Types of courses

Some of the courses on offer at Irish tertiary-level institutions include bachelor's degrees and honours bachelor's degrees (usually three years of full-time study), two-year full-time higher certificate courses, graduate diplomas (usually a one-year course), master's degrees (these can be taught or research courses and can take up to two years to complete), and the highest level course offered - a doctorate (PhD) academic qualification. A research PhD usually takes three years.

Irish academic year

The Irish academic year usually starts in September and finishes in June, with a two or three semester division and breaks for Easter and Christmas.