Strong demand for new curriculum sees Maynooth remain Ireland’s fastest growing University

Monday, August 22, 2016 - 08:30

Irish Version

Strong demand for its new undergraduate curriculum will see the largest ever intake at Maynooth University, with more than 2,960 students due to start in September. Maynooth University this year received its highest ever level of first preference applications, and as a result, this year will also see the intake of more than 670 high achieving students who received 450 points or more.
 
The demand from students for Maynooth University’s new undergraduate curriculum represents a significant endorsement of its unique proposition in the Irish education system. The curriculum has been designed in response to the needs of today’s students and provides greater choice and flexibility within its degrees. Undergraduate students have the option of specialising immediately or exploring a range of disciplines in first year and specialising later. The curriculum emphasises the fundamental skills of critical thinking and clear communication, which are addressed from the outset, and included in special small group courses in first year. Students also have the opportunity to take additional elective courses outside of their core studies, including modern language courses, alongside any degree.
 
As expected, Maynooth’s CAO points saw a slight decrease across several courses this year. This reflects both an increase in intake—Maynooth will accept more than 2,960 undergraduates this year, an increase of 5% on last year—and the strategic decision to significantly reduce its number of entry-routes, from more than 50 to approximately 35. The broader entry routes give students more time to make the best decisions for their future, while also addressing the pressure students feel from the points race, and the rote learning and ‘studying to the exam’ which results.
 
To create these broader entry routes, the University consolidated entry to courses which had previously been offered under different codes—some with extremely high points but only small numbers of students:

  • Five humanities courses (English, History, Anthropology, Politics, and International Development) were brought together into Maynooth University’s Bachelor of Arts Degree. Maynooth University’s Bachelor of Arts degree is now the most popular course in the country with the total student intake increasing from 1,300 to 1,400 to meet this demand.
  • Four business courses (Business & Management, Equine Business, Marketing, and Entrepreneurship), with 2015 CAO points ranging from 350 – 435, have, this year, been folded into one core business course at 405 points. 
  • Two media courses (Media Studies and Digital Media) with 2015 CAO points ranging from 360 – 450 have, this year, have been merged into one course at 340 points, with a 25% increase in places.

Maynooth University has always emphasised that the level of points should not be seen as indicative of the prestige or quality of courses. Maynooth University President, Professor Philip Nolan, observes: “We’re very pleased with students’ response to our exciting new curriculum and our decision to broaden entry routes.  We have even more high ability students applying to attend this year, attracted by our challenging teaching, our emphasis on critical skills, and the flexibility and choice within our degrees. We radically reduced the number of separate CAO entry routes, leading by example, and are dispelling the fallacy that high points courses admitting small numbers of students are somehow more prestigious or better than a broader education, and are more attractive to students. This fallacy has dominated the development of the CAO system over the last two decades and has significantly exacerbated the pressure felt by students as they prepare for the Leaving Certificate and the transition to higher education."
 
Discussing students’ response to the new curriculum, Professor Nolan said: “Today represents a significant milestone for Maynooth University. The high level of demand we have seen for our undergraduate courses is a great vindication of our decision to present a unique proposition to students, very different to what is on offer from the other six universities.”
 
“Leaving Certificate students need to be able to focus on doing the best they can in their exams, but for years higher education institutes have been demanding that they choose from a bewildering array of highly specialised courses. The demand for the new Maynooth University curriculum shows that students, including high achievers, are attracted to a broad education preparing them for the many challenges their future holds. This year Maynooth University will see its highest ever intake of students. Each and every student who begins their undergraduate studies this year will have the benefit of a broad education that has been designed with their future needs firmly in mind,” Professor Nolan concluded.

Éileamh mór ar an gcuraclam nua agus is í Ollscoil Mhá Nuad an ollscoil is gasta fás in Éirinn fós dá bharr

Mar thoradh ar an éileamh mór atá ar a curaclam nua, glacfaidh Ollscoil Mhá Nuad le níos mó mac léinn nua ná riamh agus breis agus 2,960 mac léinn le tosú san Ollscoil i mí Mheán Fómhair. D’éirigh le hOllscoil Mhá Nuad níos mó iarratas céadrogha ná riamh a fháil i mbliana. Glacfaidh an ollscoil le breis ag 670 mac léinn ardchumas, mic léinn a bhfuil 450 pointe nó níos mó bainte amach acu, dá bharr sin.  

Léiríonn an t-éileamh ó mhic léinn ar an gcuraclam fochéime nua atá forbartha ag Ollscoil Mhá Nuad go bhfuil muinín acu as an tairiscint uathúil seo i gcóras oideachais na hÉireann. Dearadh an curaclam le freastal ar riachtanais na mac léinn sa lá atá inniu ann agus cuireann sé roghanna agus solúbthacht bhreise ar fáil laistigh dá cuid céimeanna. Cuireann sé an rogha ar fáil do mhic léinn speisialtóireacht a dhéanamh láithreach nó blaiseadh a fháil de réimse disciplíní sa chéad bhliain agus speisialtóireacht a dhéanamh ina dhiaidh sin. Cuireann an curaclam béim ar bhunscileanna; smaointeoireacht chriticiúil agus cumarsáid éifeachtach. Tugtar aghaidh ar na scileanna seo ón tús agus clúdaítear iad sa chéad bhliain mar chuid de chúrsaí do ghrúpaí beaga. Chomh maith leis sin, bíonn an deis ag mic léinn modúil thoghthacha a thógáil mar aon lena gcroíábhar, lena n-áirítear cúrsaí i nuatheangacha, mar chuid de chéim ar bith. 

Mar a bhíothas as súil leis, tháinig laghdú beag i mbliana ar na pointí CAO a theastaíonn do chúpla cúrsa in Ollscoil Mhá Nuad. Léiríonn an laghdú seo go bhfuil ardú tagtha ar líon na mac léinn a thugtar isteach – glacfaidh Ollscoil Mhá Nuad le breis ag 2960 fochéimí i mbliana, ardú cúig faoin gcéad ar fhigiúirí na bliana seo caite – agus an cinneadh straitéiseach atá déanta líon na mbealaí iontrála a laghdú go suntasach, ó bhreis agus caoga bealach go thart ar chúig bhealach is tríocha. Tugann na bealaí iontrála níos leithne breis ama do mhic léinn na cinntí is fearr dá dtodhchaí féin a dhéanamh agus tugann sé aghaidh ar an mbrú a bhíonn ar mhic léinn maidir le rás na bpointí agus ón bhfoghlaim de ghlanmheabhair agus an ‘staidéar don scrúdú’ a eascraíonn as an rás sin.

Le bealaí iontrála níos leithne a chruthú, thug Ollscoil Mhá Nuad na bealaí iontrála do chúrsaí a bhí ar fáil faoi chóid éagsúla le chéile – cúrsaí a raibh pointí an-arda ag baint le cuid acu ach nach raibh ach líon beag mac léinn ag tabhairt fúthu: 
Tugadh cúig chúrsa sna daonnachtaí (Béarla, Stair, Antraipeolaíocht, Polaitíocht agus Forbairt Idirnáisiúnta) le chéile mar chuid de Bhaitsiléir Ealaíon Ollscoil Mhá Nuad. Is í Baitsiléir Ealaíon Ollscoil Mhá Nuad an chéim is mó a bhfuil tóir uirthi sa tír. Ardaíodh líon na mac léinn a thugtar isteach ó 1,300 go 1,400 le freastal ar an éileamh atá ar an gcúrsa.

Tugadh ceithre chúrsa gnó le chéile (Gnó & Bainistíocht, Gnó Eachaí, Margaíocht, agus Fiontraíocht), a raibh pointí CAO idir 350 – 435 ag baint leo, le chéile i mbliana mar aon chúrsa gnó amháin a bhfuil 405 pointe ag baint leis.
Tugadh dhá chúrsa sna meáin (Staidéar na Meáin agus na Meáin Dhigiteacha) a raibh pointí CAO idir 350 – 435 ag baint leo, le chéile mar aon chúrsa amháin a bhfuil 340 pointe ag baint leis. Tá ardú fiche a cúig faoin gcéad tagtha ar líon na n-áiteanna ar an gcúrsa sin.

Leag Ollscoil Mhá Nuad béim riamh anall ar an bpointe nach léiríonn líon na bpointí an gradam ná an caighdeán a bhaineann le cúrsaí. Dúirt Uachtarán Ollscoil Mhá Nuad, an tOllamh Pilib Ó Nualláin:”Tá áthas an domhain orainn le freagairt na mac léinn don churaclam nua spreagúil seo agus don chinneadh atá déanta againn na bealaí iontrála a leathnú amach. Tá fás níos mó fós ar líon na mac léinn ardchumais atá ag iarraidh teacht anseo i mbliana agus iad meallta ag teagasc a chuirfidh dúshlán rompu, an bhéim a chuirimid ar scileanna criticiúla, an tsolúbthacht agus an rogha atá ar fáil laistigh dár gcuid céimeanna. Chinneamar líon na mbealaí iontrála CAO a laghdú go suntasach, ceannaireacht a thabhairt le dea-shampla, an ruaig a chur ar an míthuiscint go bhfuil cúrsaí a bhfuil pointí arda ag baint leo agus nach scaoileann ach líon beag mac léinn isteach níos measúla nó níos fearr ná oideachas níos leithne, agus níos mealltaí do mhic léinn dá bharr. Bhí an lámh in uachtar ag an míthuiscint sin ar an gcóras CAO le fiche bliain anuas agus chuir sé go mór leis an mbrú a bhí ar mhic léinn agus iad ag ullmhú don Ardteistiméireacht agus don aistriú chuig an ardoideachas.”

Agus é ag labhairt faoi fhreagairt na mac léinn don churaclam nua, dúirt an tOllamh Ó Nualláin: “Cor cinniúnach atá ann inniu d’Ollscoil Mhá Nuad. Tacaíonn an t-éileamh mór atá ar ár gcúrsaí fochéime leis an gcinneadh tairiscint uathúil a chur ar fáil do mhic léinn, tairiscint atá an-éagsúil ón méid atá ar fáil ón sé ollscoil eile.”
“Ní mór do dhaltaí Ardteistiméireachta a bheith in ann díriú ar a seacht ndícheall a dhéanamh ina gcuid scrúduithe. Le blianta fada anuas, áfach, bhí institiúidí ardoideachais ag éileamh go ndéanfaidís roghnú as réimse mearbhlach cúrsaí a bhí thar a bheith sainiúil. Léiríonn an t-éileamh atá ar churaclam nua Ollscoil Mhá Nuad go bhfuil mic léinn, mic léinn ardchumais san áireamh, meallta ag oideachas leathan, oideachas a ullmhaíonn iad do na dúshláin iomadúla a thiocfaidh rompu sa saol. I mbliana, glacfaidh Ollscoil Mhá Nuad le níos mó mac léinn ná riamh. Bainfidh gach uile mhac léinn a chuireann tús lena staidéar fochéime i mbliana leas as oideachas leathan a dearadh go sonrach le freastal ar riachtanais na mac léinn sa todhchaí,” arsa an tOllamh Ó Nualláin.