CIT/MTU: leaders in part-time, professional and entrepreneurship education
Lena Ní Mhurchú, whose Wanderfull startup won the Best Business Opportunity award at the 2019 Exxcel Female Entrepreneurship Showcase. Excel is a six-month part-time programme at the CIT Rubicon Centre, designed for females who have a STEM-related business idea.
Cork Institute of Technology, which also incorporates CIT Cork School of Music, CIT Crawford College of Art & Design, and the National Maritime College of Ireland (NMCI), is currently taking applications for Continuing Education Programmes (weekend & evening courses).
At CIT, the areas of continuing education and continuing professional development are vital and growing areas of the total education provision and lifelong learners are an integral part of the Institute. Given the current disruption to our lives, work and education, the need for and value of continuing education and continuing professional development in the pursuit of lifelong learning has never been more relevant.
CIT has many opportunities at undergraduate and postgraduate level for those wishing to return to education in all disciplines - Business and Accounting, Human Resource Management, Computer Science, Engineering, Science, Humanities, Art, Music and the Maritime area, as well as Springboard Programmes, and customised and in-company training.
CIT has a varied part-time and evening programme, one of the largest in the higher education sector in Ireland, and provides an extensive range of courses with flexible modes of delivery ideal for lifelong learning.
It offers the full range of Higher Education qualifications, including Higher Certificates, Bachelor Degrees and Honours Bachelor Degrees, as well as Masters and PhD Degrees. In addition to the above, CIT is offering a number of new part-time programmes with the support of Springboard, further information on which may be found at springboardcourses.ie
Internationally recognised degree qualifications delivering essential skills and practical/professional knowledge are very much in demand. CIT offers a range of opportunities in part-time education.
Lectures will be enhanced by guest speakers and live case studies, reflecting CIT’s close links to industry. This year, given Covid-19 guidelines, remote delivery in most programmes will see students attend fewer on-campus lectures, with a blend of online and on-campus delivery, always putting the learner at the centre of delivery.
And now, of course, Munster Technological University (MTU) sees partners CIT and IT Tralee offer expanded services and new facilities.
- 6 campuses across Cork and Kerry
- 140+ courses and programmes
- 18,000+ learners
- 2,000+ staff developing and supporting learners, conducting research, and engaging with industry and community
Plans are already in train to develop a new sports centre and learning resource centre on the Bishopstown Campus, as well as upgrading the existing buildings there, while a new STEM building is planned for IT Tralee.
Don Crowley, Head of Department of Organisation & Professional Development, said: “CIT's Continuing Education Programme offers every incentive to participants through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), accumulation of credits (ACCS) which supports flexible learning, and the Incremental Approach (Ladder system) which acts as a motivation to progress further on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ).
"Mature students perform very well at CIT because of small class sizes and the support of lecturers together with our student-focused approach to learning.”
In many areas, students commence a Level 6 Higher Certificate programme and can progress right through to Level 7 Degree, Level 8 Honours Degree, Level 9 Masters and professional qualifications, and Level 10 Doctorate/PhD. Professional Accountancy programmes are also available in CIT for examinations of Chartered Accountants Ireland, CPA Ireland, CIMA and Accounting Technicians Ireland.
The Centre for Advanced Manufacturing and Management Systems (CAMMS) is part of CIT’s Department of Mechanical, Biomedical and Manufacturing Engineering and uses the in-house expertise in the department to offer educational and problem-solving services to industry.
The Centre has a proven track record in the development and delivery of single-subject awards, minor awards, and major awards in areas such as Control and Automation, Sustainable Energy, Project Management and Quality/Manufacturing/Lean Six Sigma.
Dr Barry O’Connor, President of CIT, underlines the strategic importance of CIT’s part-time and professional course provision to the region.
President O’Connor said: “CIT’s courses provide graduates with the skills to maximise their contributions to their communities, from social and cultural viewpoints, as well as to society at large. As CIT joins with IT Tralee to establish the Munster Technological University (MTU), our overall capacity to support the region in the part-time and professional domain will increase and help all stakeholders address the very significant challenges that will face us arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Whether you are considering starting or further developing your third level education on a part-time basis, there is a wide range of opportunities available at CIT. Start your journey with CIT, graduate from MTU.
CIT’s Continuing Education Prospectus (Weekend & Evening Courses) for 2020/21 covers a wide range of programmes and is currently available at www.cit.ie/part-time where online applications may also be submitted.
Since the launch of our fully online MSc in Cloud Computing - the first of its kind in the world – CIT/MTU has developed a wide range of highly successful online distance learning programmes, thus providing a real alternative for students who require the flexibility of studying online rather than on-campus.
In areas of high industry demand, CIT/MTU designs and delivers custom courses and services for industry. CIT’s Extended Campus plays a pivotal role in this context. A description of case studies describing such engagements is available at extendedcampus.cit.ie/case-studies
For organisations interested in exploring customised programmes and service options, check out the full range of options described at extendedcampus.cit.ie
A range of opportunities are available via the Rubicon Centre for would-be entrepreneurs. If you are one of the many people interested in becoming self-employed, CIT offers a number of programmes that may be of interest to you. Currently, CIT’s Rubicon Centre is accepting enquiries for two part-time programmes (New Frontiers Phase 1 and Exxcel) for those interested in starting their own businesses. These programmes are funded by Enterprise Ireland and participation is completely free of charge.
For more, contact or visit www.rubiconcentre.ie/programmes
