Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
When? January 4th, from 10am.
Located just off St Stephen's Green, in one of the busiest spots in Dublin, the faculty of medicine and health sciences of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) is home to Ireland's largest undergraduate medical school.
RCSI has over 200 clinical consultants on their teaching staff, enabling students to receive consultant-delivered clinical teaching in small groups which is based on individual clinical cases in hospitals.
RCSI graduates are held in high regard internationally. The Times Higher Education World University Rankings (2016-2017) places RCSI in the top 250 institutions worldwide and joint first place in the Republic.
There will also be open days on December 3rd, at Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown, Dublin, for the graduate-entry medicine programme and on November 22nd, at the RCSI, for graduate pharmacy, graduate physiotherapy and mature-entry medicine.
rcsi.ie.
Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology
When? November 25th, 2pm-8pm; November 26th, 10am-4pm
Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT) is a renowned centre of creativity, with courses in animation, design, TV and film production, computing and media.
It prides itself on creating graduates who are thinkers as well as doers, and there is a strong focus on entrepreneurship.
Many of IADT’s graduates work in the creative and cultural sectors, and the college has changed its business studies and arts management degree to a cultural enterprise degree to meet demand.
IADT also offers a business studies, entrepreneurship and management degree, which is very practical.
Students learn how to identify and take business opportunities by combining knowledge, skills and competencies, through setting up a market stall in first year, followed by an online business in second year, as a core part of their assessment.
iadt.ie.
National College of Art and Design
When? November 30th, 9.30am -3.30pm
The National College of Art and Design (NCAD) is ranked among the world's top 100 universities for art and design, according to the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2016.
Its diverse courses include painting, sculpture, fashion design, ceramic and glass, textiles and metalwork, and product design, and the college is well known for its end-of-year exhibition.
Its campus on Thomas Street, Dublin 8, includes individual spaces for all studio-based students, the NCAD library, the National Irish Visual Arts Library, the students’ union, a cafe, a garden and a student gallery.
All students participate in end-of-year and degree exhibitions or the NCAD Fashion Show – which is a highlight of the Dublin cultural calendar.
ncad.ie.
Royal Irish Academy of Music
When? November 19th, 3pm-5pm, students must book tickets at riam.ie
As well as short music courses, the Royal Irish Academy of Music (RIAM) offers diplomas, bachelor's and master's degrees, and doctorates in teaching, performance and composition.
The open day at the academy’s Dublin base will give an introduction to full-time programmes in music performance and composition, along with presentations on its access, diploma, bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate programmes.
There will also be Q&As with faculty heads, advice on the audition process, student performances and tours.
riam.ie.
Mary Immaculate College
When? January 14th, 11am-1pm.
Known for its primary teaching courses, Mary Immaculate College, in Limerick, also offers arts programmes and a new contemporary and applied theatre studies course.
The college is a small, vibrant community of 3,500 students with a friendly and supportive atmosphere.
It received the Outstanding International Student Satisfaction Award 2016 from StudyPortals while Ireland was voted the second most popular country for international student satisfaction.
Close to the city centre, it also has cultural and social amenities on its doorstep. The college has a long sporting tradition and there are more than 30 clubs and societies on campus.
Since September, MIC now incorporates St Patrick's College in Thurles, which offers four degrees to prepare students for second-level teaching.
mic.ul.ie.
Marino Institute of Education
When? November19th, 10am-4pm.
With just 800 students, Marino Institute of Education is a relatively small college with all programmes accredited by Trinity College Dublin.
Best known for its primary teaching courses, the north Dublin institution also runs programmes in education studies and further study.
There are 12 clubs and societies on campus; men and women’s GAA, camogie and badminton are very popular.
mie.ie
Hibernia
When? November 10th, 5pm-7.30pm and November 12th, 11.30am-2pm, at the Chartered Accountant's House on Pearse Street, Dublin 2.
Ireland’s only QQI-accredited online college offers diplomas and master’s degrees in primary and post-primary teaching.
More than 350 staff work at Hibernia College, which trains almost half of all student teachers in Ireland. Students study from home through a mix of online learning and traditional in-school practice.
Hibernia also offers a master’s degree in teaching and learning and a PhD in education and continuing professional development for teachers.
hiberniacollege.com.
National College of Ireland
When? November 23rd, 10am-3pm
The National College of Ireland offers a variety of business, marketing, psychology and computing courses.
A bachelor’s degree in technology management launched this year, with a focus on data analytics and social media. The purpose-built campus is compact but close to the heart of the city. With a student population of 5,000, it’s easy to navigate and to get to know people, as the classes are small.
NCI works with professional bodies to ensure courses are closely aligned to industry needs.
ncirl.ie.
Dublin Business School
When? December 6th, 5pm-7pm.
Dublin Business School (DBS), which says it is Ireland's largest independent college, offers programmes across a range of disciplines, such as business, arts, law, media and computing. It has four locations in the city centre and an active student services team.
There are social nights and weekend trips and a good range of clubs and societies to choose from. It offers DBS Advantage; an initiative which gives students the opportunity to engage in a development programme run parallel to their academic studies that prepares students for the workplace.
Like other fee-paying colleges, it has small classes and offers courses that reflect the needs of students and employers.
dbs.ie.
Griffith College
When? November 23rd, 5.30pm-7.30pm.
With campuses in Dublin, Cork and Limerick, Griffith College is Ireland's oldest and perhaps best established private college.
It offers programmes in accountancy, business, computing, design, law, media, music and drama, training and education.
The college now has a five-acre campus in Cork city. The college has a good reputation nationally and internationally for the quality of its graduates.
Courses are industry-focused, classes are small and teachers have hands-on industry experience. Students on all three campuses have the respective city to explore, and there are more than 25 clubs and societies.
Griffith College has some strong sports teams – particularly in basketball, table tennis and cricket.
griffith.ie.
Pulse College
When? November 22nd, from 6.30pm on Dublin and Galway campuses, pre-registration required on pulsecollege.eu/open.
Pulse College, which has been offering professional training in audio and music for over 25 years, now also offers diplomas, bachelor's degrees, master's degrees and higher certificates in gaming, animation, film production, and scoring for film and visual media.
They recently opened a new Dublin campus for games development and animation students.
Its music programmes are delivered at Windmill Lane studios in Dublin, where the soundtracks to numerous film scores have been recorded.
Classes are small – there are just over 350 full-time students – and courses are accredited by Griffith College and Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT).
pulsecollege.eu
