Selling an Idea or a Product

1

• Evaluation of
• International Qualifications
• Lynn Bannon
• Michelle Nelson
• Marita Foster

2
University College Cork
Admitted first students in 1849 Now admit
approximately 6,000 full-time students per
year In the region of 3,600 EU undergraduate
students 2,200 EU Postgraduate students 350
Non-EU Full Degree International students

3
University College Cork

EU Undergraduate Students Applications Lynn
Bannon Admissions Office
4
EU Undergraduate Degree Students

• Who applies as an EU Undergraduate Student?
• School Leavers
• Mature applicants
• Students with FETAC qualifications
• (apply through the Central Applications Office
  (CAO))

5
EU Undergraduate Degree Students

• Applications are received from every EU country
• in both the School Leaver and Mature category
• Approximately 550 per year

6
Criteria for selection, decisions and offers

• School Leavers minimum subjects and conversion
  of school leaving examination results to Leaving
  Certificate equivalent points (not all exams
  recognised (Cyprus) and some only to 500 points)
• IB and EU Bacc also recognised
• Mature students preparation and experience
• No specific quota for non Irish EU

7
Criteria for selection, decisions and offers

• How are results converted?
• UK NARIC
• NUI Guideline EU Entry Requirements

8
Criteria for selection, decisions and offers

• Difficulties
• Graduate Medicine 2H1 equivalent?
• What is Honours and what is pass level?
• Difference between French Bacc and French Bacc
  with Option International?
• Keeping up-to-date with country changes

9
University College Cork
EU Postgraduate Students Michelle
Nelson Graduate Studies Office

10
EU Postgraduate Degree Students

• Who applies as an EU Postgraduate Student?
• Students interested in taught programmes
• Students interested in research programmes
  MPhil, MSc, PhD
• These students are UCC graduates, graduates from
  other Irish universities and from universities
  outside Ireland
• Students apply on-line to www.pac.ie and submit
  copies of transcripts with certified translations

11
Criteria for selection, decisions and offers

• Minimum Entry Requirements by level of award and
  by programme
• Programme Co-ordinator reviews applications,
  offers applicants according to quotas and ranks
  eligible applicants on waitlist
• The role of the Graduate Studies Office is to
  provide advice to co-ordinators to ensure all
  applicants are treated fairly
• All offers subject to verification of
  documentation and English language

12
Non-Irish Qualifications

• 5,345 postgraduate applications for 2008/09
• 669 of these applications had Non-Irish
  qualifications
• Top 6 countries were Poland, Italy, Germany,
  Spain, The Netherlands and Nigeria

13
Assessing Non-Irish Qualifications

• Advice provided from Graduate Studies to each
  programme co-ordinator in the following areas
• International Comparison in relation to the type
  of award (eg Licenciado in Spain is comparable to
  an Honours Bachelor Degree)
• Confirmation that the Institution attended is on
  the UK NARIC recognised list (eg Universidad de
  Murcia)
• The Grading System used in the country (eg the 10
  point system used in Spain and how this is
  comparable to the Irish system)

14
Challenges in Assessing Non-Irish Qualifications

• Grade descriptors (example of Italy 66 110 with
  average mark at 104)
• Students from countries we dont have experience
  of
• Assessing Transcripts where the final grade is
  not clearly stated
• UK NARIC vs NQAI database (eg Bachelors Degree in
  Nigeria is comparable to an ordinary degree on UK
  NARIC vs Honours degree on NQAI database)

15
University College Cork

• Non-EU Students
• Marita Foster
• International Education Office

16
Non- EU Degree Students

• Who applies as an Non-EU Undergraduate Student
• - Students living outside the EU
• - Students living within the EU but who do
  not qualify for EU status
• Who applies as an Non-EU Postgraduate Student
• - Students living outside the EU
• - Students living within the EU but who do
  not qualify for EU status
• How do they apply
• - First Year non-EU admissions at the
  undergraduate level students apply directly to
  the International Education Office at
  postgraduate level the same system applies.
  Moving to PAC for 2009-2010 for Non-EU taught
  Masters programmes

17
Non- EU Degree Students

• Approximately 1000 non-EU undergraduate and
  postgraduate applications are received each year
• Main countries Canada, China, India, Malaysia,
  Nigeria, United States

18
Criteria for selection, decisions and offers

• Non-EU Undergraduate Secondary school
  qualification which is considered equivalent to
  the Irish Leaving Certificate Decision taken by
  International Education Office in consultation
  with faculties/colleges to agreed quotas
• Non-EU Postgraduate Undergraduate degree and
  grades which meet the entry requirements
  Decisions taken by programme coordinators in
  consultation with International Education Office
  to agreed quotas
• Decisions in relation to PhDs at department and
  faculty level and noted by Graduate Studies
  Committee

19
Non- EU Degree Students

• How are qualifications evaluated?
• UK NARIC
• NOOSR
• Consultation with other Irish universities

20
Non- EU Degree Students

• Difficulties
• Fraudulent documentation i.e. transcripts, degree
  parchments, English language certificates
• Incomplete applications
• - What constitutes an honours degree in non-EU
  countries
• Academic standing of universities
• - Keeping up-to-date with changes in education
  systems

21
University College Cork

• Questions?