Summary note on
Memorandum of Agreement (MoA)
between
Institutes of Technology Ireland and Colleges Ontario
in the field of
Criminal Justice Studies
The agreement generally allows graduates of two-year college programs in Ontario to
secure an honours degree with one further year (3 semesters + Irish Culture/Bridging
Studies Programme) of study in Ireland. Graduates of three-year programs will
generally be able to secure an honours degree with one further year of study.
The attached Memorandum of Agreement contains the following information:

General Terms of Agreement

Appendix A –lists the participating Institutes of Technology in Ireland and
provides contact details

Appendix B – contains details of the recommended Institute programs, point of
entry and bridging study requirements (where required)
Memorandum of Agreement (MoA)
in relation to
Programme Articulation Arrangements
between
Institutes of Technology Ireland and Colleges Ontario
in the field of
Criminal Justice Studies
General Terms of Agreement
Colleges Ontario and Institutes of Technology Ireland (IoTI) have signed a Memorandum
of Understanding (MoU) committing to ongoing collaboration on several important
fronts. Under the umbrella of this MoU, specific student pathways have been identified
that enhance the professional and international learning opportunities for the graduates
of Ontario colleges that are affiliated with Colleges Ontario and of Institutes of
Technology that are affiliated with IoTI. In each program area for which there is mutual
interest in student pathway development, a team of Ontario and Irish discipline experts
have undertaken an alignment and gap analysis based on a comparison of Irish National
and Ontario Qualifications Frameworks. Further analysis of a representative sample of
program curricula identified that specific curricula vary in focus, the balance of theory
and application, and course content. Based on these analyses, the discipline expert
teams recommend to the receiving Institutes of Technology
a) Block Baccalaureate credit for related Ontario Diploma study,
b) Relevant qualifications and bridging requirements and
c)Point-of-entry to honours baccalaureate programmes.
This MoA offers these recommendations with the understanding that the Institutes and
Colleges are the sole arbiters in relation to their academic commitments and that
individual institutions will make all final decisions in relation to their participation or
otherwise under the terms of this agreement.
All of the Ontario Colleges that are members of Colleges Ontario and that offer the
program(s) designated in this MoA are parties to this MoA. It is hereby agreed between
the Ontario Colleges, who are parties to this MoA, and the Institutes of Technology
(IoT), Ireland, listed in Appendix A below, that graduates of Ontario Colleges Diploma
and Advanced Diploma programs that meet the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges
and Universities' (MTCU) Learning Outcomes Program Standards for the field of Social
Care/Social Services are eligible for consideration for admission to the IoT programmes
listed in Appendix B below.
Alignment Studies
Graduates from the Ontario Colleges, who qualify for consideration for admission as
specified above, will need to complete studies as detailed in Appendix B, or equivalent,
in Canada, Ireland or elsewhere, to qualify for entry to the listed Institute of Technology,
Ireland programmes.
Grade Requirements
To be eligible for consideration for entry to matching IoT, Ireland programmes, Ontario
Colleges’ students will need to have achieved or bettered the following grade averages:


Diploma – 60%
Advanced Diploma – 60%
These entry grade requirements will be subject to periodic review.
Appendix A – IoTs Party to this MoA
IoT
Waterford Institute of
Technology
Web site
www.wit.ie
Contact Details
Dr. Michael Howlett
Head of Department of
Applied Arts
mhowlett@wit.ie
Appendix B – Required Alignment Studies
Institute of
Technology
IoT Programme
CO Programme
Recommended
CO Programme
NFQ Level
Recommende
d CO Number
of NFQ Credits
Recommended
IoT Programme
Point of Entry
Alignment
Study
Requirements
Exemption
Recommendations
Recommended Note to
Students
Waterford
Institute of
Technology
BA Honours in
Criminal Justice
Studies
PFND
6
120
Year 2/3
WIT has a 3
year, level 8,
degree in
Criminal
Justice Studies.
To be considered
on an individual
college basis to
facilitate alignment
studies.
Incoming Diploma
graduates will complete 3
semesters in Ireland to
complete the honours
Bachelor degree.
Semesters in WIT operate
from September to
December and from
January to May.
Incoming students will be
required to undertake an
Irish Cultural/Bridging
Studies Summer
Programme before
beginning their 2nd
Semesters of studies in
September.
They will also have to
complete a Comparative
Independent Study Article
during the vacation period
immediately following
completion of their 3rd
Semester. This can be
completed in Canada but
must be submitted to WIT
Institute of
Technology
IoT Programme
CO Programme
Recommended
CO Programme
NFQ Level
Recommende
d CO Number
of NFQ Credits
Recommended
IoT Programme
Point of Entry
Alignment
Study
Requirements
Exemption
Recommendations
Recommended Note to
Students
before the beginning of
September. Students must
complete and pass all
elements of the programme
before graduation.
Notes
1. The Irish Culture/Bridging Studies Summer Programme is mandatory and must be completed before students can progress
onto the scheduled semesters. Study Requirements refer to modules that CO graduates must complete to ensure that they
meet the entry requirements of WIT programmes that are cognate with the Diplomas and Advanced Diplomas that they have
completed. Alignment study requirements may vary somewhat from Institute to Institute and may be updated in line with
programme changes. Students should contact the Institute of interest in advance to ensure that full details of alignment
studies are reviewed before they make final decisions re: submitting applications for admission.
2. The Exemption Recommendations column refers to cases where CO graduates have completed learning for which they can
be granted exemptions in the IoTI system.
3. It is important that both alignment and exemption details be specified where relevant as, with a combination of alignment
and exemption modules, CO graduates may be in a position to avail of "customised semesters” 5 and 6 in the IoT system
during which they can complete the extra modules required for alignment purposes while completing fewer modules in
subject areas in which they are already well qualified.