CAO

CAO schedule 2025

CAO - CENTRAL APPLICATIONS OFFICE - CYCLE 2025

5th November 2024 (12:00)
CAO online application facility opens.
CAO Change of Course choices facility opens

20th January 2025 (17:00)
Apply online by this date to avail of the discounted application fee of €30.

1st February (17:00)
Normal closing date for applications.

6th 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 (17:00)
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 (17:00)
Latest date for HEAR/DARE supporting documentation to arrive in CAO

1st May (17:00)
Closing date for late applications

7th 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 (17:00)
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

July
Round A acceptances closing date

22nd July (17:00)
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

August
Round 0 acceptances closing date.

August
Current year Leaving Certificate results issued

August
Round 1 offers available online - also issued by e-mail and SMS text.
Applicants who have not received an offer will receive a `Statement of Application` e-mail.

CAO 2025 Application Process & Order of Preference Listing

Applying through the CAO Central Applications Office

Apply for your choice of level 8 bachelor’s degree through the Central Applications Office (CAO).
All applicants (except EU occasional and non-EU students) must apply through the Central Applications Office.
Apply online at www.cao.ie or request details from:

See tab above for important CAO deadlines

Order of preference
On your CAO application you are invited to enter your choice of courses in ‘order of preference’. It is essential that you list your selected courses in order of choice. Put your first choice in the number one position, followed by your second and third choice, and so on. The University offers places to applicants in order of merit, once they meet the minimum entry requirements. The order of merit is calculated based on a points system (available via this link). Places are allocated to applicants with the required points according to their list of CAO preferences, with applicants who meet the points requirements being offered their course in order of preference. For this reason it is essential that you list your CAO course choices in your genuine order of preference. The University distinguishes between applicants who have equal points by appending a randomly generated number to each score. The combined score/random number is the final determinant of position in the order of merit (this is called Random Selection).

CAO Most Popular Degree - MH101 Bachelor of Arts

THE MAYNOOTH BACHELOR OF ARTS DEGREE - MH101 - THE CAO'S MOST POPULAR FIRST PREFERENCE COURSE

The Maynooth Bachelor of Arts Degree MH101 has been among the top preference CAO courses for a number of years, receiving most first preference applications.
By choosing the Maynooth BA degree, a wide variety of interesting subjects is opened up to you.
Hundreds of subject combinations are available and you don't have to make any decision on your subject choices until you have sampled as many as you wish over the first four weeks of first year.
Flexible 2nd year pathways and lots of choice are what makes the MH101 degree so appealing to our applicants.

MH101 - The Maynooth Bachelor of Arts Degree

Level 8 Degrees

Visit our level 8 degree listing

Flexibility and open choice option at MU

OPC (CAO application option – open choice to all degree streams)

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.

The MH101 Bachelor of Arts Degree is a popular choice due to the wide subject range and optional pathways into 2nd year of some specialised degree. See the tab below for more on MH101.

Open choice is an option in a number of our degrees. This gives new Maynooth University students the opportunity to sample the streams available within their chosen degree during the first few weeks of semester one. Applicants choose open choice on their MU CAO application and decide on their preferred degree stream following admission. Applicants must meet any minimum entry requirements for their preferred stream. Available in these degrees - click for more details.

MH212
MH404
MH409
MH502
MH601
MH602
MH803

CAO 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: