2010 press releases
Posted 23 August 2010
Points Rise for Majority of AIT Courses
Growing demand for places at Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT) has seen an increase in points for the majority of its courses. First round points for 11 honours degrees and 13 higher certificate/ordinary degrees across all faculties have risen.
In business, the four-year honours degree (AL050) has seen a 45-point increase to 275 points. Points for the three-year BA (Honours) in Accounting (AL051) also rose, to 250. Two new honours degrees in business and law (AL057) and accounting and law (AL058) have experienced strong demand, with first round points standing at 250 and 310 respectively.
The results for level 6 and 7 business courses are mixed, with the largest increase in demand coming for the business computing degree (AL022) at 35 points. Equine studies with business (AL025) also proved to be very popular and points this year are 165. The Higher Certificate in Business (AL001) also rose, by 15 points. The points for higher certificates in office management (AL003) and accounting technician (AL023) remained the same compared with the first round in 2009. There is a small drop to 300 for the Higher Certificate in Business with Music and Instrument Technology (AL043).
In humanities, the points for the honours BA in social care practice (AL054) rose again this year to 350, up from 325. In contrast, points for the higher certificate in applied social studies in social care (AL006) decreased to 325, while the two-year programme in childcare supervisory management (AL007) stands at 300 points.
Tourism, hospitality and leisure studies programmes at AIT also proved to be very popular, with a 90-point increase for the recently introduced BA in Spa Management (AL017) to 210, while the Higher Certificate in Sport and Recreation (AL027) also rose dramatically from 230 to 280 points. New courses in hotel and leisure management (AL008) and culinary arts (AL002) achieved points of 140 and 120 respectively, while a new bar supervision (AL004) course is being offered to all qualified applicants (AQA). There was a 10-point drop for the Bachelor of Business in Front Office and Tourism Management (AL028).
Points rose for AIT’s two design degrees, with the four-year honours degree in visual communications (AL052) jumping 75 points to 635, while the three-year communications degree (AL020) rose 40 points to 565. Applicants are assessed on a design portfolio in addition to their Leaving Certificate/FETAC points for these two degrees.
In engineering, there were increases in points for the majority of software and computing courses. Honours degrees in game development (AL032) and web development (AL034) increased 35 points each to 265 and 270 respectively. Mobile communications and electronics engineering (AL0046) increased to 165 points, while points for the Higher Certificate in Electronics and Computer Engineering (AL0011) rose to 135. There was a 5-point decrease for the BEng in Computer Network Administration (AL047).
The importance of the green economy was underlined with the rise in points for the three-year renewable energy degree (AL048) to 290 from 255. The Higher Certificate in Mechanical Engineering (AL010) increased by 70 points to 200, while the mechatronics degree (AL024) remains at 170.
Points for AIT’s built environment programmes run counter to the national trend of declining points, with a 30-point increase for the BSc in Construction Technology and Management to 265. A new degree in sustainable construction (AL014) debuts at 190. The higher certificate in civil engineering (AL013) rose by 5 points to 145, while constriction studies (AL015) remains at 150.
The course with the highest points at AIT is the BSc in Veterinary Nursing (AL029) at 415 points, down 20 from last year. There were dramatic increases for other science programmes, however, such as toxicology (AL033) up 45 points to 320, dental nursing (AL042) up 50 to 340 and pharmacy technician (AL041) up 30 to 315. The BSc in Biotechnology (AL021) meanwhile dropped 20 points to 145, as did the Higher Certificate in Bioscience (AL016) to 130.
Demand remains strong for AIT’s four nursing degrees, with general nursing (AL110) falling 5 points to 395, and psychiatric nursing (AL112) increasing 5 points to 380. Mature applicants to both of these programmes (AL111 and AL113) also saw the points rising for their particular entry routes.
