Ireland
- European Higher Education Area - EHEA
- View 3 institutions with 3 reports
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Membership in EQARIreland has been a Governmental Member of EQAR since August 2008.
Read more: all Governmental Members of EQAR
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General information on higher education
Ireland’s higher education system is a binary system with universities and institutes of technology.
The Universities Act of 1997 and the Technological Universities Act of 2018 sets out the objects and functions of a university and the structure and role of governing authorities.
The oversight and quality assurance of the higher education sector is ensured by the Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), the statutory quality assurance body for higher education and by the Higher Education Authority (HEA), the statutory funding, planning and policy-development body in Ireland.
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National external quality assurance requirements
Depending on the type of higher education institution, providers in Ireland may have self-awarding powers, delegated awarding powers (after having been succesfully externally reviewed) and independent providers, whose programmes have to be accredited by an external quality assurance agency.
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Programme validation
Not required for eight universities together with the Dublin Institute of Technology and Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, which have degree awarding powers i.e. the possibility to validate and award their own qualifications -
Institutional reviews
The aim of review is to provide an independent external review of the institution’s own internal quality assurance procedures. -
Focused reviews
may lead to withdrawal of approval of a QA procedures. The procedures is invoked if there are reasons for concern with a particular higher education provider. -
Delegated authority to make awards
will exempt education providers to undergo an external programme validation procedure.
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Cross-border quality assurance
In Ireland higher education institutions may not choose among EQAR-registered agencies.
Read more: countries where higher education institutions may choose a suitable EQAR-registered agency
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European Approach for Quality Assurance of Joint Programmes
In Ireland the European Approach is available to higher education institutions under certain conditions.
A number of eight universities together with the Dublin Institute of Technology and Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland have self-awarding powers giving them the possibility to validate and award their own qualifications. They can employ the European Approach for the quality assurance of joint programmes. Providers with awarding powers delegated to them by QQI may also employ this approach.
Read more: countries where the European Approach is available to higher education institutions
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Further information
Registered agencies operating in Ireland
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AQAS - Agency for Quality Assurance through Accreditation of Study Programmes 2008 -
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BAC - British Accreditation Council for Independent Further and Higher Education 2015 -
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EAEVE - European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education 2018 -
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IEP - Institutional Evaluation Programme 2009 - View 2 institutions with 2 reports
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Unibasq - Agency for Quality of the Basque University System 2014 - View 1 institutions with 1 reports
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HETAC - Higher Education and Training Awards Council 2009 - 2011