Entry Requirements

Matriculation

Section 47 of the Universities Act, 1997 provides as follows:

"The Senate of the National University of Ireland shall determine the basic matriculation requirements for the Constituent Universities but each University may prescribe additional requirements generally or in respect of particular faculties of the University.”

All students wishing to enter a degree course in an NUI Constituent University or Recognised College must meet the Matriculation Requirements of the University. These requirements are set out in an information booklet published annually, NUI Matriculation Regulations.

Subjects required for matriculation

For entry to all degrees, English, Irish, and four other subjects in the Leaving Certificate (GCE/GCSE or other acceptable qualification) are required.

A third language must be included among the other subjects for most degree programmes in Arts, Human Sciences, Law, Social Science, Commerce, Medicine and Health Sciences and some other degrees (for exceptions see Matriculation Reguations, Section 4.1, page 13).

For Commerce the subjects presented must include Mathematics, and for courses in the Sciences (i.e. Science and also Agriculture, Engineering, Food Science and Technology, Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, Veterinary Medicine) Mathematics and a Science subject.

Language requirements for matriculation: exemptions Irish

Generally speaking, anybody applying to an NUI institution who was born and has resided in the Republic of Ireland must present Irish (achieving at least Grade D at Ordinary Level) for Matriculation purposes. Students not born in the Republic of Ireland or based outside Ireland for an extended period of their education may apply to NUI for an exemption from the Irish language requirement. Students with specific learning difficulties affecting language acquisition (dyslexia) may also apply for exemption from Irish. To apply for an exemption, it is necessary to send in a completed Exemption Application Form and other relevant material.

Third language

Students with specific learning difficulties affecting language acquisition (dyslexia) may apply for exemption from the Third Language requirement. To apply for an exemption, it is necessary to complete an online application and supply other relevant material.

 

Apply online

 

Where a student is diagnosed late as having dyslexia and has not come to the attention of the National Educational Psychological Service Agency (see Ground 5 of the online application), NUI will consider an Irish / language exemption. In these cases the online form must be completed by a recent report from a professional psychologist and a Certification Form completed by the psychologist.

 

GCE/GCSE Subjects for Matriculation Purposes

List of subjects recognised for the purposes of matriculation.

Age at Entry

Students must normally have attained the age of seventeen years by 15 January following entry to a Constituent University or Recognised College of the University. Where a candidate below that age seeks to enter a Constituent University or Recognised College, special application must be made to the President/Director of the institution concerned.

Limitation of Entry

As admission to most Faculties in the Constituent Universities and Recognised Colleges is competitive, intending students should obtain from the Registrar of the institution concerned a copy of the admission requirements and procedures. Fulfilling minimum Matriculation Requirements does not ensure that students will be accepted automatically into any of the NUI institutions.