Looking for IT course as mature student

skaterdude

Im looking to do a IT course as a mature student,
How do i go about doing this? do i have to apply through cao or do i contact the college? Do i need my leaving cert for this?
Is it too late to apply now? any advise will be greatly appriciated thanks.

GALWAYINDOOR

you apply thru the cao as far as i know you would have to have maths passed to b considered for IT i know for science you do !!!! even tho i thought matures were not judged like this !!!!!!!!!!

i wud read the prospectous fully

all the best hope you get in

samo

ITT in Tallaght listed some part time courses (got a brochure sent to me the other day) and you can apply direct to them as a mature student rather than through the CAO, they had one that was HEA subsidised so was approx 1200 a year.

I think the CAO application process re-opens again quite soon, for a mature student they dont seem to go by previous exam results although you could be called for interview/write personal statement with relevant experience and so on.

skaterdude

Tallagh is a bit far from as i am from cork, was hoping to find a course down here just like that one?
I failed maths in my leaving cert so hopefully leaving cert will not be counted
How exactly do i contact the collage about it?
Should i find the it department of a college and ask them if they accept mature students or not?
Is it true you can do it courses online? If so can someone post up a link please? thanks

paperclip2

Try Cork IT, www.cit.ie. They have an Access officer that also deals with Matures students. Deirdre Creedon is her name, deridre.creedon@cit.ie.

For full-time courses do some research on the types of courses that interest you, some will have late application to CAO which has been open since 5.15pm on 1st Feb and will remain open till 5.15pm on May 1st. http://www.cao.ie/apply.php

You must check that your course choices have a late application facility for mature students as some dont. Also some higher education institutions require that you apply directly to them and not via CAO at all, while NUI Maynooth, DCU, Trinity and Pontifical Uni Maynooth require that you apply both to CAO as well as directly to them before 1st Feb 09: http://www2.cao.ie/handbook/handbook/index.php

For info on the courses in the Cork city area you can call the information officer in the City of Cork AGS, Tel: 021 4907149. They can give you a lot of information on local courses.

As a mature student you dont need to have a Leaving Cert for the majority of courses, however its to your benefit if you do. Any learning you have undertaken will be taken into account in assessing your suitability for a place.

For part-time courses you usually apply directly to the relevant college. Course fees are applied in this case. Heres a list of the part-time offereings in CIT http://course.cit.ie/terminalfour/courseSearch.jsp?ewc=yes

Hope this is of some help. Good luck with it OP.

skaterdude

I might try and email her, Cheaked for part time it courses and couldnt find any.
Does anyone know anything about online it courses?

paperclip2

Some more links!

A selection of Online Information Technology ourses: http://www.qualifax.ie/?Mainsec=courses&Subsec=search_courses&CRAsort=&action=search&display=&CSH_ID=18&AdvancedKeyword=&keywords_and_titles=&all_or_any_words=&full_or_part_words=&FCT_ID=&FDM_ID=&keywords=Information+Technology&QUA_ID=0&CTP_ID=0&RES_ID=0&COL_ID=0&points=&CRS_CODE=&CRA_ID=0&CRT_ID=0&ATT_ID=8&PRV_ID=0&COU_ID=0&DST_ID=0

Also FAS e-college has some good courses: http://www.ecollege.ie/site/

Iact Online: http://www.iact.ie/iopen24/

Oscail Distance learning Diploma/ Degree in Information technology: http://www.oscail.ie/it.php

skaterdude

That last link you put up sounded absolutly perfect is it an online course?
If so how does it work is it set by time or by night?
Would i have to send in assignments by a certain date? etc?

paperclip2

skaterdude wrote: »

That last link you put up sounded absolutly perfect is it an online course?
If so how does it work is it set by time or by night?
Would i have to send in assignments by a certain date? etc?

The best thing to do is to call Oscail and talk to them directly, 01 700594 . Afaik a lot of course material, learning supports etc are delivered online, via Moodle and/or email. Its a third level course so the level of study required can be quite intense, the recommended time is 8-10 hours per undergraduate module.

In terms of completion it generally takes 3 years to get the diploma and from 5 to 6 years for the Degree.

Have a good read of the website, theres lots of information on virtually every aspect of the course there.

Best of luck.

Oracle

It's important to ask yourself why you want to do IT as a mature student. I think it can be an area were both qualifications and work can be difficult to get, both as a mature student, and later on a mature job seeker. To put it in a more neutral way, younger people who are qualified and experienced in IT have more advantages. I think the only sector of IT were it is advantageous to be mature is IT education and training itself. Beware the hype of the government and third level institutions with their mantra, "there are not enough people qualified in IT/science/maths/technology etc...."

omahaid

Hi OP,

If its cork you're in I recommend Computer Science in UCC. I did it as a mature student, failed maths in LC but still got 1:1 every year in every course (not bragging, just making the point maths isnt really needed if you're motivated). Had a job lined up before I left college in 4th year (this was in 2007 thought, places were still hiring then). CS is a great course, very interesting, I loved it. Prob a bit late to apply now though...