The lifting of restrictions is good news: we no longer need an emergency response to COVID-19. However, the global pandemic is not yet over. The College advises staff and students to continue to observe best practice in protecting themselves from COVID-19, and in limiting the possibility of spreading infection:

• Do not attend on campus if you have any symptoms, follow HSE advice.
• Also follow HSE advice if you are a close contact of a confirmed case.
• Make good use of Antigen tests (note again, if you are symptomatic, you should not attend on-campus)
• The best defence against COVID-19 is vaccination. NCI students may receive a free vaccination or booster from Hanover Medical.
• Wash your hands properly and regularly
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve when you cough and sneeze
• Wear a face covering on public transport and in crowded or poorly-ventilated spaces
• Wear a face mask on the NCI campus

Note: HSE advice is that wearing face masks in crowded areas or public indoor spaces helps protect against the spread of COVID-19. We continue to request that all students and staff wear face masks in the classrooms and public areas of the College.

Additional handwashing and sanitisation points will be maintained. The College will continue to monitor CO2 levels in classrooms and lecture theatres. We encourage you to continue to wear face masks indoors, even though they are no longer mandatory. Fusion Café will return to normal operation.

You can access your timetable through the Timetable website or the MyTimetable app – you can learn more about accessing timetables here – It is always a good idea (even when we are not dealing with the ever-changing rules of a global pandemic) to regularly check your timetable, as it will always be issued ‘subject to change’.

Currently, NCI prioritises in-person classroom time for full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students. As restrictions lift, we will begin by increasing on-campus class time for these students. Any changes will be communicated to you directly - but keep checking your timetable! Your timetable indicates which of your classes are on campus and which are online. There may be immediate changes, for example, the move away from over-flow classrooms means that your classroom allocation for existing on-campus classes may already have been updated.

For Semester 3, there will generally be no increase in the number of classes on-campus for part-time programmes: classes timetabled as online will remain online.

Non-learning events on-campus, for example NCISU events, will also increase in number now that restrictions have lifted.

The Norma Smurfit Library will no longer implement social distancing on campus, and you no longer need to book an individual study desk in advance.

Group Study spaces are available and may be booked here. Initially limited spaces are available, as the library rebuilds to pre-pandemic supply.

Both the library website and this web page will continue to update as more spaces become available.

Online library facilities continue to remain available.

In line with QQI (Quality and Qualifications Ireland) guidance, alternative assessment and delivery arrangements remain in place until June 2023. You will be assessed on a mix of continuous assessment, traditional assignments, online examinations and/or in person examinations. Group projects will operate as normal, as these can easily be managed in an online mode of delivery. 

We are currently in contact with a variety of professional bodies to establish their response to the reduction in restrictions and will update you with regard to various accreditation exams as soon as possible. Professional accounting bodies require all exemption modules to be assessed via in person, invigilated examination. 

All students should prepare for a further increase in in-person exams in Semester 1. Exam dates can be found on the exams section of our site. All in-person exam dates will be communicated well in advance. 

As of June 2023, students may no longer repeat an assessment without academic or financial penalty. Repeat attempts will no longer be considered a first sitting and repeat module results will be capped at 40%. 

Students who wish to apply for a deferral may do so under the guidelines on the exams section of our site. Students will be required to provide supporting documentation (where applicable) for deferral applications. 

You can find more information about assessment and exams at NCI on the exams section of our site. We also encourage all students to keep up-to-date with information from their Programme Coordinator.

The first concern is for your health, and the College wishes you a speedy recovery.

The best source of advice regarding COVID-19 is the HSE website. Here you will find what to do if you have a positive PCR test, if you have a positive Antigen test, or if you have symptoms. If you are very short of breath, so that you cannot complete a sentence, contact Emergency Services on 112.

Please follow all medical advice given by the HSE and your medical professionals and observe any quarantine/self-isolation measures as instructed by them.

If you need to take time off your studies due to illness, please follow the normal procedure for letting your Programme Coordinator know that you are missing scheduled teaching sessions by logging a Notice of Absence via NCI360.

Our International Department and our overseas offices are ready to answer all your queries by email at international@ncirl.ie. You can also find out more on the International pages of this site.