Applying for a Course
Applying for a Course — Introduction
The way most people apply for a place in college in Ireland is through the Central Applications Office (CAO) (www.cao.ie). The CAO is not just for school-leavers; it is also used by students coming from further education, by older students and by people from other countries besides Ireland. See Applying through the CAO for more information.
Besides the CAO there are other application routes that may be of interest to you.
For instance, if you are a mature student some colleges operate a separate mature students’ entry route. In this case, the admissions office of the college handles the process. You will find out whether to use the CAO or to apply directly to the college by looking up the website of the college(s) you are interested in.
Also, if you are re-applying to college or are applying to enter the second or third year of a course, you may need to apply directly to the college. You can find out more on the college website.
The Citizens Information website provides additional information on applying for a place in college.
If you are from a non-EU country, some colleges require you to apply directly to them rather than through the CAO. You can find out more on the college website(s). In addition, further useful information for international students can be found on www.educationireland.ie.