DCU courses remain in high demand as points rise across the board
90% of applicants secure top five choices
11.09.2020: The high demand for undergraduate programmes at Dublin City University has seen points rise across the board, most noticeably in the university’s undergraduate Education and STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Maths) disciplines.
Overall, 90% of CAO applicants to DCU will have secured their top five choices while over three quarters have achieved the requisite points for their top three preferences.
In response to the unprecedented circumstances created by Covid-19, the university has provided an additional 200 undergraduate course places across all five faculties, representing an overall growth of 6%.
Speaking about today’s announcement the President of DCU, Professor Daire Keogh said,
“Today’s offering is a reflection of the reputation of DCU undergraduate courses, and student demand for programmes that will equip them with the knowledge, hands-on skills, and experiences to thrive in a constantly changing world. The demand reflects the strong and varied offerings in DCU but also our unique student experience which not only provides excellent teaching and learning but also opportunities for students to become involved in a wide array of clubs and societies, to develop and to make their mark in a positive and meaningful way.
I also want to highlight that I am acutely aware of the pressures that students have been under, due to the exceptional circumstances of this year and the impact of Covid-19.
I want to congratulate all of the students who have received an offer and we look forward to welcoming you to DCU later this month. Rest assured you will be provided with every support and guidance possible as you begin the next chapter in your life.”
At DCU’s Institute of Education, the largest faculty of teacher education in Ireland, the high demand for early childhood education, primary and post-primary courses has seen a rise in points for Early Childhood Education, up 32 points to 440; Primary Education (488) up 26 points. There has also been an increase in Post-Primary Religion with either English, History and Music as the accompanying subject.
The university’s strong pedigree in the area of STEM is also evident with Sports Science Health (500), Athletic Training and Therapy (522), Science Education (435) and Common Entry Science (498) among this year’s highlights. Of note also is the strong interest in nursing with points rising for undergraduate General, Psychiatric, Intellectual Disability and Intergenerational and Child Nursing degree programmes.
The interest in Engineering and Computing is strong with increases in points for Biomedical Engineering (423), Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering (425) and most noticeably Common Entry Engineering, rising from 381 to 422. The university, as part of the government’s Human Capital Initiative (HCI) to increase capacity in skills focussed programmes, has allocated fifty extra places on undergraduate engineering and computing courses.
At DCU Business School, the business programmes that include opportunities for students to study abroad and those with a language remain much sought after among CAO applicants, while Business Studies and Business Studies International remain enduringly popular courses; with points up in both.
In the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, programmes such as the Bachelor of Law (BCL) remain popular, with points up 13 to 466; Economic, Politics and Law, up 35 to 435 and Joint Honours (Law) and Joint Honours (Media) also rising. The university’s strong reputation for Journalism and Media continues with Journalism up by 28 points to 429 and Multimedia also increasing.
