Shorter summer for UCC students

Summer will be shorter for University College Cork students this year as a result of a restructuring of its academic year.

While medical, nursing and other graduates were conferred at the campus yesterday, the college has reminded returning students of the resumption of classes from September 8. The change is due to a move to semesterisation and means courses beginning a few weeks earlier than previously, although students are also likely to be finished by mid-May for most programmes.

The semester system should help spread student workload more evenly during the year, meaning modules can be taught and assessed fully in a single teaching period. The inclusion of pre-Christmas exams into the timetable should also mean fewer final exams each summer.

A college spokesperson said the September 8 start date also applies to new entrants, including those who will be awaiting their Leaving Certificate results, and offers of places from the Central Applications Office. The (CAO) first-round offers for school leavers are due on Monday, August 18, and must be accepted within a week, before Round 2 offers issue on August 27.

The semesterisation system is already in use at many of the country’s third-level institutions. The changes at UCC are for postgraduate courses, as well as for undergraduate degrees.

While students are being reminded of the changes as they make plans to go abroad or working for the summer, the college said it has run an information campaign about the changes over the past academic year.