There has been a major increase in the number of students choosing to study science, engineering and computing at third level, according to a report in today’s Irish Independent.
“Even in a bumper year for college applications, [these] three disciplines regarded as cornerstones for the so-called smart economy are outpacing other areas,” the report says.
Meanwhile fewer students are opting for “the fashionable careers of the boom years such as architecture and law”.
“School-leavers, as well as the rising number of mature students now seeking to go back to college to acquire new skills, are obviously heeding the advice of the Government and industry experts about where the jobs will be in the new economy.”
- Irish Independent, 3 August 2010
Record figures
The trends have emerged in the Higher Education Authority’s analysis of this year’s college applications. This year the CAO is dealing with an all-time high of 77,126 applications, compared with 65,883 in 2007 before the economic downturn.
Within these record figures, science, engineering and computing are all capturing a greater share of first preferences than they did in 2007. The report finds that:
- Science has moved up from seventh to fifth place in terms of the most popular disciplines for level 8, honours degree programmes. It is now the top choice for 7% of applicants for level 8 courses, compared with 5.4% in 2007
- Computing attracted 1,835 first preferences in 2007 (3.3% of the total) and increased this year to 3,163 (4.7%)
- The number of students making engineering their first choice has risen from 3.8% to 4.3%
Learn more
Read the full report in the Irish Independent
Read more about careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics on our MyScienceCareer.ie website
