Q1: What does matriculation mean?
A: Matriculation refers to the minimum requirements for entry to the University. Before you can be considered for admission you must meet these minimum standards. Matriculation has nothing to do with points.
Q2: To which students do NUI Matriculation Regulations apply? A: NUI Matriculation Regulations apply to all students seeking to enter the NUI institutions. UCD, UCC, NUIG and NUIM are constituent universities of NUI. NCAD, RCSI, IPA, Shannon College of Hotel Management and Milltown Institute are recognised colleges: (St Angela’s College, Sligo is now a College of NUI, Galway.)
Q3: What are the NUI matriculation (minimum entry) requirements? A: For holders of the Leaving Certificate, six subjects are required, with a minimum Grade C3 at Higher Level in two subjects, and at least Grade D3 in four other subjects.
Change in Matriculation Regulations from 2014 – UCC
Your attention is drawn to a change in matriculation regulations which is not flagged in the current edition of the regulations but which will come into effect in 2014/15. For UCC, with effect from 2014/15, candidates will need at least Grade C3 in two additional subjects at Higher Level (i.e. Grade C3 in four subjects) to meet minimum matriculation requirement.
Q4: Can students combine the results of Leaving Certificate Examinations taken in different years? A: An applicant may combine the results of Leaving Certificate examinations obtained in different years for Matriculation purposes. However, t his applies to Matriculation only; it does not apply to points which are awarded on the Leaving Certificate results obtained in the same year. Also, it should be noted that students seeking to enter Medicine must achieve the minimum entry (Matriculation) requirements and minimum course entry requirements in the same sitting of the Leaving Certificate. Students are advised to contact the Admissions Office of the Constituent University they wish to apply to for further details.
Q5: What subjects do you need? A: For all degrees you need Irish, English and four other subjects.
For Arts, Human Sciences, Law, Social Science, Commerce, Medicine and Health Sciences and some other degrees a third language must be included among the other subjects. There are a few exceptions in relation to the third language. These are covered in question 16 .
Q6: Is the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (LCVP) acceptable as a subject for Matriculation purposes? A: No. While LCVP may be used for points purposes, it does not count as one of the six subjects acceptable for matriculation.
Q7: Does everybody have to present Irish? A: Generally speaking, anybody applying to an NUI institution who was born and had all their education in Ireland must present Irish for Matriculation purposes. There are some exceptions. These are covered in question 14 .
Q8: Has there been any change in the Irish requirement as a result of the change in the status of Irish at EU level? A: No. The change in the status of Irish at EU level does not affect NUI matriculation and all students born and educated in the Republic of Ireland must present Irish as a matriculation subject.
Q9: How do I apply to NUI for an exemption? A: You need to complete the Exemption Application Form available from NUI. It can be downloaded at http://www.nui.ie/college/entry-requirements.asp. There are five sections in the form. Applicants must complete Section A and then the section relevant to them.
Q10: I was not born in Ireland. Am I exempt from Irish for NUI matriculation?A: Yes. But you need to have your exemption recorded by NUI and communicated to CAO. To get this done, you need to complete the Exemption Application Form (available from http://www.nui.ie/college/entry-requirements.asp) and return it to NUI with a copy of your birth certificate. Sections A and B of the Form are relevant to you. It’s better to wait until you have received your CAO application number before contacting NUI as otherwise you will have to send the CAO number in separately.
Students born in and applying from Northern Ireland/United Kingdom presenting GCE/GCSE qualifications are automatically granted exemption from Irish and do not need to contact NUI.Q11: I was not born in Ireland but hold Irish citizenship. Am I exempt from Irish for NUI matriculation? A: Yes, this provision covers all students born outside Ireland, your citizenship is not an issue. Once you have a birth certificate outside the Republic of Ireland you can apply for an exemption. (See Q10 above)
Q12: I was not born in Ireland but am going to school here. I would like to study Irish.That’s fine. As you know, for entry to many degree programmes you must present a language other than English. You can use Irish for this purpose.
Q13: I was not born in Ireland but have had all my schooling in Ireland. Am I exempt from Irish?A: Yes. You need to complete the Exemption Application Form (available from http://www.nui.ie/college/entry-requirements.asp) and return it to NUI with a copy of your birth certificate. Sections A and B of the Form are relevant to you. It’s better to wait until you have received your CAO application number before contacting NUI as otherwise you will have to send the CAO number in separately.
Q14: How do I know if I am eligible for exemption from Irish? A: You are eligible for exemption from Irish in the following circumstances
(i) If you were born outside the Republic of Ireland (26 counties). Candidates (apart from those born in Northern Ireland/United Kingdom) are required to complete Sections A and B of the Exemption Application Form and send this to NUI with a copy of their birth certificate ;
(ii) If your primary education up to the age of eleven years was outside the Republic of Ireland (26 counties); or
(iii) If your second level education took place for at least three years outside Ireland.
Candidates applying under (ii) and (iii) above must complete Section A and Section C of the Exemption Application Form and have Section C of the Form completed and signed by the Principal/Head of their school. Wait until you have received your CAO application number.
Special exemptions (See questions 17 and 18).
Q15: What does the third language requirement mean?A: It means that you must present a language in addition to Irish and English as one of your six Leaving Certificate subjects. If you are exempt from Irish, you must present a language other than English. All languages provided in the Leaving Certificate are acceptable. Classical Studies and Hebrew Studies are not considered as language subjects.
For students from outside the European Union who are presenting the Leaving Certificate, certification in their mother tongue or in another language may be acceptable. (See Matriculation Regulations 6.3 p.19.)Q16: Does the third language requirement apply for all courses? There are some exceptions to the third language requirement. Students applying for Engineering and Science are not required to have a third language. Students applying for Nursing are not required to have a third language. Students applying to NCAD may present Art instead of the third language.
Q17: What is the position of students with dyslexia with regard to exemption from Irish? A: There are special provisions for students whose dyslexia constitutes a significant learning difficulty. A student who has been granted an exemption from Irish at school on the grounds of dyslexia, having been assessed by a professional psychologist, should complete Section A and Section D of the Exemption Application form and return it to NUI. You should enclose a copy of the Psychologist’s Report together with a copy of the Department of Education and Skills Certificate of Exemption. In these cases NUI will grant an exemption from Irish and also from the third language requirement.
Sometimes students are diagnosed late as having dyslexia and have not come to the attention of the National Educational Psychological Service . In these cases, NUI will accept certification from a professional psychologist accompanied by a recent (no more than 3 years old) report from the psychologist.
Students should complete Section A and Section E of the Exemption Application Form and return it to NUI enclosing a copy of the Psychologist’s Report and the NUI certification form signed by the Psychologist. Copies of these forms are available from http://www.nui.ie/college/entry-requirements.asp.
Rationale
Where a student applies on the basis of dyslexia, only for an exemption from Irish, but intends to present a third language in the Leaving Certificate, the student must explain why he/she is applying for an exemption from Irish while continuing to study another language. (NUI finds it surprising that a student with serious dyslexia would continue to study a language. However, we appreciate that there may be special circumstances to justify this and we are prepared to consider such applications).
Q18: What is the position of students with dyslexia with regard to exemption from the Third Language?A: The provisions set out in Q17 in relation to exemption from Irish apply also in the case of students applying for exemption from the third language requirement. Students applying for exemption from a third language on the basis of dyslexia need to complete Section A and D or E of the Exemption Application Form. http://www.nui.ie/college/entry-requirements.asp. The position of students with dyslexia is complex and exemptions are not automatic. However, NUI is sympathetic to students who can provide professional evidence of the effect of dyslexia on their language abilities.
Rationale
Where a student applies on the basis of dyslexia, only for an exemption from Irish, but intends to present a third language in the Leaving Certificate, the student must explain why he/she is applying for an exemption from Irish while continuing to study another language. (NUI finds it surprising that a student with serious dyslexia would continue to study a language. However, we appreciate that there may be special circumstances to justify this and we are prepared to consider such applications).
Q19: If a student is granted an exemption, does he/she still need six subjects for matriculation? A: Yes every student needs six subjects to matriculate.
Q20: For degrees in the Sciences (see Q5) which subjects are accepted as fulfilling the Science subject requirement? A:The following subjects are accepted: Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Physics-with-Chemistry, Agricultural Science. For entry to Engineering at NUI, Maynooth, the subject Technology may be substituted for a laboratory science subject. This change will come into effect in UCC and NUI, Galway in 2011. The position in UCD is under review.
Q21: What happens if students entitled to exemptions don’t apply? A: If students don’t apply to NUI and have their exemptions recorded, they will come up on CAO records as not meeting matriculation requirements and will not be offered places even if they have the points.
Q22: I am repeating my Leaving Certificate and was granted an exemption(s) in a previous year. Do I need to reapply? A: Once you have applied for and been granted an exemption, you do not need to reapply for the exemption. However, it is essential that you contact NUI in the year of your CAO application. CAO does not carry forward details of exemption(s) to the next year and NUI needs to re-send details of exemptions granted in the case of students applying again to CAO. In order to have your exemption entered on your current CAO record you need to contact NUI with your original CAO number and your current CAO application number. Your exemption can then be transferred to your current application record. Failure to do this will mean that you will not be offered a place.
Q23: I completed my second-level education in another country, but I am planning to attend an NUI Institution. What do I need to matriculate ? A: Our Matriculation Regulations booklet gives a comprehensive listing of the EU School-Leaving qualifications accepted for matriculation, and sets out the requirements for holders of their qualifications and also for those presenting the European Baccalaureate and International Baccalaureate. Holders of any other qualifications should contact the Admissions Office in the University or College where they are applying.
Q24: I have applied to NUI for a language exemption on grounds of a learning disability. Do I need to make a separate application to the Disability Access Route to Education (DARE) to qualify under that scheme?A: Yes. An application for an NUI language exemption does not imply that application has been made to DARE; application to DARE must be made through the CAO.
The criteria for the granting of an exemption from the NUI Irish and/or third language requirements are not the same as those for DARE . Therefore the granting of an NUI exemption does not mean that a student is automatically eligible under DARE
Main points:
• To matriculate on Leaving Certificate results, six subjects are required in all cases. Students must achieve a minimum Grade C3 at Higher Level in two subjects, and at least Grade D3 in four other subjects and must satisfy the Irish requirement and (where necessary) the Third language requirement.
• From 2014 for UCC, to matriculate on Leaving Certificate results, students must achieve a minimum of 4 subjects at Honours Level and 2 at Ordinary Level. One Grade E in any subject at Higher Level will be accepted if the candidate has among his/her other subjects three Grade C3 awards and at least one Grade B3 on Higher Level Papers in the Leaving Certificate (Q3).
• If you were born outside Ireland, you are eligible to claim an exemption from Irish for Matriculation purposes. (see Q10).
• Students who have a DES Exemption from Irish must still apply for NUI exemption.
• Students applying for an exemption from Irish and/or the Third Language requirement on the grounds of dyslexia need to complete relevant Section of the Exemption Application Form and enclose Psychologist’s Report (see Q17 and Q18).
• Students repeating the Leaving Certificate who were granted an exemption in a previous year, MUST contact NUI with their original CAO Application Number and their current CAO Application Number (see Q22).
• The criteria for the granting of an exemption from the NUI Irish and/or Third Language requirements are not the same as those for the Disability Access Route to Education (DARE). The granting of an NUI exemption does not mean that a student is automatically eligible under DARE (Q24).
Finally if you have any questions at all about your matriculation status, please phone NUI (01 4392424) or send us an email to registrar@nui.ie We are always happy to discuss matriculation issues and help in whatever way we can. We do advise that if you have any doubts at all about your entitlement to exemptions or your matriculation status please contact us early. While we are happy to process applications for exemptions at any time, we advise students to make early application. Students should be aware there are deadlines with CAO applications and if they apply for exemptions to NUI after 31 July, this may be too late to qualify them for a CAO offer. We will do our utmost to help, but we can only work within the deadlines of other organisations. While NUI facilitates students by communicating the details of exemptions granted to the CAO on a student’s behalf, we are not responsible for any omissions that occur. We strongly advise students to contact us before 1 May in the year of their CAO application, to make sure that any exemptions subsequently granted will appear on their CAO record. If an omission should occur there is plenty of time to correct your record..