advice on where to do my degree

juanveron45

I am returning to full time education for one year to do my hons degree in chemistry.

I currently have a diploma in analytical chemistry

I will be going to one of the Institute of technologies in Ireland ,I haven't made my mind up yet but will probably choose between IT carlow,GMIT,LIT,DIT,CIT and WIT

do the bigger pharmaceutical companies give preference to certain institutes or does it not matter where you got your degree from?

2Scoops

juanveron45 wrote:

I am returning to full time education for one year to do my hons degree in chemistry.

I currently have a diploma in analytical chemistry

I will be going to one of the Institute of technologies in Ireland ,I haven't made my mind up yet but will probably choose between IT carlow,GMIT,LIT,DIT,CIT and WIT

do the bigger pharmaceutical companies give preference to certain institutes or does it not matter where you got your degree from?

I think for an undergrad degree it would be far more important just to do well in your exams, so find out which has the best teachers and the best courses maybe. That said, DIT and WIT are fast approaching 'university status' which may or may not stand to you in the long run...

Ekancone

2Scoops wrote:

I think for an undergrad degree it would be far more important just to do well in your exams, so find out which has the best teachers and the best courses maybe. That said, DIT and WIT are fast approaching 'university status' which may or may not stand to you in the long run...

Hmmm, i would disagree with that. For example, which would be better to prospective employers a 2.1 degree from Oxford University or a 1st Class honours from NUI Maynooth?

Son Goku

daithifleming wrote:

Hmmm, i would disagree with that. For example, which would be better to prospective employers a 2.1 degree from Oxford University or a 1st Class honours from NUI Maynooth?

For science, the latter. It isn't until postgraduate that prestige matters, particularly for industry employers. 2Scoops is right in that you should pick the course you like the most and do well at it.

Professor_Fink

Son Goku wrote:

For science, the latter. It isn't until postgraduate that prestige matters, particularly for industry employers. 2Scoops is right in that you should pick the course you like the most and do well at it.

I'm afraid I have to disagree with you there. Certainly, you can make the case that they should prefer the latter, but they don't.

As someone who has started my PhD at Maynooth and finished it at Oxford, I have some experience here. For an employer, the difference between a 1st and a 2.1 is small, and the prestige of the school will come into play. It's actually postgrad where prestige of the school matters less, and it is more about your supervisor than the university as a whole.

Also you need to bare in mind the fact that if you didn't go to college and manage to build up a successful business, there may be a certain satisfaction to having minions with degrees from Oxford that just isn't the same if they went to a local university.

Son Goku

Professor_Fink wrote:

I'm afraid I have to disagree with you there. Certainly, you can make the case that they should prefer the latter, but they don't.

Also you need to bare in mind the fact that if you didn't go to college and manage to build up a successful business, there may be a certain satisfaction to having minions with degrees from Oxford that just isn't the same if they went to a local university.

I always heard the reverse from universities. Did you go into industry eventually?
The thing is the difference in prestige between Oxford and Maynooth is a major one and the choice between the two is one that not many people are going to have to make. It's an extreme case of prestige difference. The OP is only asking about the ITs here in Ireland in relation to chemistry. In this sense I don't think a pharmaceutical company in Ireland will care if you went to LIT or DIT, they care more about your results.

Professor_Fink wrote:

It's actually postgrad where prestige of the school matters less

I mean for companies not fellow academics. The large oil companies or major engineering firms usually take on high prestige postgrads.

Is there any statistics for this stuff?

Professor_Fink

Son Goku wrote:

I always heard the reverse from universities. Did you go into industry eventually?

Nope, I'm a postdoc. I've done a fair amount of teaching though, which is largely what I'm basing my opinion on.

Son Goku wrote:

The thing is the difference in prestige between Oxford and Maynooth is a major one and the choice between the two is one that not many people are going to have to make. It's an extreme case of prestige difference. The OP is only asking about the ITs here in Ireland in relation to chemistry. In this sense I don't think a pharmaceutical company in Ireland will care if you went to LIT or DIT, they care more about your results.

Oh, I agree that between ITs it makes little difference. You used Oxford and Maynooth in your example, which is why I responded.

Son Goku wrote:

I mean for companies not fellow academics. The large oil companies or major engineering firms usually take on high prestige postgrads.

Is there any statistics for this stuff?

Agreed. Large companies aren't going to know who your supervisor is in any case (unless it's Stephen Hawking or someone equally well known), so the prestige of the school would probably be the distinguishing feature.

Son Goku

Professor_Fink wrote:

You used Oxford and Maynooth in your example, which is why I responded.

Sorry, I was a bit vague in my response, it was a bit of an over-blown example.

OP, I'd say you should just go with what you want and get good results as 2Scoops originally suggested.

dfx-

juanveron45 wrote:

do the bigger pharmaceutical companies give preference to certain institutes or does it not matter where you got your degree from?

Having recently graduated from DIT and found employment quick with an honours 2.1 in analytical chemistry..I know for a fact that the practical nature of DIT's degree benefited my selection, so I'd recommend it highly. I dunno about whether that's the same for all ITs

Dinkie

If I were you (and I don't know all the details), I would try applying to one of the universities and see if they would take you for your final year. I would think that the outcome would be fairly positive if you had good results... I know in my science year, we had some people joined to get their honours degree, and in some respects that actually did better then us!

Shinto

let me give you some alternative advice (and probably the best)...

In life you'll probably end up doing something completely different than you expected or planned for (i.e. Something not related to the content of your studies).

Just pick the place/town you think you'd most like to live....and go there.

2Scoops

daithifleming wrote:

Hmmm, i would disagree with that. For example, which would be better to prospective employers a 2.1 degree from Oxford University or a 1st Class honours from NUI Maynooth?

Perhaps, but the OP has already limited himself to one of the main ITs, so your point is completely irrelevant.

Ekancone

2Scoops wrote:

Perhaps, but the OP has already limited himself to one of the main ITs, so your point is completely irrelevant.

Nope, you just missed my point entirely.

2Scoops

daithifleming wrote:

Nope, you just missed my point entirely.

Do tell! There is a big 'prestige' difference between, say, LIT and CIT??

Ekancone

2Scoops wrote:

Do tell! There is a big 'prestige' difference between, say, LIT and CIT??

He should go wherever it is taught the best, it is impossible that they are all the same.

2Scoops

daithifleming wrote:

He should go wherever it is taught the best, it is impossible that they are all the same.

But that's what I originally said!

2Scoops wrote:

for an undergrad degree it would be far more important just to do well in your exams, so find out which has the best teachers and the best courses

Do the employers know which are best?

Ekancone

2Scoops wrote:

But that's what I originally said!


Do the employers know which are best?

Hahaha, thats weird its like i didnt even read your post when i responded the first time! Never mind then.