Entry requirements
University requirements
Undergraduate and mature students can satisfy matriculation registration requirements for NUI Galway by achieving certain grades in the following examinations.Leaving certificate (for EU and non-EU)
You need a pass in at least six subjects in accordance with College requirements with:
- at least Grade C3 in two subjects on the Higher course and
- at least Grade D3 (Ordinary or Higher course) in the remaining four subjects.
You should pick your subjects based on the requirements for entry to your desired course.
All subjects of the Leaving Certificate are accepted for matriculation registration purposes, with the exception of Gaeilge Bonnleibhéal (Irish Foundation Level), Mathematics (Ordinary Alternative/Foundation Level and; Home Economics (General), which is recognised only for St. Angela's College, Sligo.
GCE and GSCE
You need a pass in at least six subjects in accordance with College requirements with at least:
- GCE Advanced Level: Grade C in two recognised subjects and
- GCSE Level: Grade C in four recognised subjects.
You should pick your subjects based on the requirements for entry to your desired course.
For details of the current list of GCE and GCSE subjects accepted for matriculation purposes, you should go online to the NUI Web site.
Other external examinations
If you want to apply for matriculation registration at NUI Galway using the results of examinations other than the Leaving Certificate, GSE, GCSE and the Matriculation examination, you should contact the E Admissions Office or www.nuigalway.ie/admissionsThe subjects you pass and the standard you attain in these examinations must be in accordance with the College requirements. It must be sufficient to entitle you to be considered for exemption from matriculation registration as a whole.
Fetac qualifications
If you have an appropriate FETAC (Level 5/6) qualification and you have achieved distinctions in a minimum of five modules, you will be considered for entry to certain NUI Galway programmes. Find out more on page 161 of the undergraduate prospectus. .Irish language requirement
Irish is a requirement for matriculation in NUI Galway. However, the following applicants can be exempt from this requirement:- Candidates born outside the Republic of Ireland (26 counties);
- Candidates,
- whose primary education up to the age of eleven years was outside the Republic of Ireland (26 counties); or
- who lived outside the Republic of Ireland (26 counties) during at least three years immediately before becoming eligible for matriculation; or
- whose post-primary education in the three years immediately before becoming eligible for matriculation took place outside of the Republic of Ireland (26 counties).
Contact us
If you have any questions, contact the NUI Office
T 353 (01) 439 2424E registrar@nui.ie
www.nui.ie
Selection scheme
Our selection scheme gives places to applicants who have met the necessary matriculation requirements.How NUI Galway allocates places
NUI Galway's selection scheme ranks applicants in order, according to how they performed at their school-leaving examinations.
A place can only be allocated to you if you satisfy the minimum matriculation and College requirements.
Each applicant's score is calculated by allocating points for grades achieved in one sitting of the Leaving Certificate examination. Only the best six subjects are taken into account:
| Grade | Higher Paper | Ordinary Paper |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | 100 | 60 |
| A2 | 90 | 50 |
| B1 | 85 | 45 |
| B2 | 80 | 40 |
| B3 | 75 | 35 |
| C1 | 70 | 30 |
| C2 | 65 | 25 |
| C3 | 60 | 20 |
| D1 | 55 | 15 |
| D2 | 50 | 10 |
| D3 | 45 | 5 |
Points awarded for LCVP link modules
NUI Galway accepts link modules of the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme for points purposes for entry to University. Your link module can be counted as one of your six subjects for the purposes of calculating points. However, the link module will not qualify as a subject for Matriculation purposes.
| Points are awarded as follows | |
|---|---|
| Distinction | 70 |
| Merit | 50 |
| Pass | 30 |
Allocation of places for Medicine
NUI Galway allocates places for Medicine based on a combination of the Leaving Cert examination results and the HPAT Ireland score. For more information on the weighting of the combined scores of these examinations please download 2010 Admissions Guide to Undergraduate Medicine.
Entry deferral
If you have been offered a first year place in the University, you may apply to the Admissions Office to defer entry to your course for one year.
You should make your application in writing and include a full statement detailing why you are seeking the deferral.
Make sure your application reaches the Admissions Office at least two days before the reply date for acceptance of the offer.
The deferral, if granted, is subject to specific conditions and the number of deferrals awarded will be limited.
Contact us
If you have any questions, contact the Admissions Office
E admissions@nuigalway.ie
T 353 (0)91 495999
www.nuigalway.ie/admissions
Matriculation information
All students who want to register for full-time undergraduate degree courses in NUI Galway must meet our matriculation registration requirements.
To become a student member of NUI Galway, you must:
- Fulfil the minimum academic requirements for admission to the National University of Ireland. This process is called matriculation.
- Provide evidence that you are (or will be, within three months from October 15th), 17 years old. If you are younger, you must make a special application for entry to the President of the University.
Allocation of places
There is a high level of demand for places in NUI Galway and fulfilling the matriculation requirements is not usually enough to guarantee admittance to the course of your choice.
For that reason, we operate a selection scheme, under which applicants are ranked according to how they perform at school-leaving examinations.
Contact Us:
If you have any questions, contact the Admissions Office
E admissions@nuigalway.ie
T 353 (0)91 495999
www.nuigalway.ie/admissions
Matriculation information for mature students
To be considered for admission to NUI Galway as a mature student, you must:
- Be 23 years of age, on or before January 1st of the year of entry to the University.
Quotas
A quota of places is reserved for mature students each year in the Colleges of Arts and Commerce, with a number of places also available in the Colleges of Science, Law, Nursing and Health Sciences and Engineering.
Allocation of places
When NUI Galway allocates places for mature students, we will review various aspects of your background. A matriculation-standard Leaving Certificate, while helpful to your application, is not necessary in all cases.
However, demand exceeds the number of places available, we operate a careful selection process and look to prospective students to demonstrate an ability to undertake, and to commit to, their course of study. Emphasis is placed on:
Academic Ability
Your history of academic achievements such as Leaving Certificate and other post-Leaving Certificate results will be considered; therefore please include statements of exam results with your CAO application.
Work history or life experience
A detailed account of relevant life and work experience is beneficial to your application.
Personal Statement
This should explain why you are motivated to pursue a degree in your chosen area of interest. How do you see your degree being an asset to your future plans? Elaborate on any personal interests or related activities which have evolved from an interest in either the language or the subject matter.
College of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies Mature Applicants
Please note that if you are applying for any of the Programmes in the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies, you also are also required to register for the MSAP exam before 1st of February. Allocation of places into certain Arts Degrees is solely dependant on the results of this exam. Please refer to http://www.nuigalway.ie/mature/prospective/arts.html for detailed information on the exam.
When NUI Galway allocates places for mature students, we will review various aspects of your background. A matriculation-standard Leaving Certificate, while helpful to your application, is not necessary in all cases.
However, demand exceeds the number of places available, we operate a careful selection process and look to prospective students to demonstrate an ability to undertake, and to commit to, their course of study.
If you have any queries contact:
Mature Students Office
T 353 91 492695
E mature@nuigalway.ie
www.nuigalway.ie/mature