IT Tralee and CIT move forward on university plans

The Institute of Technology Tralee and Cork Institute of Technology will proceed to the next stage of creating the Munster Technological University.

The MTU partners have successfully completed stage three of the process towards Technological University designation.

The Minister for Education and Skills, Jan O'Sullivan, said that the submission made by the two Institutes represents a credible proposal for the creation of a Technological University.

The international panel which evaluated the proposal concluded that the Munster Technological University proposal is likely to meet the criteria for designation as a technological university within the proposed timeframe.

The panel examined a number of criteria required for technological university status, which include the range of qualifications available, the proportion of lifelong learning and postgraduate students enrolled, and the qualifications held by staff which requires that 90% of full-time academics must have at least a masters degree or equivalent, and 45% should have a doctoral degree.

The announcement has been welcomed by President of IT, Tralee, Dr. Oliver Murphy.