Listing Awarding Bodies
Postgrad.ie lists all of the awarding bodies in Ireland, the UK and abroad. Most major postgraduate awards are made by bodies with statutory powers, but there are also many professional organisations that make their own awards in relation to postgraduate study. While courses and educational programmes in Ireland lead to qualifications from Irish awarding bodies, it sometimes be the case that courses lead to non-Irish awards, for example awards from international bodies, or national awards from other countries.
Certain Irish institutions are both providers of courses and programmes and also awarding bodies for postgraduate certification in their own right: these are the Irish universities and the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT).
An award is an academic qualification (degree, diploma or certificate) conferred in recognition of the successful completion of a higher education programme of study, either at undergraduate or postgraduate level, and issued by a designated awarding body. The National Framework of Qualifications sets out the criteria for major and non-major awards. Non-major awards include, minor awards, special purpose awards
and supplemental awards.
Major awards are the principal class of awards made at a given NFQ level and reflect a significant volume of learning, e.g. Honours Bachelor Degree (NFQ, Level 8), Master Degree (NFQ, Level 9), Doctorate Degree (NFQ Level 10).
In Ireland, following the changes in the qualifications system as a result recent legislation, the number of statutory bodies has been reduced as the new awards councils FETAC and HETAC have assumed the the awarding functions previously fulfilled by several other Irish organisations such as the National Council for Educational Awards (NCEA), National Council for Vocational Awards (NCVA), Solas, Teagasc, the National Tourism Certification Board (CERT) and Bord Iascaigh Mhara.
Postgrad.ie lists all of the awarding bodies giving postgraduate certification in Ireland and the UK below.
University College Dublin (UCD) was founded in 1854 under the leadership of renowned educationalist John Henry Cardinal Newman.
University College Dublin is Ireland’s largest university. It offers undergraduate, postgraduate and doctorate degrees. The university is also conducts research, innovation, and community engagement. The main Dublin campus is an extensive parkland estate of more than 130 hectares. It includes world-leading facilities such as the O'Brien Centre for Science, the Sutherland School of Law, and the Lochlan Quinn School of Business.
Research at UCD
University College Dublin is also one of Europe's leading research-intensive universities. Research and innovation at UCD encompasses individual scholars, small, medium and large research groups, start-up companies and large-scale collaborations with industry and other partners. In addition, UCD offers the biggest start-up incubator centre and support in Ireland.
Centre of Excellence
Nine UCD subjects are ranked in the top 100 in the world out of 30 subjects (QS World University Ranking by Subject 2015). In addition, the university is first in Ireland in 12 subjects.
University College Dublin has over 8,000 graduate students, almost a quarter of whom are graduate research students; 1,580 PhD students benefit from a structured PhD programme, as well as the research-led education culture at UCD.
Awarding Body
University College Dublin is a recognised awarding body. This means the university has the authority to make awards in accordance with the National Framework of Qualifications. The university is subject to periodic reviews of effectiveness of quality assurance procedures by Quality and Qualifications Ireland. National and international organisations, educational institutions and employers recognise their degrees.
Many of the world's leading professional organisations recognise UCD degrees. This includes organisations in the following disciplines:
- Veterinary Medicine
- Medicine
- Architecture
- Regional and Urban Planning
- Engineering
- Diagnostic Imaging
The Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business is one of less than 60 schools worldwide to hold triple accreditation from the US, Europe and the UK accrediting bodies.
