More than 5,000 people have applied to study at NUIG this academic year as the largest university in the west of Ireland continues to expand.
NUIG saw a 5 percent year on year increase in student applications this year, and is currently the destination of choice for 64 percent of young people in Connacht heading to higher education.
It was recently announced that NUIG has climbed a hundred places in global rankings, with the latest Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2019/2020 places NUIG into the 250 -300 range, compared to 301-350 last year.
This weekend the university is holding a two day Open Day event for prospective undergraduate students with more than 80 stands, including four new courses.
More than 6,000 secondary school students, teachers, and parents are expected to attend the Open Days this Friday and Saturday, October 4 – 5.
The event will include talks about courses and schools within NUIG, as well as information sessions, interactive zones, and tours from current students who will be on hand to offer any questions.
The Bailey Allen Hall will host the main exhibition space where lecturers and students will be on hand to talk to prospective students and parents about all the courses on offer.
The four new undergraduate degree courses starting in 2020 will also be on display: Law and Taxation; Law, Criminology and Criminal Justice; BSc Genetics and Genomics, and BSc Geography and Geosystems.
Sarah Geraghty, Student Recruitment and Outreach Manager has the following advice for parents “Starting university is a major milestone in any young person’s life, bringing with it many new challenges and exciting opportunities.”
“The road to get there is one which requires careful planning and consideration, and parents won’t want to miss the Parents’ Talk at Open Day where there will be representatives from all the key student services and supports.”
“Parents and students are advised to be well prepared with questions, and the goal should be to come away knowing if the University will be a good fit for the students’ requirements and ambitions.”
A programme of talks, workshops and masterclasses will run throughout the day including:
- Sport at NUI Galway
- Mature Students information session
- Drama Workshop
- Careers Information- Building your Employability
- Applying for a SUSI grant
- Access routes into Education, including HEAR/DARE and FETAC
- Engineering and IT interactive zone
The Open Day will run from 9am to 3pm on each of the two days and the full programme and a timetable of talks can be found here.
