Applications

You should apply through the Central Applications Office (CAO www.cao.ie ) for all courses with a “MT” listing, as well as Architecture – CK606, and Industrial Physics - CK409.

 

You should follow the procedures as laid down in the CAO Handbook. Copies are distributed by CAO to second level schools in Ireland and are also available on request from:

Central Applications Office,
Tower House,
Eglinton Street,
Galway.
Tel: 091 509800   Fax: 091 562344   W: http://www.cao.ie/

 

Closing Date

The CAO’s normal closing date is 1st February. This applies to Irish, EU and non-EU students. Whether you are applying through the CAO by post or online, MTU strongly urges you to get your application to CAO well before the deadline to avoid stress and possible disappointment.

 

Late Applications

Late Applications are those which are received in the CAO after 1st February. The latest date for receipt in the CAO of such application forms is 1st May. Late applicants are required to pay an additional fee. Late applications can be made for all courses up to 1st May except for the following courses where 1st February is the closing date:

• CR 220 Fine Art (portfolio required)
• CR 210 Contemporary Applied Art (Ceramics, Glass, Textiles) (portfolio required)
• CR 225 Photography with New Media (portfolio required)
• CR 600 Visual Communications (portfolio required)
   

 

Change of Mind

The CAO system allows changes to be made to applications up to 5.15pm 1st July. A Restricted Application Course cannot be added to your CAO application after 1st February. You may, however, alter your preference ranking for such courses.

 

Exceptional Closing Date for current Third Level students: 22nd July 5.15pm

Subject to the usual conditions for late applications, if you are currently a student in any year in any higher education institution, you may make a Late Application, in paper form only, to arrive in CAO not later than 5.15pm on 22nd July. The CAO Form must be stamped on Page 2 by the Admissions Office of the institution where you are a student.

 

What you need for Entry

For admission to a course, standard applicants must (1) score the necessary CAO points level and (2) must also meet the minimum entry requirements. These requirements may be altered for certain categories of applicant; see Non-Standard Applicants and Further Information for Applicants

 

The CAO Points System

Standard applicants for first year courses will be awarded points by applying the normal CAO points scale to the results obtained in the Leaving Certificate Examination. Applicants are reminded that the points level varies each year according to supply and demand for places. The SIX best results in one sitting of the Leaving Certificate Examination will be used for points calculation. Calculation of points is independent of minimum entry requirements.

 

Bonus Points for Higher Level Mathematics

A bonus of 25 points will be allocated to students who achieve a grade 7 or above in higher level (HL) mathematics. This means that the maximum cumulative Leaving Certificate Examination (LC) points total will increase from 600 to 625 (existing maximum points plus bonus points). For further information please click here

 

Minimum Entry Requirements

The following is a general guide – requirements for particular courses may vary.

 

For most Honours Degrees on the CAO Level 8 List:
Leaving Certificate with two H5 and four O6/H7 grades including Mathematics, and either English or Irish.

 

For most Degrees on the CAO Level 7 List:
Leaving Certificate with five O6/H7 grades including Mathematics, and either English or Irish.

 

Check the exact minimum entry requirements here.

 

Entry requirements may be satisfied by the results of more than one Leaving Certificate.
The minimum entry requirements may be varied for Non-Standard Applicants and holders of FETAC (now QQI) awards.

 

Full details of minimum entry requirements for courses are outlined in the relevant course information section of the MTU Full-time Handbook Entry. Applicants are advised to check the relevant subjects, assessment/entrance tests, portfolio and dates very carefully. In particular, there are early assessment procedures for some courses.

 

Garda Vetting

 

Special Category (Non-Standard) Applicants
Certain applicants may be assessed on a basis different from the CAO Points System. These are called Special Category or Non-Standard Applicants. There are six categories, and these are detailed on Page 3 of the CAO Application Form. If you wish to be considered as a special category applicant you should tick the relevant box on Page 3 of the CAO form.

 

MTU welcomes applications from Special Category Applicants and those who wish to be considered as such should fill out the appropriate section of the CAO Application Form. In addition, applicants may be invited for interview for some courses. Special Category Applicants are of course entitled to be assessed on the same basis as any other applicant on the basis of points achieved. This means that Special Category applicants will be credited with the Leaving Certificate points that they may have obtained.

 

Late Applications (Special Category)

MTU recommends that Special Category Applicants apply by 1st February, however applications will be accepted up to 1st May.

The principal non-standard categories are as follows:

 

Mature Students
To be eligible under this category, applicants must be 23 years old by 1st January of the proposed year of entry. Mature students should fill out the appropriate section of the CAO Application Form. Such applicants may not be required to have the minimum entry requirements. Relevant work experience, skills gained through experiential learning and other qualifications will be considered in the assessment of these applications.

 

Please note: Late applications are not accepted from Mature Students. If you miss the 1st January deadline, you will be assessed solely on your Leaving Certificate / QQI Points.

 

International Students

International applicants from both within and from outside the EU are very welcome in MTU. If you are a non-EU student applying from abroad, please click here for how to apply. Please email the MTU International Office  with your enquiries and visit the MTU, Cork Campus International website for more information.

T: +353 (0)21 433 5300
E: internationalCork@mtu.ie
W: http://international.cit.ie/

 

GCE/GCSE
This category includes GCE A-level and AS level, and GCSE/O-level.

 

Other School-Leaving Exams
FETAC/NCVA qualifications achieved in 1999 or earlier.
Students holding for example a National Craft Certificate, Senior Trades or NTCB qualifications may be considered for entry to a course related to the qualification. Post-Leaving Certificate (non FETAC) qualifications may be considered and will be assessed individually. The CAO form has space for details of such study.

 

QQI / FETAC Awards
QQI / FETAC operates within the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ), and its awards have been placed at Level 5 or Level 6 of the framework as appropriate. Holders of FETAC awards at Level 5 of the NFQ should apply through the CAO system. Points will be allocated and will be used to place applicants in order, in the same rounds of CAO offers as Leaving Certificate applicants. Applicants must present a full award totalling 120 credits. This full award may be accumulated over more than one academic year.

 

Applying to MTU with a QQI / FETAC award
If a FETAC applicant also presents a Leaving Certificate, the CAO will use whichever is the better of the Leaving Cert points or the FETAC points. For information on the Minimum Entry Requirements for FETAC award holders please  click here . MTU  has established a special pilot scheme for the admission of students who successfully complete courses in Further Education Colleges in Cork. Under this scheme a number of courses in MTU are linked to certain courses in the FE colleges. MTU reserves a number of places on its linked courses for applicants achieving specified levels and other requirements in their awards. Ask at your Cork Further Education College for more details.

 

Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (LCVP)
Holders of the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme apply in the normal way through the CAO. Points are awarded on the same basis as for the Leaving Certificate. The Link Modules are considered as a single unit and are awarded points on the basis of - Pass 30 points, Pass with Merit 50 points, Pass with Distinction 70 points. The link modules ‘subject’ may not be used to meet minimum entry requirements.

 

Leaving Certificate Applied Programme
The Leaving Certificate Applied subjects do not meet the minimum requirements for entry. Holders of Leaving Certificate Applied may wish to proceed to a FETAC course and in turn to third-level on the basis of a FETAC award.

 

Foundation Level Mathematics
A pass in Foundation Level Mathematics does not satisfy the general entry requirements in regard to Mathematics. However, a Grade B2 or higher is recognised as a subject for entry to MTU Crawford College of Art & Design, MTU Cork School of Music, Visual Communications CR600, and Early Childhood Education & Care CR620.
In such cases, CAO points are awarded as follows: A1 = 20 points; A2 = 15 points; B1 = 10 points; and B2 = 5 points.

 

Deferring a Place
MTU will try to facilitate successful applicants who wish to postpone entry. Those Year 1 students granted a Deferral must follow the procedures as outlined on the CAO website www.cao.ie. Please note that for MTU Cork School of Music CAO Courses, candidates are not allowed to defer their Entrance Exam results from one year to the next.

 

ACCS Scheme
The ACCS scheme (Accumulation of Credits and Certification of Subjects) is a specially designed system for part-time students. It allows students to study one or more subjects at a time and obtain credit for each subject passed. Subjects are certified individually and may be accumulated to lead to a full higher certificate, bachelor degree or honours bachelor degree qualification. MTU offers some evening courses through this system and in addition, accommodates some students on its full-time courses. Further details are available from the Admissions Office.

Students with Disabilities or Medical Conditions
MTU is part of the DARE (Disability Access Route to Education) national scheme. For information about applying to DARE, please check the Access College website.  We would encourage all applicants with disabilities/learning difficulties/health conditions who apply through the CAO to indicate and give details of your disability or medical condition. Giving this information will not adversely affect your application in any way. The application will also be considered on the basis of points as with any other applicant. MTU is committed to helping such students to avail of its courses. It is advised that before choosing a course, applicants should contact the relevant department to discuss the suitability of the course and check any minimum entry requirements such as levels of Maths and number of Honours subjects required and any other requirements of a particular course such as a portfolio or interview (details are available in the prospectus or click here).

 

DISABILITY ACCESS ROUTE TO EDUCATION (DARE)

For more information please contact the CAO DARE Helpdesk on 091 4509800 or the MTU Disability Support Service on 021 4335107/021 4335137 or by email dareCork@mtu.ie  . 

 

EU Applicants presenting qualifications from Ireland and UK.

Year 1 Full-time courses:
Applicants must apply via the CAO system www.cao.ie   by 1st February, or for late applications, 1st May.

 

EU Applicants (presenting qualifications outside of Ireland and UK) and non-EU Applicants

Year 1 Full-time courses:
Applicants must apply via the CAO system www.cao.ie by 1st February in order to have their foreign qualifications assessed. Those only receiving their qualifications after that date should send them directly to the CAO, and also send a copy to MTU, marking clearly your CAO number.