How will my application be assessed?
The process and timeline for assessing applications is outlined below.
Each mature student application is considered on an individual basis and is assessed by the Course Director and other academic staff of the programme you have applied for. Academic qualifications, work and life experience, motivation and overall potential to be successful on the programme are considered and evaluated usually, but not always, by means of an interview*. Applicants may be short-listed for interviews, depending on the number of applications received for a particular programme.
Please bear in mind when applying that some programmes in UL may look for specific academic requirements prior to entry e.g. Engineering programmes will usually require mature applicants to have higher level Leaving Certficate maths.
In the case of applications to Nursing programmes made through the Central Applications Office, applications are assessed by the Nursing Careers Centre (NCC) further details of which are available from the NCC website.
* Three programmes - LM038 (BA Psychology & Sociology), LM089 (BSc Sport and Exercise Sciences) and LM102 (BSc Psychology) - assess mature student applications solely on the basis of the written application i.e. interviews are not held for these programmes.Download the relevant information here (see page 3). [Back to top]
Approximately 15% of places are reserved for mature students on each undergraduate programme in UL. Not all programmes will fill these reserved places, while other programmes may receive a very high number of applications for these limited places. Such popular programmes include Psychology, Physical Education, and Physiotherapy. [Back to top]
The closing date for receipt of applications from mature candidates (for full-time programmes OTHER than Nursing) is the 1st May 2013. The closing date for receipt of applications through the Central Applications Office (CAO) from mature candidates applying to nursing programmes is the 1st February 2013. [Back to top]
Interviews may be held in May / June / July and offers of places are normally made throughout July and August. Applicants who are successful at the interview stage will be notified by the Admissions Office. Unsuccessful applicants are also notified in due course and may request feedback on their application from the Admissions Office. [Back to top]