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CAO Schedule 2021
CAO | CENTRAL APPLICATIONS OFFICE | CYCLE 2021
5th November (12:00)
CAO online application facility opens. CAO Change of Course choices facility opens
20th January (17:15)
Apply online by this date to avail of the discounted application fee of €30.
1st February (17:15)
Normal closing date for applications.
5th February (12:00)
Online facility to amend course choices becomes available (€10 Fee)
Before 15th February
Paper Applicants will be sent a Statement of Course Choices. (Contact CAO if you do not receive it)
1st March (17:15)
Closing date for amending course choices
Closing date for completion of mature section of application form
Closing date for final completion of online HEAR/DARE forms
5th March (12:00)
Late application facility opens.
15th March (17:15)
Latest date for HEAR/DARE supporting documentation to arrive in CAO
1st May (17:15)
Closing date for late applications
5th May (12:00)
Online Change of Mind facility becomes available (Free)
Before 15th May
Late Paper Applicants will be sent a Statement of Course Choices. (Contact CAO if you do not receive it)
Before End of May
Statement of Application Record sent to all applicants. (Contact CAO if you do not receive it)
1st July (17:15)
Change of Mind closes
July
Round A offers for certain Non-Standard categories of applicants - applicants receive an offer by e-mail and SMS text
Round A acceptances closing date.
22nd July (17:15)
Exceptional closing date for late applications for those already attending a participating HEI
August
Round 0 offers for certain Non-Standard categories of applicant - applicants receive an offer by e-mail and SMS text
Round 0 acceptances closing date.
Current year Leaving Certificate results issued (expected)
Available Place facility opens
Round 1 offers and acceptances
Round 2 offers and acceptances
Round 3 offers and acceptances
20th October Offer Season Ends.
The CAO application process
CAO Points 2020: Our Degrees
| DEGREE CODE | DEGREE NAME | POINTS 2020 |
| MH001 | PRIMARY EDUCATION | 507 |
| MH002 | PRIMARY EDUCATION (GAELTACHT) | # |
| MH101 | BACHELOR OF ARTS | 318 |
| MH103 | MUSIC | # |
| MH106 | PSYCHOLOGY | 521 |
| MH107 | SOCIAL SCIENCE | 346 |
| MH109 | MEDIA STUDIES | 316 |
| MH116 | COMMUNITY & YOUTH WORK (FT) | # |
| MH201 | BACHELOR OF SCIENCE | 360 |
| MH202 | BIOTECHNOLOGY | 455 |
| MH203 | BIOLOGICAL & GEOGRAPHICAL SCIENCES | 430 |
| MH204 | PHYSICS WITH ASTROPHYSICS | 422 |
| MH206 | THEORETICAL PHYSICS & MATHEMATICS | 510 |
| MH207 | DATA SCIENCE | 445 |
| MH208 | BIOLOGICAL & BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES | 498 |
| MH209 | PSYCHOLOGY THROUGH SCIENCE | 498 |
| MH210 | PHARMACEUTICAL & BIOMEDICAL CHEMISTRY | 487 |
| MH212 | SCIENCE/MATHEMATICS/WITH EDUCATION | 422 |
| MH304 | ENGINEERING | 333 |
| MH305 | PRODUCT DESIGN | 357 |
| MH306 | ROBOTICS | 361 |
| MH401 | FINANCE | 357 |
| MH402 | QUANTITATIVE FINANCE | 476 |
| MH403 | ACCOUNTING | 422 |
| MH404 | BUSINESS | 430 |
| MH405 | EQUINE BUSINESS | 357 |
| MH407 | BUSINESS AND ACCOUNTING | 420 |
| MH411 | ENTREPRENEURSHIP | 371 |
| MH501 | LAW | 473 |
| MH502 | LAW AND ARTS/ACC/BUS/CRIMINOLOGY | 451 |
| MH601 | COMPUTER SCIENCE ARTS | 352 |
| MH602 | COMPUTER SCIENCE (SCIENCE) | 351 |
| MH603 | COMPUTATIONAL THINKING | 532 |
| MH801 | EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION | 327 |
| MH802 | COMMUNITY & YOUTH WORK PT | # |
| MH803 | BA LOCAL/COMMUNITY STUDIES | # |
The Maynooth Arts Degree | CAO #1 First Preference Course
THE MH101 BACHELOR OF ARTS DEGREE: 318 CAO POINTS IN 2020 - 34 SUBJECTS AVAILABLE IN 2021
- Most popular CAO 1st preference course in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020
- Chosen by one in four of our Entrance Scholars (new Maynooth students who achieved 550+ points in their Leaving Certificate exams)
- Preferred course for 1,300 students who begin MH101 annually
- Four weeks to choose up to four subjects from a possible thirty four (one per group) - proceed with two subjects (or one) from 2nd year
- Possibility to move into a specialised degree such as Law, Business, Computer Science (depending on 1st year subjects and results)
- Postgraduate study - once you have completed your Bachelor of Arts degree you may wish to pursue postgraduate study:
It is possible through your Master's degree to become an expert in a subject that you have already studied or you could also undertake a Master's in a totally new discipline to complement your degree.
| MH001/MH002 Bachelor of Education - Primary Teaching (B Ed) | Psychology | General |
| Some applicants to our MH001/MH002 Bachelor of Education - Primary Teaching (B Ed) degree are concerned about achieving the Leaving Cert points required. Our advice is that applicants should also consider the postgraduate route into primary teaching. The PME Professional Master of Education (Primary Teaching) is a two-year postgraduate teacher education programme for primary teaching for persons who possess a level 8 honours bachelor degree. The level 8 MH101 Bachelor of Arts degree is a popular choice for many students. | A Double Major in Psychological Studies will not lead to an accredited Psychology degree. However, you could pursue this at a later date through postgraduate study. Unlike MH106 and MH209, Psychological Studies in MH101 will not lead to a professionally accredited degree, however Psychological Studies graduates may be eligible to apply for consideration to entry to a one-year postgraduate programme to achieve a professionally accredited qualification in psychology (on a competitive basis - limited numbers). | Apart from professions requiring specialist training such as engineering and science, most career options are wide open to Maynooth’s Arts graduates. With about 40% of graduate jobs open to any discipline (gradireland.com), the quality of your degree and your ability to communicate your experience is often far more important than the content of your subjects. |
- Some of the transferable skills that an Arts degree offers include the ability to:
| Lead and participate in discussions | Develop and argue opinions | Understand, assess and evaluate issues |
| Write well in a variety of formats | Propose ideas and theories | Think and act creatively |
| Organise workload and work to deadlines | Convey meaning precisely | Conduct research and evaluate sources |
| Read pages of text and pick out the essential points | Be objective | Work alone and on own initiative |
| Retain and absorb large amounts of information | Have confidence in your opinions | Be able to base conclusions on statistical research |
| Debate and persuade others of your point of view | IT skills | Foreign language skills (depending on subject choice) |
Electronic Engineering Mathematics Exam
This provides prospective Maynooth University engineering students with a chance to secure the required H4 (previously HC3) in Leaving Certificate Mathematics in order to meet the basic entry requirement for qualification to our Engineering degree (MH304). The exam is based on the content covered by Paper One of the Leaving Certificate Higher Level Mathematics syllabus and consists of one exam lasting two hours.
We also run a free preparatory course in advance of the Engineering Mathematics Exam. Separate registration is required for the preparatory course. Students attaining the H4 (60% or higher) standard in the examination will be deemed to have met the mathematics entry requirement to the degree.
Bachelor of Science Degree | MH201 | 2nd Year Pathways
Second Year Transfer Options from MH201 Bachelor of Science Degree.
|
Degree – Year 1 |
Degree Transferring to Year 2 | Subjects and Grades Required in Year 1 |
| MH201 | MH202 – Biotechnology |
Students must take Biology, Chemistry and Maths plus 1 other in First Science * Students must have an overall of 60%. |
| MH201 | MH204 - Astrophysics (Year 3 transfer only) | Students attaining 60% in Experimental Physics and 60% in either Mathematics or Mathematical Physics in Year 2 of MH201 may apply to transfer into 3rd Year of MH204. Places are limited and are based on results. |
| MH201 | MH207 - Data Science |
Students must take Computer Science/ Mathematics/ Data Science plus 1 other in First Science* Students must pass the year and achieve an overall of 55% or greater in Mathematics in their First Science Examination. |
| MH201 | MH208 - Biological & Biomedical |
Students must take Biology, Mathematics plus 2 other * Assessed on a case by case basis on - A) Points on admission B) Year 1 results |
| MH201 |
MH210 - Pharmaceutical & Biomedical |
Students must take Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry plus 1 other in First Science* Students must achieve an overall grade of 60%. |
| MH201 |
MH212
SED Science (with Education) |
Students must take Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry & Experimental Physics Students must take Mathematics and Computer Science plus 2 others in First Science. |
| MH201 | MH304 - Engineering |
Students must take Engineering Science, Mathematics, Computer Science plus 1 other* Subject to attaining 50% or over in the First Science examination |
|
MH306 - Robotics |
MH304 - Engineering |
Subject to passing the year and attaining 50% or over in the Maths Modules |
| MH201 | MH602 - Computer Science | Take 22.5 credits of Computer Science and pass Year 1 |
*Can include Critical Skills
Limited places available for transfers.
CAO | Open Choice
We know that making a final decision on the list of level 8 degree choices can be quite a challenge. We have therefore broadened the first year entry on many of our degrees in order to open up progression options to our students. This means that many first year students can spend the first few weeks of semester one sampling subjects or pathways within their degree before deciding on their options.
Entry Requirements Poster | Leaving Certificate Points 2020
Deferral Applicants
Mature students at Maynooth
Click for the latest updates about Mature Student application to study at MU.
Click for more mature student orientation information.
The Mature Student Office (which is part of the Access Office) are committed to supporting the learning experience of Maynooth's mature students. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact them.
Entrance Scholarship Award
Entrance Scholarships are automatically awarded to incoming first year students who have obtained 550 points or more in the Leaving Certificate (from six subjects in one sitting).
The €1,000 award is for one academic year following admission to the University, payable in two instalments – one in November and one in February (subject to the Entrance Scholar remaining in good standing with the University).
For students presenting GCE A Levels the awards are based on achieving points from three/four subjects in GCE A levels.
No application required.
Bachelor of Music Entrance Scholarship
Entrance Scholarship for MH103 Bachelor of Music
Our Entrance Scholarship for one entrant to MH103 Music is awarded in September. The top scoring applicant, based on the MH103 remote assessment, is offered the scholarship of €1,000. The successful applicant is informed when they receive their offer for MH103 through the CAO.
If I receive a CAO offer | what happens next?
This is an outline of the next steps for those offered a place on a Level 8 degree at Maynooth University via the CAO
-
Follow the offer and acceptance procedure as set out by the CAO:
- Applicants who have been offered a Level 8 degree at MU will receive an information pack in the post in the days following receipt of their CAO offer. Details regarding whis pack includes are in the tab above.
- Read the contents of the letter included in the pack carefully. This letter is double-sided and contains information about the orientation, registration and fee-paying processes.
If you have questions - please channel them as follows - most are available on webchat (and/or the usual communication channels):
CAO Available Places
Should places remain unfilled on any of the University's level 8 degree courses (after all offers have been made and the waiting lists of applicants meeting minimum entry requirements have been exhausted) such vacancies are advertised on the CAO website. Interested applicants can research their options via the CAO website after Round 1 offers are issued.
Welcome Week | Orientation and Registration Information
The Student Engagement Officer and the Student Records Office take over from the Admissions Office team once Orientation and Registration Week begins. All applicants who are offered a place at MU receive a welcome pack in the post.
The Orientation Team send an email with details about Welcome Week on 17.9.2020
The Records Office send an email with details about the registration process on 18.9.2020
Click here to see what happens next.
Your* CAO 2021 Application | Data Protection
Maynooth University aims to ensure the security and privacy of an applicant’s personal data by preventing the release of any details relating to a CAO applicant to any unauthorised person.
All enquiries about an applicant’s course choice/offer can only be discussed with the applicant. If a third party is enquiring on behalf of an applicant, the applicant must be present and give full permission (by phone/email etc.) to Maynooth University’s Admissions Office to discuss his/her course choices/results/offers with the third party. In all cases, the applicant will be required to confirm he/she is the applicant in question. Each applicant will be asked to confirm the following:
- CAO number
- Full Name
- Full Address
- Date of Birth
Transport links to Maynooth
The University is very well served during term time by a number of daily private bus services.
Dublin Bus services run year-round.
Click here for details of transport options.
A guide for students studying in 2020-21 | Response to COVID-19
This guide is for students studying at Maynooth University in 2020-21 - created in response to Covid-19. This will be updated as we further develop our plans and in response to any changes in the public health system, so do treat this as a working set of guidelines.