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What are conversion courses?
Conversion Courses
UCC Careers Service
• Conversion courses are taught postgraduate courses
that enable you to “convert” your degree to a new
discipline – or a new career.
• They are found in most subject areas – high
concentration in Business, Arts and Humanities, IT
• Also possible in Science and Engineering (related
degree required)
• Also available in Medicine and Health
Why convert?
• A conversion course can provide you with:
▫ Increased job prospects
▫ Skills/expertise in a new area
▫ A valuable combination of separate skills
Are there skill shortages?
• Expert Group on Future Skills Needs produce
regular Bulletins (most recent July 2010) examining
60 occupational categories in relation to:
▫ Level of unemployment
▫ Growth in employment rates
▫ Production rate of qualified graduates
▫ They also produce reports on particular sectors (e.g.
BioPharma, Green Economy) Have a look!
▫ http://www.skillsireland.ie/
Increased Job Prospects?
• Conversion courses are often created in response to
current or predicted skill shortages.
▫ E.g. HEA Skills Conversion programme, Teaching/Social
Work/Therapies UK
• Likelihood of increased job prospects will depend on:
▫ Suitability of the programme to needs (good fit?)
▫ Proven track record in particular field (through
placement, previous roles or voluntary experience)
Fastest Growing Industries
• Information Technology
• Healthcare
• Energy Efficiency /
Environmental
• E-Learning
• Microelectronics
• Manufacturing Productivity
• Composite Materials
• Social Networking
• Business Services – esp.
Multilingual
• Telecommunications
Ref: Enterprise Ireland - HPSU’s
• Food
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Care of the Elderly
Business & Personal Coaching
Personal Wellbeing
Medical Devices & Technology
Accounting (some more than
others)
Digital Media – eg -gaming,
mobile media, animation
Alternative Power Generation
Financial Regulation and Control
Corporate Compliance
Life Sciences
Biotechnology
IDA Ireland – Competence Centres
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The Graduate Skills Conversion
Programme
Great Skill Combinations
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Logistics and languages
Marketing/sales and languages
Sales and product knowledge
Finance and quantitative modelling
Finance and law
Statistics and software modelling
Software architect and business
Web design; animation; programming
Source: National Skills Unit
Entry Requirements
• The Graduate Skills Conversion Programme (GSCP) is a joint
initiative with the Department of Education and Science and the
Higher Education Authority, in response to the Information and
Communications Technology (ICT) skills needs, identified by the
Expert Group on Future Skills Needs and the mid
mid-term
term evaluation
of the ATS programme.
• It is funded under the National Development Plan.
• The aim of the programme is to provide graduates with the
opportunity to acquire qualifications for employment in the ICT
area. A composite fee applies to all courses under the
programme. For 2010-11 the fee was €2,500.
• http://www.hea.ie/en/skills+funding
Characteristics of Conversion Courses
• Many open to graduates of any discipline!
• Focused and intense
• Some will require
q
a relevant q
qualification.
• Tightly-packed
g yp
schedule
• Result required will depend on level of demand.
• Teaching and assessment methods highly varied (group
assignments, presentations, reports)
• Relevant experience may be required/desirable – even
compensate for absence of degree.
Fresh Start!
• Relevant work placement may be included
Issues to Consider
• How will this qualification complement primary degree?
• What is the reputation of the course amongst
employers?
• What is the employment record of graduates on the
course?
• Is it possible to progress to a masters degree on
completion of the diploma?
• Is the course eligible for reduced fees, e.g. under the
Graduate Skills Conversion Programme?
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Seven Major Areas of Postgraduate
Study
Pathways to Arts, Humanities and the
Social Sciences
Arts &
Social
Sciences
Media
Law
Arts/
Humanities
Conversion
Business
IT
Education
Health/
Therapies
Business
Engineering
Arts, Humanities and Social Science
Options
• Liberal Arts:
▫ Archaeology, Geography, History, Modern Irish
• Applied
pp
Arts:
▫ Journalism/Media/Communications/Public Relations
▫ E-Learning Design/Technical Communication
▫ Film Studies/Literature and Publishing/Arts Administration
• Languages
▫ Translation, Interpreting, Linguistics, Languages with
Business or Law, European Studies
• Peace Studies, Women’s Studies, Development Studies,
International Relations, Politics
Pathways into Law
Engineering
Health/
Therapies
Law
Science
Arts, Humanities and Social Science:
Qualifications
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Dip Psychology, UCC
Dip Social Policy UCC
Dip/MA Journalism, DCU ,UL
MSc Planning and Sustainable Development,
Development UCC
MA Translation DCU, NUIG
MA Public Relations DIT, CIT
MA Arts Administration, UCD
MA Literature and Publishing, NUIG
MA E-Learning Development, UL
MA Screenwriting NUIG
MA Library and Information Studies UCD
MA Digital Arts NUI Maynooth
Law: Options and Qualifications
• Solicitor
▫ Preparatory Courses for the Law Society of Ireland's
Final Examination - Part One (FE1)
▫ Progression onto Law Society Training Courses &
T i
Traineeship
hi
Law
Conversion
• Bridging/conversion qualifications:
▫ Graduate Entry LLB - UL
▫ Postgraduate Diploma in Law- DIT
Arts
and
Social
Sciences
Business
Engineering
Health/
Therapies
• Barrister
IT
Science
▫ Diploma in Legal Studies – Kings Inn (Part-time)
▫ Progression onto Barrister at Law degree & Devilling
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Pathways into Business
Business: Options
Business
Conversion
Arts and
Social
Sciences
IT
Eng and
Science
Heath/
Therapies
Law
Business: Qualifications
For Non-Business Graduates:
• Masters Management and Marketing
(UCC)
• Masters E-Business (UCC)
• Masters
M t
M
Managementt (UL)
• Masters Management (UCD)
• PGDip Accounting and Finance, UCC
• PG Dip Accountancy, DCU
• HDip Economics, UCC
• Masters MIMAS, UCC
• HDip Entrepreneurship and East Asian
Affairs, UCC
• Masters in Financial Economics, UCC
• Masters in Marketing, UL
• PGDip Marketing, DIT
Accountancy
Finance
Marketing
S
Supply
l Chain
Ch i M
Managementt
Logistics
International Business
Human Resources Management
Economics (Financial/Business)
Entrepreneurship
Business Information Systems
Business Analytics
Risk Management
Pathways to IT
Need Business Degree/PGDip:
• Masters Business Economics, UCC
• Masters Human Resource
Management UL,
Management,
UL UCD
• Masters Accountancy (MACC)
• Masters Food Marketing, UCC
• Masters B.I.S., UCC
• Masters Government, UCC
• Masters Corporate Finance, UCC
• Masters Computational Finance, UL
• Masters Risk Management, UCD
• Masters Quantitative Finance, UCD
• Masters Strategic Management
Accounting, UCD
IT: Options
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Software Development
Networking
Telecommunications
Security and Forensic Computing
Software Localisation
Technology Management
Project Management
IT and Finance
Interactive Media
Instructional Design
IT
Conversion
Business
Engineering
Health/
Therapies
Law
Science
IT: Qualifications
For non-IT graduates:
• HDip in Applied Computing
Technology, UCC
• HDip Software Engineering, NUI
Maynooth
• HDip IT, DCU
• PGDip Telecommunications, DCU
• PGDip Software Localisation, UL
• PGDip Technical Communication and
E-Learning, UL
• HDip IT, NUI Maynooth
• Masters Interactive Media, UCC
• Masters Mathematical Modelling and
Scientific Computing, UCC (!*)
• PG Dip Health Informatics, TCD
• Masters Music Technology, NUI
Maynooth
• Masters Translation Technology
Need related Degree/PGDip:
• Masters in Computer Science, UCC
• Masters Software Systems for Mobile
N t
Networks,
k UCC
• Masters Telecommunications, DCU
• Masters Software Engineering, NUI
Maynooth
• MSc Software Engineering, NUI
Maynooth
• Masters Geographical, Information
and Remote Sensing, UCC
• Masters Security and Forensic
Computing, DCU
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Pathways to Education
Education: Options and Qualifications
• Primary: Ireland and UK
Education
Conversion
Arts *
Business*
Science*
• Secondary: Ireland and UK
Engineer
-ing *
Health/
Therapies
Law
Pathways to Engineering
IT: Qualifications
Engineering
Conversion
Arts and
Social
Science
Business
Science*
Heath/
Therapies*
Law
Engineering: Options
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For non-IT graduates:
Need related Degree/PGDip:
• HDip in Applied Science,
Software Engineering, UCC
• HDip Software Engineering,
NUI Maynooth
• PGDip Electronic Engineering,
NUI Maynooth
• PGDip Chemical Engineering,
UL
• MSc Biomedical Engineering,
UL
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Pathways into Health/Therapies
Energy Engineering
Process/Chemical Engineering
Electronic Engineering
g
g
Biomedical Engineering
Bio-engineering
• Many courses open to graduates with good degrees in
maths, physic and related subjects,
▫ E.g. Chemical Engineering, UL
MSc Bioengineering *
Masters Sustainable Energy, UCC *
Masters Sustainable Energy, UCD*
MEngSc Mechanical Engineering
(Manufacturing, Process and
Automation Systems), UCC *
Health /
Therapies
Conversion
Arts and
Social
Science *
Business
Engineering
Law
Science *
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Health and Therapies: Options
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Medicine – Ireland, UK
SLT – University of Limerick, UK
OT – Universityy of Limerick,, UK
Dietetics - UK
Nursing - UK
Public Health – Ireland, UK
Health Informatics Ireland, UK
Health Economics
Essential Sources
Qualifax:
www.qualifax.ie
Graduate Skills Conversion Programme (Funded Programmes):
http://www.hea.ie/en/skills+funding
Expert Group on Future Skills Needs:
www.skillireland.ie
PAC:
www.pac.ie
Prospects:
www.prospects.ac.uk
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