CAO Applications

Four pieces of information must come together to enable the main round of offers to issue (round 1):

1.  Entry requirements
   these are known well in advance as they must be published and available to schools two years in advance so potential applicants can make appropriate subject choices.
   
   
2. Number of applicants
   this is not final until after the "change of mind" closing date of 1 July.
   
   
3. Leaving Certificate results
   which issue in mid August each year. Round 1 offers usually issue within a week.
   
   
4. Number of offers
   Each Admissions Officer determines the appropriate number of offers to make to fill the places based on the history of acceptance rate and other trends.

When these four pieces of information are combined the CAO computer program, checks all applicants for eligibility. Then it ranks eligible applicants on the basis of their points scores, and issues offers based on the highest preference to which the applicant is entitled. 

Please note: there are two rounds prior to round 1:

Round A: early July - mature applicants and those who have deferred from the previous year

Round 0: early August - QQI-FET, graduate entry and balance of mature applicants.

Round 1 issues following the issue of the Leaving Certificate results (mid-August)
After Round 1 offers are made on a weekly basis to fill any remaining spaces until the end of September.

Two offices in UCD Registry are involved with recruiting and admitting EU/EFTA/UK  undergraduate students - Student Recruitment and Admissions. Governing Boards are not directly involved with the admission process for most standard applicants but are required to provide the necessary information.

Student Recruitment

• (opens in a new window)Schools Liaison
• (opens in a new window)Open Days
• (opens in a new window)Prospectus
• (opens in a new window)MyUCD website

Governing Boards

• Provides Admissions with quotas for following (including sub-quotas for Access categories) in November
• Provides updates for CAO Handbook in March (e.g. in March 2024 for Handbook 2025)
• Liaises with Admissions about any changes to entry requirements or programme pathways.
• Assesses mature applicants and returns decisions to admissions.

Admissions

• Provides information to Guidance Counsellors
• Publishes entry requirements
• Answers applicant queries
• Assesses non-standard applicants (e.g. EU qualifications, QQI-FET, etc)
• Liaises with CAO
• Determines appropriate numbers of offers to fill quotas
• Provides statistics at appropriate times
• Monitors trends
• Issues information about registration to incoming students
• Manages CAO deferrals and cancellations
• Manages Student Vetting Process as appropriate
• Ensures compliance with relevant Policies and Protocols

Any change to entry requirements for undergraduate programmes needs to be notified to second-level chools at least two years in advance of implementation, so that potential applicants can make appropriate subject choices for their Leaving Certificate. Proposed changes must be submited using the form PDARF7 available on the University Secretariat web page. They must be approved first by Governing Board and then by UPB. Please contact Admissions to discuss proposed changes for advice before submitting.

Mature entry to UCD is an RPL admission route. In general applicants are assessed based on their prior learning both formal and experiential as evidence through their CAO form, together with their motivation and commitment as shown in their Statement of Interest.

(opens in a new window)Introduction to Mature Assseesment 2024 - presentation from 29 February 2024 (intranet) 

For Nursing and Midwifery courses, assessment is based solely on the national test.

• Entry Requirements leaflet published by Admissions in September each year for entry the following year.
• (opens in a new window)UCD Undergraduate Prospectus published by Student Recruitment in September each year for entry the following year. 
• Statistics:
  (opens in a new window)Application, admission and retention statistics (UCD Intranet) are produced regularly throughout the year. Any requests for additional statistics must be made in writing to the Admissions Officer.

Lists of CAO acceptances are available to Programme Directors and College Office staff via InfoHub. They will, of course, also appear on classlists.

• HETAC Higher Certificate/Ordinary Degree
• QQI-FET progression
• Application on grounds of mature years
• Higher Education Access Route (HEAR)
• Disability Access Route to Education (DARE)
• Transfer from a level 8 programme
• Re-Admission to UCD
• Graduate Entry pathways.
• UCD Progression Routes