Institute of Technology Carlow has announced eleven new ordinary and honours degree courses as a direct response to national and regional socio-economic needs. The suite of programmes will provide skilled graduates in areas such as robotics and automated systems, biomedical electronics, design and sports management.
The courses, currently open for applications via the CAO, will be delivered at the Carlow campus. They are: Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Quantity Surveying (CW488); Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) in Robotics and Automated Systems (CW588); Bachelor of Engineering in Robotics and Automated Systems (CW567); Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) in Biomedical Electronics (CW598); Bachelor of Engineering in Biomedical Electronics (CW577); Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Sport Business and Coaching (SW878); Bachelor of Arts in Sport, Business and Coaching (CW847); Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Education and Practice (CW727); Bachelor of Education (Hons) in Early Childhood Education and Practice (CW748); Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations and Media (CW857); Bachelor of Arts in Design (CW707).
A separate Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Education and Practice (CW097) will be delivered at IT Carlow Wexford campus. The new suite of programmes brings to 120 the total number of programmes by IT Carlow taught by to Level 9 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ).
The Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) in Robotics and Automated Systems has been designed in collaboration with industry experts to meet the needs of industry. Due to the level of technicality involved in robotics and automated systems, which combines electronic engineering, mechanical engineering and computer science, there is a shortage of qualified graduates and personnel in this area and it is anticipated that graduates of the course will be highly sought after.
“Covid 19 reminded us that technology plays an important part of our daily life. Robotics and automated systems is a growing industry, therefore the demand for careers in robotics and automation engineering and jobs in virtual and physical world will be on the rise over the next few years. This degree will produce an adaptable graduate capable of working across developing industries where robotic and automated systems are employed”, commented Dr Dorel Picovici, course director and a lecturer in the Department of Electronic, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at IT Carlow.
The Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) in Biomedical Electronics is suitable for students interested in high-tech industry, advancing medical devices for state-of-the-art healthcare. The course is a combination of theory classes, practical experiments, projects and laboratory sessions, and will include work placement and project collaboration with leading global medical device companies based in Ireland.
The course has been welcomed by the Irish Medtech Association. Its senior executive, Adrienne McDonnell, said, “This programme comes at a time when the medical technology industry is looking to address current skills shortages and prepare the next generation for the demands of tomorrow. These new programmes are a blended mix of physiology and cell biology and applied electronics for medical devices, and really complement the fostering of collaboration between education institutions and the medtech industry to strategically enable lifelong learning and develop the workforce with the skills areas that are in most demand now and in the future. Ireland is one of the top five global medtech hubs, with over 450 companies, and is ranked as the most innovative in the EU with 14,200 EU patent applications in 2020."
“Biomedical electronics involves the application of electronic circuits and technologies for treating medical conditions, monitoring health problems and improving the quality of life for patients. Ireland is one of Europe’s largest medical technology hotspots. All of these companies require a continuous supply of graduates with skills in electronics and domain knowledge and expertise of medical devices and healthcare applications”, commented Dr Darren Francis Kavanagh, who is course director of the Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) in Biomedical Electronics.
The Bachelor of Arts in Design will be delivered in a studio environment, with a continuous assessment approach. Deep collaboration with industry partners across all years of the course will allow students to experience the design process in action and there is an option of undertaking a semester abroad in the third year of the course. Specialisms include: product and industrial design consultancy; furniture and environmental design; visual communications; digital technologies; packaging and the print sectors.
Commenting on the new programme, design lecturer Dr Hilary Dempsey said, “The Bachelor of Arts in Design introduces the skills and processes used across all design specialisms, allowing learners to discover the area of design they relate to best. It is a strong grounding in design with multiple progression steams allowing you to design your future. If you like being creative, working with your hands and solving problems, this is the programme for you”.
The Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Sport Business and Coaching combines the techniques of sports management and coaching with the principles of business and management and is open to students from all sporting backgrounds and abilities, from elite to community-based participation. It has been designed for the needs of sporting bodies that require management and coaching staff to have an excellent understanding of their chosen sport, as well as strong business and organisational and administrative skills.
“Building on our strong track record of successful sports programmes at IT Carlow, we are delighted to bring a new level 8 programme, the BA (Hons) Sport, Business & Coaching and our first student cohort intake will be in September 2022”, said Denis O'Brien, Programme Director BA (Hons) Sports Management & Coaching.
The four-year Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Education and Practice has been deigned to equip graduates with the theoretical, policy, legal and practical knowledge required to work in early years services. Learning is through experiential and self-directed learning activities, as well as through group work, presentations and yearly placement opportunities.
“As of 2022 the Department of Education and Skills requires that Level 8 programmes in this area are of 4 years duration. This programme identifies the knowledge, practice and values required, and focuses to a greater degree on the educative nature of practice in the sector. The Department of Education and Skills has determined that our new three and four year degree programmes have met the requirements of their “Professional Award Criteria and Guidelines for Initial Professional Education Degree Programmes for the Early Learning and Care (ELC) Sector in Ireland.”, said Mary Beare Aust, Programme Director B Ed. (Hons) Early Childhood Education and Practice.
IT Carlow has doubled its learner enrolments over the past decade through the ongoing development of an academic portfolio of more than 80 full-time undergraduate programmes, 30 taught postgraduate programmes, 200 lifelong learning programmes, and masters and doctoral research programmes. The institute was last month ranked in the five top performing universities in Ireland, according to an international ranking of higher education institutions.
It will become a technological university, alongside Waterford Institute of Technology, in 2022.
Further information on each course is available at www.itcarlow.ie.