What is the best University in Ireland?

Sangre

Anymore slagging of Trinity earns an immediate, permanent ban. I will not have anyone insult my precious college.

You're in a good position to judge things...

Having experienced both colleges, from an academic point and the other points that Kev made, whats the verdict?

Stepherunie

Stepherunie wrote:

Or it could further propagate the myth that Trinity students are insular and unaware that there are other places outside TCD.

EDIT: Myth?? What was i thinking?

Myth wrote:

I'm more curious as to what you mean.

Stepherunie wrote:

In keeping with the general theme: it isn't a myth, it's a belief.

Perhaps I wasn't clear enough. What the hell are you talking about?

TheVan

JUDAS

:eek:

Stepherunie

Myth wrote:

Perhaps I wasn't clear enough. What the hell are you talking about?

Tongue planted firmly in cheek for that entire comment.

Apologies for any insult caused.

Steibhin

UCG - is now NUI, Galway. Not NUIG. They never ever abbrivate it to NUIG. Only NUI, Galway or Ollscoil na h-Eireann, Gaillaimh is used by the College.

Time Magazine

Steibhin wrote:

UCG - is now NUI, Galway. Not NUIG. They never ever abbrivate it to NUIG. Only NUI, Galway or Ollscoil na h-Eireann, Gaillaimh is used by the College.

And I've yet to see the University of Dublin Trinity College be officially referred to as "Dublin University (Trinity College)" but who the f*ck cares? What's the "NUI, Galway" web-address ffs?

Ibid

Ibid wrote:

What's the "NUI, Galway" web-address ffs?

Indeed. If you go to http://www.nuid.ie/, you'll see a similar effect. I wonder under the last rebranding whether NUI Dublin considered going 'nude'...

Nehpets

How do the schools of Engineering compare?

Jonny Arson

Trinners > Maynooth > DCU > UCD - FACT

never been near the others but I hear good things about them

roll on my masters course in Maynooth 2008/09 :cool: *fingers crossed*

Naikon

Where is DIT in this discussion?:D

hullaballoo

Naikon wrote:

Were is DIT in this discussion?

It's not a University.

Jonny Arson

Naikon wrote:

Were is DIT in this discussion?:D

DIT doesn't count because you subject some of your students to horror of going to Kevin street

Come back when DIT moves into Grangegorman

Naikon

hullaball&#250 wrote:

It's not a University.

Well, I guess that makes sense.
DIT is a University in nearly everything but name considering degree's can be conferred right up to PhD level, coupled with the fact that it isnt covered under the institute of technology/University acts.

I intend not to be defensive in this regard, but I think DIT has similar status to that of a "traditional" University even though its not considered a University, thus it warrants a mention in the polls considering its one of the largest providers of Higher Education.

Nehpets

Would you vote for it? You don't even go there

hullaballoo

Naikon wrote:

I intend not to be defensive in this regard, but I think DIT has similar status to that of a "traditional" University even though its not considered a University, thus it warrants a mention in the polls considering its one of the largest providers of Higher Education.

Oh, it's not an issue of trying to offend. It's just a different classification of higher education.

The level of degrees conferred by a senior college has nothing to do with its classification, and its classification has nothing to do with the level of education.

The difference is that DIT is an institute of technology - so the courses are generally more vocational. In Universities, there are a few stipulations to qualify, but one of them is to teach the arts. Now, your guess is as good as mine why that is, but that's just it.

As far as I'm concerned, DIT has really got it's act together in terms of education in the past while. If I was going to do something that wasn't B&L, it would probably be some sort of engineering course or something. I would go to DIT without even thinking about it.

I think the poll is hinting at the University rankings that were published in 2003. As a matter of fact (or taxonomy, properly), the only two official "Universities" in this country are University of Dublin (Trinity College) and UCD, Dublin. Of course, no one legitimately sees it that way - and even if they did, everyone in Ireland refers to it as "college", not "University".

Chakar

hullaball&#250 wrote:

The only two official "Universities" in this country are University of Dublin (Trinity College) and UCD, Dublin. Of course, no one legitimately sees it that way - and even if they did, everyone in Ireland refers to it as "college", not "University".

Really hullaballú, I didn't know that. I thought there were seven universities in Ireland what with UCC, UL, NUIG, NUIM and UCG.

Sangre

You didn't know that because its wrong. From the Universities Act 1997;

7.—(1) The constituent colleges shall, by virtue of this section, become and be universities, and each college named in column 1 of the Second Schedule shall be known by the corresponding name in the English language or in the Irish language in column 2 of that Schedule opposite to the name mentioned in column 1.

hullaballoo

Yeah, I'm going to take that up with Rossa at some point. I think that's the second time you've proved me wrong on that point, Sangre.

Chakar

Well that's cleared up, any educational institution is barred from perusing the word 'university' without approval from the Minister.

52-(1) Except in relation to an educational institution or facility established and described as such before the 30th day of July, 1996, (in which case it may continue to be so described), a person shall not, without the approval of the Minister, use the word "university" to describe an educational establishment or facility.

padser

Naikon wrote:

I think DIT has similar status to that of a "traditional" University even though its not considered a University, thus it warrants a mention in the polls considering its one of the largest providers of Higher Education.

Actually I suspect that Fás is a significantly larger provider of 'Higher Education' - in fact a lot of the Fás apprenticeships have their 'acedemic' part of the course in DIT.

However - even noting the size of Fás - and the 'Higher Education' it provides I wouldn't call it a university.

I'm not trying to sound condescending, and had you gone with the argument that the standard of courses in DIT is as high as a University I might have agreed with you, but the notion that DIT is a university - simply because of its size - is ludicrous.

There is more to a university then being a large provider of 'Higher Education'.

Stepherunie

There was a report that came out I think last year though in relation to Universities that stated that only the Universities and DIT should still be eligible to grant their own degrees as they were, in the reports opinion, the only ones who were good enough to do so.

Should say something for DIT becoming a university if you ask me.

delta_bravo

Stepherunie wrote:

There was a report that came out I think last year though in relation to Universities that stated that only the Universities and DIT should still be eligible to grant their own degrees as they were, in the reports opinion, the only ones who were good enough to do so.

Should say something for DIT becoming a university if you ask me.

They wont get university status until they move to grangegorman, they dont really have a proper campus at the moment so they would find it very difficult to get proper status. It would be interesting to see what they would rename it as.

delta_bravo

delta_bravo wrote:

They wont get university status until they move to grangegorman, they dont really have a proper campus at the moment so they would find it very difficult to get proper status. It would be interesting to see what they would rename it as.

Stepherunie wrote:

Should say something for DIT becoming a university if you ask me.

Without being snobbish, and this being an honest question: what advantage would there be to the Irish people in a fourth University for Dublin?

Stepherunie

I've heard this argument a few times with a view to WIT getting University status first rather than DIT.

I don't think it should be about whether or not Dublin should have another University, it should be much more about the quality of teaching they provide and the research they produce.

The report I mentioned earlier (apologies that I can't remember what it's called) stated that DIT was the only other 3rd Level Institution other than the the main universities that should be allowed to retain the right to confer it's own Degrees and PhDs. I think that that says something about the standards that DIT has and that in there opinion DIT was as good an institution as any colleges in the NUI, DCU and UD.

I'd rather have a University be a university on merit more than location.

bright

delta_bravo wrote:

It would be interesting to see what they would rename it as.

I would imagine something along the lines of 'Dublin Metropolitan University'.
:rolleyes:

delta_bravo

bright wrote:

I would imagine something along the lines of 'Dublin Metropolitan University'.
:rolleyes:

Perhaps they could merge with the existing one http://www.dmuedu.org/

What a university that would be

PeakOutput

dont know if this has been said already but on dits main website it says on the home page "member of the european university association" sounds like its a university to me

the website of that association goes on to say "Members of the Association are European universities involved in teaching and research, national associations of rectors and other organisations active in higher education and research."

Running Bing

Trinity is the best university in Ireland by quite some distance. Although their are places that do specific things better than Trinity and there are certainly places that are better fun and a better laugh, if your talking best University Trinity wins hands down.

Running Bing

Oh and btw this idea that Quinn is by far the best business school is untrue. Trinity regularly trounces Quinn in the rankings and although I know a lot of people dont think rankings count for anything, and that certainly doesnt mean Trinity business is better than Quinn, surely it is enough to justify there is'nt much between them?


Quinn does have a far better choice of courses though.