Leaving Certificate Hub

There are no CAO point requirement for programmes in MI. The minimum entry requirements are:

Leaving Certificate with five O6 grades (or five passes pre 2017) or equivalent.
Leaving Certificate Applied or QQI Level 4 Award are acceptable on the majority of Level 5 courses.

MI prides itself on keeping the cost of accessing its courses to a minimum. In August 2022, Monaghan Institute and CMETB announced plans to significantly reduce fees on full time courses to a maximum of €200.  Fees include all course materials, exam fees, toolkits, and uniform

This compares favourably with Universities/IoT’s who can charge an annual student contribution of up to €3,000.

Remember no matter where you study; you may qualify for an exemption to part of all your fees depending on your eligibility.

Fees for each specific course are outlined on the course descriptor page.  Please take a browse through our Courses to find the subject  you are interested in and the fees will be listed there.

Find out more on our Funding Page.

Yes. You can apply for a SUSI grant to study at MI; as it has over 40 SUSI approved courses at Level 5 and 6 and is also an approved institution.

For further information and to check your eligibility for a student grant; go to the SUSI website and choose PLC Student and follow the steps listed there.

Do not give up on your preferred choice. Progress to MI and study a one year programme that allows you to access your first choice degree programme next year.

All of our programmes have excellent links to various degree programmes in Universities and Institutes of Technologies. Most degree programmes allocate specific places for PLC students.

Yes, you can still apply for all programmes at MI.

The minimum entry requirements are:

Leaving Certificate with five O6 grades (or five passes pre 2017) or equivalent.
Leaving Certificate Applied or QQI Level 4 Award are acceptable on the majority of Level 5 courses.

On a number of the programmes here at MI; you can complete a module in Maths if this is a requirement to progress to your first choice degree programme.

There are numerous routes into a career in teaching accessible from studying a one year programme at MI.

Directly access to teaching degrees at St. Patricks (DCU), St Angela’s Sligo, Marino Institute of Education, University College Cork and various other colleges in Ireland and abroad.

There are a variety of programmes available in MI that lead directly into employment in industry and a large number of graduates will gain employment on completion of their studies in MI.

All programmes in MI have a substantial work placement where learners will get a chance to get practical experience in their chosen career area and on many occasions employers will recruit learners based on a successful placement.

Additionally, you can study a Traineeship/Apprenticeship in MI where you can earn as you learn. This format also allows learners to spend a larger period of their programme with the employer to gain hands on experience.

Yes. We have a large number of students who are now deferring their degree programme and progressing to MI to complete a one-year programme first to ensure their chosen course of study is the right area for them.

This often leads to learners changing their chosen degree area or indeed progressing to the programme after gaining a foundation level of knowledge in the chosen field.

Feedback from past learners indicates this has enabled them to excel in their degree programme as they have gained the skills and knowledge to hit the ground running at third level.

There are various schemes that can allow you to keep your social welfare payment and return to full time study here in MI.

Schemes such as Back To Education Allowance (BTEA) or the Vocational Training Opportunity Scheme (VTOS) provide financial supports to learners to return to education.

We also have a Career Guidance Support Service to assist prospective learners to choose the right programme of study and answer any questions you may have.

We are committed to supporting learners to develop through two scholarship programmes available to all learners in MI.

The Sports Scholarships programme supports talented athletes reach the top of their sport while achieving academic success.

Additionally, MI have introduced Academic Scholarships award Entrance Scholarships to first year students who achieved 400+ points in their Leaving Certificate as recognition of high achievement.

MI is ideally located just outside Monaghan town in a modern, state of the art Education Campus with excellent transport options and free carparking. Our large spacious building offers students well-equipped teaching facilities with industry standard equipment.

Here is a list of just some of the facilities available:

• Extensive library space with study, computer and printing resources
• Fully equipped sports gym
• Audio/visual recording hub
• Dedicated learning hub
• Large canteen
• Numerous social areas with wi-fi access
• Computer laboratories with excellent audio-visual technology

At MI, we have a growing number of sports, clubs and societies to further enhance learners experience as part of their college life. We actively encourage students to be creative and develop new clubs or societies around their particular interests through the Students’ Union.

So whether tennis, basketball, hill walking or canoeing is for you or if you enjoy reading, films, comedy or theatre, we will encourage you to get involved in the things you love as part of your experience with us. Read more…

At MI, we support you through the entire work placement experience from placement search, application and completion.

MI teaching staff have built up strong relationships with local employers across a variety of different sectors over the years and we play an important role in linking up placement opportunities for our students.

We encourage students to seek out their own placements as this is an important learning experience and will be valuable when it comes to searching for jobs in the future.

Yes, you can still apply for a programme in MI up until the end of September. Applying for a programme in MI will give you the opportunity to try a different course area and gain a qualification in one year, with lesser fees.

If you have only completed a few weeks of your degree programme you will not have used your free fees or SUSI grant (if you are eligible for this) and you will then be able to progress onto a degree next year, safe in the knowledge that it is the right course for you.

If you are entitled to your SUSI grant for the degree programme you should be entitled to it for your course in MI, contact SUSI to confirm this.

While courses in MI are full time courses many of our students manage to have a part time job while studying. We always advise our students that their studies should come first and their work should not interfere with their academic progress.

As well as providing financial benefit, a part-time job is important for your CV as it can offer you many other transferable skills in the future such as time management and team work.

Students have full access to Career Guidance and Counselling support throughout their time in MI.

Throughout the year there are workshops on course progression, college applications, C.V preparation and Interview techniques. Students can also make a one to one appointment with the Guidance Counsellor for individual advise or counselling support. Read more…

Students have no issue finding accommodation in Monaghan, at a reasonable cost. While students must organise their own accommodation, there is a Facebook group called ‘Student Accommodation Monaghan’ that advertises available accommodation or where students can post accommodation requests. There are also many estate agents in Monaghan who also have lists of available rental accommodation.

The good news is that course fees in MI are a lot less than University Fees.  In August 2022, Monaghan Institute and CMETB announced plans to significantly reduce fees on full time courses to a maximum of €200.  Students who have a medical card and/or are in receipt of Social Welfare payment are entitled to reduced fees of €150.  Fees include all course materials, exam fees, toolkits, and uniforms.

The course fee is due at registration but if a student is finding it difficult to make this payment in full we can organise to set up a payment plan with that student to pay in instalments.

There are extra supports available for students with disabilities depending on their needs. Students need to declare that they have a disability or medical condition on the application form. These students will then be met individually to discuss their needs and support requirements to help them succeed in their course area.

There are excellent transport links directly to MI from all over the county, including Carrickmacross, Castleblayney, Ballybay, Clones, Tydavnet and more.

Transportation is operated by Local Link Cavan & Monaghan, Conlon Travel and Eamon McEntee Coach and Bus Hire.

All timetables and information regarding routes are available here