Returning to college deadlines

[Dionysus]

This post might as well be up on this forum in flashing red lights as every second person is talking about returning to college to do subjects in order to be able to teach them.

If you want to go back, apply today. I did 1st Year Irish and I'm returning to finish the degree in September. The deadline for applying is September 1. I suspect many of the other colleges and courses have similar deadlines so don't say you haven't been warned.

The good news is you could finish your degree quicker than you imagine. In UCD at any rate it is technically possible to finish my 2nd and 3rd years in a single year. The new system is divided into 'credits' and I need, for instance, 60 more credits in order to have a full degree. There are 5 credits given to each subject, so I have to do 12 subjects in order to receive the BA. It is a much more user friendly system now, and far more flexible. Classes will be on two nights a week so if you are still working this should suit you.

In other words, if you are serious about going back to get your qualifications, the universities are making it an awful lot easier these days.

[dory]

Thanks for that. Is this option also open for people who have not a part of a degree to finish? I would like to do an Arts degree but at night, I need to keep working.

[Dionysus]

Originally Posted by dory

Thanks for that. Is this option also open for people who have not a part of a degree to finish? I would like to do an Arts degree but at night, I need to keep working.

Yes, you can start in first year and do the entire degree at night. As far as I am aware, you will need 90 credits if you are starting from scratch - at least I will need to get 60 more when I start in 2nd Year. The new UCD system wrecked my head at first but once I got my head around it it is much more student-focused than the old system. It definitely accommodates your working life more. I'll be working/studying full-time while doing the BA in Irish in this part-time night course.

I surmise that you'd like to do something in the humanities/arts if you are thinking of teaching. If this is accurate, you should contact Colin MacMahon who is over the BA Part-Time programme. I found him to be very helpful and he explained it very well to me. His contact details can be found here:

http://www.ucd.ie/acshs/contact.html

PS: The fee per subject is something like €452. Each subject is equivalent to 5 credits.