Non-Traditional Student Statistics
As part of the Trinity Inclusive Curriculum (TIC) Project data was collated from across the three access initiatives in Trinity
College Dublin (TCD). These are:
-
The Disability Service
-
The Mature Students’ Office
-
Trinity Access Programmes
The results are shown in this document.
Aims
-
To clarify the numbers of students currently studying in TCD from non-traditional backgrounds so as to fit service to
demand.
-
To obtain a breakdown of non-traditional students studying across the faculties and schools of TCD.
-
To gain a picture of the annual figures for new entrants from non-traditional backgrounds entering TCD.
Points of Note:
1. These statistics represent the number of:
a. undergraduate students who entered TCD as mature students,
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b. students who are registered with TAP
c. students registered with the Disability Service,
While it can be assumed that these figures include all undergraduate mature students (under the ‘on age’ category),
they do not include all students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds or with disabilities. They are a minimum
estimate. It is unknown how many students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds enter TCD outside of TAP. It is
also unknown how many students choose not to disclose their disability.
2. There is cross over between the students within each cohort. There are students who belong to two or more of the
relevant categories, and this leads to duplication. For example, out of the students registered with the Disability
Service there are:
a. 133 students who entered as mature students, via either the mature students’ dispensation scheme or the
CAO.
b. 37 students who entered via the TAP Foundation course.
c. 14 students who entered via the TAP Mature students Foundation course (crossing over between all three
access initiatives).
Going into the future, it is hoped that GeneSIS could overcome the ambiguity that arises here.
3. The areas recorded within these statistics have historically worked separately with no shared database or methods for
collecting and categorising data, there are some discrepancies in terminology and modes of data collection.
a. There was ambiguity surrounding the use of certain terminology (for example, ‘progression rate’). An agreed
definition of important terms is given in this document and it is noted anywhere the statistics deviate from this
definition.
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4. Whilst TCD calculates completion rates based on cohort (e.g. following a cohort through the four/five years of a
degree programme), these statistics show figures on an annual basis unless otherwise stated. Due to database
limitations it was not always possible to calculate completion based on cohort.
5. Students enter TCD from the different cohorts thus:
a. The majority of TAP students enter TCD via the TAP alternative admission routes (TAP foundation courses,
HEAR, CDVEC courses). Some, however, enter TCD via the CAO and are referred to the TAP service (usually
via the Tutorial Service).
b. Students with Disabilities can enter TCD either via the disability access route or via the common points system.
One’s admission route does not affect one’s right to register with the service upon acceptance of a place in
TCD.
c. Whilst ‘registered’ mature students entered TCD via the mature students’ dispensation scheme, a ‘mature
student’ is one who is twenty three or older at the beginning of the calendar year in which they are admitted to
TCD. Many mature students enter TCD via the common points system. The Mature Students’ Office has limited
access to the data of students who enter via the common points system and so they are not included on all
tables.
6. Students from each cohort study at different levels.
a. The TAP figure covers level eight undergraduates, students registered on TAP pre-entry foundation courses,
(both in TCD and in the related CDVEC college courses).
b. The Disability Service figure covers all levels of study in TCD,
c. The mature student figure covers certificate/diploma courses and level eight undergraduates,
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Terms
Level Eight Programme – This is an honours undergraduate degree programme. It is of at least four years in TCD,
though it can be longer (e.g. medicine).
Mature Student: On age – A student who commenced an undergraduate programme in TCD via any admission route
and was twenty three on, or before, January 1st in their year of admission.
Mature Student – Dispensation Scheme – A student who entered an undergraduate programme in TCD via the Mature
Students’ Dispensation scheme.
Year on Year Increase – The annual numbers of new entrant students registering with the relevant service.
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Table One - Student Numbers
No. of register students
As % of total population
Cert/Dip#
Undergrads (level 8)
Postgrads (levels 9 and 10)
As % of postgraduate population
Mature on
age*
712
4.2%
123
589
Mature –
Dispensation
Scheme
447
2.7%
12
435
0
0
0
0
0
0
TCD total
Disability
TAP
16860
100%
11997
between this
and cert/dip
4863
100%
911
5.4%
37
772
102
2.1%
990
5.9%
86
904
* including 19 students on the Certificate in Contemporary Living and 23 students on the TAP programme, 22 European Painting and 5 Access
nursing Students. The Mature Students’ office only counts those who are studying on certificate/diploma or level 8 undergraduate programmes.
# Cert/Dip includes all courses in TCD below level 8 (e.g. Diploma in Deaf Studies, TAP foundation course, Certificate in Contemporary Living).
Total TCD data as per HEA return for March 2012, Disability as per DS Annual Stats Apr 12, TAP as advised by TAP 8/12/11, Mature as per MSO
20/12/12.
This table has five columns indicating how many students:
-
are currently in TCD and at which level they currently study,
-
are registered with the Disability Service, and their percentage of the total cohort,
-
are TAP students, and their percentage of the total cohort,
-
are undergraduate, mature students, and their percentage of the total cohort, and
-
entered via the Mature Students’ dispensation scheme, and their percentage of the total cohort. This column indicates
those students who qualify as ‘mature students’ based on age and entry route to TCD (via the Mature Students’
Dispensation Scheme).
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Table Two - Undergraduate Outcomes:
TCD total
Disability
Level 8 TAP
Completion Rate
96%
90%#
94%
Progression Rate
91%**
78%#
95.6%
Mature –
Dispensation
Scheme
92%
89%
Completion Rate – All level eight final year students who successfully passed their final year assessments in 10/11.
Progression Rate – All level eight students, excluding final year students, who successfully passed their assessments and progressed onto the
next year in 10/11. Except for: ** Refers to JF who completed the year successfully and qualified for the SF year.
Total TCD data as per Senior Lecturer report 10/11, Disability as calculated using information on DIS, November 11, TAP as reported from TAP
8/12/11, Mature as per Mature Students’ Office 20/12/11.
This table shows progress rates for four distinct groups:
-
the total TCD undergraduate community,
-
those registered with the Disability Service,
-
those registered with TAP, on a level eight programme,
-
those who entered a level eight programme via the Mature Students’ Dispensation scheme.
Points of note:
-
While TCD bases the above rates on cohort this was not possible for the access programmes. The Disability Service
database is under four years old and so cannot follow a single cohort over a four year period. Hence the Disability
Service follows the definitions given at the beginning of the document.
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-
# The Disability has a lower figure of completion and progression that can be attributable to the higher rate of students
that go off books (often for medical reasons) or do medical repeats. 9 of the 14 (64%) final year students who did not
complete in 1011 had deferred their exams by going off books, or had obtained a med cert.
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Table Three – Faculty Breakdown, all levels
Disability
TAP
Mature –
Dispensation
Scheme
Mature - All
Total
911
712
447
990
AHSS and TSM
Eng, Maths and
Sys Sci
Health Sciences
Other/Cross
Faculty
533
321
182
94
172
174
24
123
303
386
62
126
78
430
4
48
Disability as per DS Annual Stats Apr 12, TAP as advised 8/12/11, Mature students as per MSO 11/4/12.Mature students figure includes 5 Nursing
Access students, 22 European Painting, 23 Mature TAP Students and 19 Certificate in Contemporary Living students.
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Table Four A - School Breakdown:
Course
School: History and Humanities
Total all /
Undergrad
440/ 244
School: Business
School: Religion and Ecumenics
194/0
300 / 93
School: Ling, Speech and Comms
School: Drama, Film, Music
276 / 184
248 / 169
School: Lang, Literature and Cultural
(inc European Studies)
School: Education
348 / 252
1018 / 410
School: English
340 / 178
School: Law
559 / 374
School: Psychology
354 / 122
School: Social Science and
Philosophy
School: Social Work and Social Policy
431/ 203
School: Chemistry
School: Comp Science and Statistics
193/ 89
934 / 440
School: Genetics and Microbiology
117/ 47
321 /173
Disability
(overall (UG))
37– 8% (29UG
– 12%)
7- 4%
23 (8%)
(15UG – 16%)
(18UG – 10%)
19– 8%
(16UG – 9%)
13 – 4% (12UG
– 5%)
17– 2%
(7 UG - 2%)
23 - 7%
(17UG – 10%)
30 – 5% (28UG
– 7%)
20 – 6% (16UG
– 13%)
20 - 5%
(16UG – 8%)
28– 9% (21UG
– 12%)
(7UG – 8%)
34– 4% (22UG
– 5%)
6 – 5% (4UG
TAP (%
of UG)
15 (6%)
Mature Dispensation
Scheme (% of UG)
18 (7%)
0
4 (4%)
0
13 (14%)
9 (5%)
2 (1%)
18 (10%)
6 (4%)
29 (16%)
7 (4%)
17 (7%)
17 (7%)
18 (7%)
24 (6%)
0
23 (6%)
11 (6%)
12 (7%)
14 (8%)
31 (8%)
18 (5%)
All Mature (%
of UG)
41 (17%)
0
17(18%)
24 (6%)
13 (11%)
16 (13%)
16 (13%)
19 (9%)
12 (6%)
14 (7%)
23 (13%)
38 (22%)
48 (28%)
2 (2%)
10 (2%)
0
7 (2%)
0
42 (10%)
3 (6%)
2 (4%)
4 (9%)
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School: Physics
School: Maths
School: Engineering
106/0
133 / 105
1090 / 686
School: Natural Science
School: Pharmacy
School: Nursing and Midwifery
245/39
374 / 268
1371 / 1078
School: Medicine
1823 / 1264
School: Dentistry
342 / 273
TAP/Interdisciplinary Misc/ ErasmusYear Abroad
9%)
2– 2%
12UG (11%)
39 – 4%
(32UG – 5%)
7 - 3%
(16UG –6%)
76– 6% (70UG
– 6%)
64– 4% (60UG
– 5%)
11– 3%
(9 UG – 3%)
13
0
3 (3%)
12 (2%)
0
4 (4%)
12 (2%)
0
8 (8%)
17 (2%)
2 (5%)
19 (7%)
71 (7%)
3 (8%)
8 (3%)
0
3 (8%)
12 (4%)
268 (25%)
70 (6%)
45 (4%)
113 (9%)
9 (3%)
21 (8%)
34 (12%)
123
0
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UNDERG
Table Four B – Multi-School Programme Breakdown:
Course
Total
Disability
TAP (%)
History and Politics
Sociology and Social Policy
TSM
BESS
Computer Science, Linguistics and a
Language
B.Mus.Ed
Business and a language
108
105
1372
978
31
17 (16%)
13(12%)
127 (9%)
58 (6%)
0
7 (6%)
13 (12%)
76 (6%)
29 (3%)
1 (3%)
Mature Dispensation
Scheme (%)
7 (6%)
15 (14%)
77 (6%)
26 (3%)
0
46
159
0
8 (5%)
1 (2%)
3 (2%)
4 (9%)
2 (1%)
All Mature (%)
7 (6%)
18 (17%)
82 (6%)
29 (3%)
0
4 (9%)
2 (1%)
10
Law and Business
74
9(12%)
8 (11%)
1 (1%)
1 (1%)
Law and French
Law and German
Law and Politics
Business and IT
Physics and Chemistry of Advanced
Materials
Certificate in Contemporary Living
Geography and Politics
Human Health and Disease
Common Entry Science
Theoretical Physics
Chemistry and Molecular Modelling
53
60
62
72
18
1 (2%)
4 (7%)
3 (5%)
8 (11%)
0
3 (6%)
1 (2%)
7 (11%)
1 (1%)
2 (11%)
0
0
3 (5%)
0
2 (11%)
0
0
3 (5%)
0
2 (11%)
34
61
77
1235
123
12
34 (100%)
7 (11%)
5 (6%)
66 (5%)
8(7%)
1 (8%)
0
4 (7%)
5 (6%)
54 (4%)
4 (3%)
0
0
4 (7%)
4 (5%)
32 (3%)
0
0
19 (56%)
5 (8%)
4 (5%)
38 (3%)
0
0
Total results as per SIS, 19/12/11 – 25/4/12, Disability as per DS Annual Stats Apr 12, TAP as per TAP 8/12/11, Mature as per MSO 11/4/12.
Points of note:
-
Total school populations were calculated using the Undergraduate and Postgraduate flexible lists on SIS. Registered
students, off books - taking exams, and SU sabbatical officers from all levels were included for calculation purposes.
-
There are some interschool programmes. Sometimes they are lists separately on the above table and sometimes they
are included with the primary school. For example:
o
The School of Social Science and Philosophy figure on the above table includes Philosophy, Political Science,
Economics and Social Science.
o
BESS figure includes those who specialised in Business as sophisters.
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Table Five - Year on Year Increase
Year
Total TCD
Disability
TAP
Mature – Dispensation Scheme
Total – Non trad
03
15428
87
77
146
310
04
15264
82
95
177
354
05
15322
131
101
220
452
06
15492
101
110
216
427
07
15716
176
118
239
533
08
16301
195
137
198
530
09
16807
212
114
180
506
10
16747
246
157
206
609
11
16860
251
184
207
642
Total as per annual reports 03/04 – 10/11 plus March HEA return 2012. Disability as per DIS 11/4/12, TAP as per TAP 21/12/11, Mature as
per MSO 20/12/11.
Note that students can register with the Disability Service in any year. While 251 incoming first year students registered, a
further 86 continuing students also registered.
There are four columns here showing the annual figures for:
o the total TCD student population, including all years and levels,
o the new registrations to the Disability Service from incoming first years (both UG and PG),
o students entering TCD through TAP,
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o students entering TCD through the Mature Students’ Dispensation scheme.
Whilst this table displays the numbers of new entrants only for the non-traditional student categories, the total new
entrants to level eight courses throughout TCD was not available. Thus, the ‘Total TCD’ column indicates all students
registered in TCD in a given year while the other three columns look only at new entrants.
Figure 1 - Year on Year Increase of Non-Traditional Student Entrants
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Cross Over
133 students registered with the Disability Service are mature students. Therefore:
 13.74% of mature students are disabled
 16.6% of disabled students are mature students
There are 37 students currently registered as both TAP and Disability Service Students.
Therefore:
 5.2% of TAP students are disabled
 4.62% of disabled students entered via TAP
(There are currently 903 students registered with the Disability Service)
There are currently 14 level 8 students registered with TAP, the Mature Students' Office, and the Disability Service.
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