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:
Trinity Inclusive Curriculum
Room 3.06, 3-4 Foster Place,
Trinity College Dublin
Telephone +353 (01) 896 3666
Facsimile +353 (0) 1 896 3672
E-mail include@tcd.ie
a. undergraduate students who entered TCD as mature students,
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. It is also acknowledged that the figures shown within this document do not include the growing numbers of students
who, while registered as Irish/EU students, have spend some or all of their previous educational experience abroad.
As the children of those who emigrated to Ireland in the 1990s and 00s come to school leaving age this cohort will
grow. These students may face specific difficulties that arise from their experiences of learning through a non-native
language and within a different educational culture.
3. 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. 120 students who entered as mature students, via either the mature students’ dispensation scheme or the
CAO.
b. 40 students who entered via the TAP Foundation course.
c. 23 students who entered via the TAP Mature students Foundation course (crossing over between all three
access initiatives).
Going into the future, a shared database could overcome the ambiguity that arises here.
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4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. Students from each cohort study at different levels.
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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). There are also nine former TAP students resorded
as studying at post-graduate level. This number indicates the minimum number of former TAP students
registered on post-graduate courses in College and is based on the responses received from the TAP alumni
destinations survey of the 08/09 cohort of TAP graduates from level eight programmes.
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,
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#
As % of cert/dip population
Undergrads (level 8)
As % of undergraduate population
Postgrads (levels 9 and 10)
As % of postgraduate population
TCD total
Disability
TAP
16843
100%
272
100%
11202
100%
5369
100%
685
4.1%
46
16.9%
565
5%
74
1.4%
604
3.6%
138
50.8%
466
4.2%
9**
0.2%
Mature –
Dispensation
Scheme
557~
3.3%
8
2.9%
549
4.9%
0
0
Mature on
age*
1270*
7.5%
140
51.5%
1130
10.1%
0
0
* including 155 part-time students (77 at cert/dip level and 78 at level 8). 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).
** The TAP post-graduate number indicates the minimum number of former TAP students registered on post-graduate courses in Trinity College
and is based on the responses received from the TAP alumni destinations survey of the 08/09 cohort of TAP graduates from level eight
programmes.
~Includes 144 Nursing and Midwifery Students.
Total TCD data as per Student Records on 24/2/10, Disability as per Disability Database 28/4/10, TAP as advised by TAP 17/11/09 (PGs 13/5/10),
Mature as per MSO 26/1/10 (pt as advised on 15/3/10).
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
5
-
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).
Table Two - Undergraduate Outcomes:
TCD total
Disability
Level 8 TAP
Completion Rate
97%
95%
91%
Mature –
Dispensation
Scheme
96%
Progression Rate
91%**
82%
93%
84%
Completion Rate – All level eight final year students who successfully passed their final year assessments in 08/09.
Progression Rate – All level eight students, excluding final year students, who successfully passed their assessments and progressed onto the
next year in 08/09. Except for: ** Refers to JF who completed the year successfully and qualified for the SF year.
Total TCD data as per Senior Lecturer report 08/09, Disability as calculated using information on DIS, December 09, TAP as reported from TAP
Database 17/11/09, Mature as per Mature Students’ Office 26/01/10,
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:
6
-
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.
Table Three – Faculty Breakdown, all levels
Total
Disability
TAP
Mature –
Dispensation
Scheme
Mature - All
Total
17022 (100%)
685
604
557
1270
AHSS and TSM
Eng, Maths and
Sys Sci
Health Sciences
Other/Cross
Faculty
8278 (100%)
413 (5%)
276 (3.3%)
4173 (100%)
137 (3.3%)
69 (1.7%)
4101 (100%)
126 (3.1%)
127 (3.1%)
470 (100%)
9(1.9%)
132 (28.1%)
269 (3.2%)
550 (6.6%)
64 (1.5%)
175 (4.2%)
224 (5.5%)
533 (13%)
12 (2.6%)
Total as per SIS 12/04/10, Disability as per DIS 28/4/10, TAP as advised 17/11/09, Mature students as per MSO 26/1/10 (pt as per 16/3). Mature
students figure includes 155 part time students (23 AHSS, 90 FEMS, 30 HS, 12 cross faculty).
Points of note:
There are 5621undergraduates in AHSS or TSM.
There are 2651 undergraduates in FEMS.
There are 3024 undergraduates in HS.
There are 470 undergraduates in Other / Cross Faculty
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Table Four A - School Breakdown:
Course
School: History and Humanities
Total all /
Undergrad
413/ 219
School: Religion and Ecumenics
248 / 85
School: Business
School: Ling, Speech and Comms
432 / 248
260 / 172
School: Drama, Film, Music
218 / 140
School: Lang, Literature and Cultural
(inc European Studies)
School: Education
303 / 214
1773 / 821
School: English
285 / 150
School: Law
557 / 372
School: Psychology
394 / 122
School: Social Science and
Philosophy
School: Social Work and Social
Policy
School: Chemistry
311 / 112
School: Comp Science and Statistics
912 / 369
352 /200
206 / 95
Disability
20 – 5%
(15UG – 7%)
14 - 6%
(10UG – 12%)
6UG (3%)
17 – 7%
(12UG – 7%))
9 – 4%
(7UG – 5%)
11 – 4%
(10UG – 5%)
17 – 1%
(11 UG - 1%)
9- 3%
(7UG – 5%)
23 – 4%
(22UG – 6%)
26 – 7%
(17UG – 14%)
13 - 4%
(12UG – 11%)
15 – 4%
(13UG – 7%)
5 – 2%
(4UG – 4%)
26 – 3%
(14UG – 4%)
TAP (%
of UG)
10 (5%)
Mature Dispensation
Scheme (% of UG)
14 (6%)
3 (4%)
13 (15%)
All Mature (% of
UG)
39 - 9% (17 UG,
22 Dip)
24 (28%)
5 (2%)
3(2%)
5 (2%)
20(12%)
7 (3%)
36 (21%)
2 (1%)
10 (7%)
14 (10%)
14 (7%)
5 (2%)
8 (4%)
42 (5%)
0
49 (6%)
8 (5%)
10 (7%)
13 (9%)
25 (7%)
16 (4%)
26(7%)
20 (16%)
22 (18%)
27 (22%)
9 (8%)
10 (9%)
13 (12%)
23 (12%)
36 (18%)
68 (34%)
1 (1%)
0
0
4 (1%)
0
92 (44UG, 48 dip)
– 25%
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School: Genetics and Microbiology
School: Physics
117 / 51
227 / 118
School: Maths
School: Engineering
122 / 99
1181 / 709
School: Natural Science
1345 - 1173
Physics and Chemistry of Advanced
Materials
School: Pharmacy
41
438 / 274
School: Nursing and Midwifery
1387 / 1082
School: Medicine
1742 / 1203
School: Dentistry
329 / 260
TAP/Interdisciplinary Misc/ ErasmusYear Abroad
470
3UG (6%)
10 – 4%
(7UG – 6%)
6UG (6%)
23 – 2%
(12UG – 2%)
55 – 4%
(49UG – 4%)
1 (2%)
1 (2%)
2 (2%)
0
2 (2%)
1 (2%)
2 (2%)
4 (4%)
9 (1%)
4 (4%)
5 (1%)
7(7%)
9 (1%)
46 (4%)
24 (2%)
40 (3%)
1 (2%)
0
0
10 – 2%
(8UG – 3%)
52 – 4%
(48UG – 4%)
13 (5%)
18 (7%)
23 (8%)
47 (4%)
145 (13%)
55 – 3%
(51UG – 4%)
6 – 2%
(5 UG – 2%)
4 (1%)
58 (5%)
53 (4%)
343 (337 UG, 6
Access prog) –
32%
135 (11%)
9 (3%)
14 (5%)
27 (10%)
132
(28%)
9 (2%)
97 (21%)
Table Four B – Multi-School Programme Breakdown:
Course
Total
Disability
TAP (%)
History and Politics
Sociology and Social Policy
TSM
107
89
1311
6 (6%)
29(33%)
97 (7%)
4 (4%)
9 (10%)
65 (5%)
Mature Dispensation
Scheme (%)
6 (6%)
11 (12%)
74 (6%)
All Mature (%)
6 (6%)
15 (17%)
96 (7%)
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BESS
B.Mus.Ed
Law and Business
Law and French
Law and German
Law and Politics
Business and IT
Computer Science, Linguistics and a
Language
Certificate in Contemporary Living
Geography and Politics
844
41
27
39
55
26
46
20
45 (5%)
0
5 (19%)
1 (3%)
0
0
4 (9%)
0
24 (3%)
2 (5%)
2 (7%)
2 (5%)
1 (2%)
2 (8%)
0
0
14 (2%)
2 (5%)
2 (7%)
0
0
0
0
13 (65%)
18 (2%)
2 (5%)
2 (2%)
0
0
0
12 (26%)
13 (65%)
37
20
37 (100%)
1 (5%)
0
2 (10%)
0
0
6 (16%)
0
Total results as per SIS, 11/12/09 – 14/4/10, Disability as per DIS 18/12 - , TAP as per TAP 17/11/09, Mature as per MSO 26/1/10. Mature
students include 155 PT (22 History and Humanities, 1 Misc, 90 Computer Science and Stats, 30 Nursing and Midwifery, 12 Business and IT)
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 Business figure on the above table includes business and a language.
o
The School of Chemistry figure on the above table includes Chemistry with Molecular Modeling.
o
The School of Physics figure on the above table includes Theoretical Physics.
o
The School of Natural Science figure on the above table includes all TR071 regardless of Sophister
Specialism.
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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
16843
212
114
180
506
Total as per annual reports 03/04 - 08/09 plus SIS for 09 numbers 13/4/10 Disability as per DIS 28/4/10, TAP as per TAP 17/11/09, Mature as
per MSO 26/1/10.
Note that students can register with the Disability Service in any year. While 212 incoming first year students registered, a
further 84 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,
o students entering TCD through the Mature Students’ Dispensation scheme.
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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.
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Cross Over
There are 40 students currently registered as both TAP and Disability Service Students.
Therefore:
 6.62% of TAP students are disabled
 6.22% of disabled students entered via TAP
(There are currently 643 students registered with the Disability Service(Jan 4th 2009)
There are currently 23 level 8 students registered with TAP, the Mature Students' Office, and the Disability Service.
That translates as:

24% of level 8 students who entered via the Mature Students' Foundation course are also registered with Disability
while only 4% of the young adults are.

4.87% of TAP students are registered in all three access groups 3.57% of disabled students are registered in all
three access groups, 2% of Mature students are registered with all three groups.
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