “friends” and two universities, located in Northern Ireland and in the United Kingdom: Queens University Belfast and the University of Ulster (University of Ulster).

Irish universities – primarily academic and research centers, and they come in the first place, those who want to devote themselves to scientific careers. All Irish universities have departments of humanities, natural sciences, engineering, social sciences, economics and medicine. In each, there are three levels: bachelor’s degree (3-4 years), master’s and doctoral programs.

Largest and most famous professional college is Dublin Institute of Technology (Dublin Institute of Technology – DIT). It has more than 22,000 students. At the Institute there are several schools – schools of technology, service and hospitality, marketing and design, commercial and music.

Another great system – Regional Technical Colleges (RTC) – includes 11 professional colleges across the country. There are also specialized higher education institutions such as the National College of Art and Design, the College of Music in Cork.

Unlike Irish universities, colleges and professional institutions more focused on practice, the needs of the market, they prepare students for work. Specialists in business, technology, industry, services such education and a college degree is valued more than a university degree. But also traditional classical universities under the influence of time, are forced to create new programs – short undergraduate and graduate courses, distance learning programs, training for professionals, university courses include new “market” items.