QQI Students

NCI welcomes applications from students who are presenting QQI (formerly FET/FETAC) Level 5 and Level 6 awards. 

For information on how to apply and minimum entry requirements, please select from the below options:

CAO Applicants

Students under the age of 23 with QQI awards must apply through CAO. Information on CAO and how to submit an application, is available from the CAO website.

CAO Minimum Entry Requirements

CAO Code

Course Title

Level

Minimum Entry Requirements 

Offers Issued

NC003

BSc. (Honours) in Computing

8

  • Full level 5/6 award
  • Three distinctions
  • CAO points requirement

Round 1

NC005

BA (Honours) in HRM

8

  • Full level 5/6 award
  • Three distinctions
  • CAO points requirement

Round 1

NC009

BA (Honours) in Business

8

  • Full level 5/6 award
  • Three distinctions
  • CAO points requirement

Round 1

NC010

BA (Honours) in Psychology

8

  • Full level 5/6 award
  • Three distinctions

Round 0

NC020

BA (Honours) in Marketing Practice

8

  • Full level 5/6 award
  • Three distinctions
  • CAO points requirement

Round 1

NC022

BA (Honours) in Accounting and Finance

8

  • Full level 5/6 award
  • Three distinctions
  • CAO points requirement

Round 1

NC023

BSc. (Honours) in Technology Management

8

  • Full level 5/6 award
  • Three distinctions
  • CAO points requirement

Round 1

NC025

BSc. (Honours) in Data Science

8

  • Full level 5/6 award
  • CAO points requirement
  • Three distinctions

Round 1

NC030

BA (Honours) in Early Childhood Education and Care

8

  • Full level 5/6 award
  • Three distinctions
  • CAO points requirement
  • Garda Vetting approval

Round 1

NC102

Higher Certificate in Computing

6

  • Full level 5/6 award
  • CAO points requirement

Round 1

NC103

Higher Certificate in Business 

6

  • Full level 5/6 award
  • CAO points requirement

Round 1

NC104

Higher Certificate in Business Computing

6

  • Full level 5/6 award
  • CAO points requirement

Round 1

NC105

Higher Certificate in Data Science

6

  • Full level 5/6 award
  • CAO points requirement

Round 1

For entry to all courses, applicants must hold a full award at QQI level 5 or 6. A Component Certificate is not sufficient.

Applicants presenting full QQI Level 5/6 awards will not be required to meet minimum entry requirements based on Leaving Certificate results. The QQI award is accepted in its own right.

Due to high demand for places on NC010 BA (Honours) Psychology, a limited number of places are reserved for QQI applicants. The number of reserved places will be dependent on supply. Places will be offered in order of merit ranking based upon QQI results. Please note that should a number of applicants receive the same score, random selection will apply. CAO offers for reserved places will be issued in Round 0.

For all other programmes, QQI scores are included in the order of merit list of all applicants presenting school leaving examinations. Applicants must meet the minimum CAO points (alongside all other entry requirements) to receive a CAO offer. Initial offers for all programmes (with the exception of NC010), will be issued in Round 1.

Please click here for information on the scoring system employed for QQI awards. The Careers Portal website features an easy to use calculator which can be used to calculate your CAO score.

Mature Applicants

Mature applicants (those 23 years of age on or before the 1st of January) can apply directly to the college. Applications will be accepted up until 31st July. For further information contact admissions@ncirl.ie.

Mature applicants should not apply through CAO.

Advanced Entry

To learn more about the Advanced Entry route available to Further Education College students, please see Advanced Entry.

Advanced entry applicants to the BSc (Hons) in Data Science must have a minimum of grade Pass in a QQI level 5/6 Maths module (6N3395 or 5N0556 or 5N18396), or a minimum of grade O4/H7 in Leaving Certificate Maths.