It is decision time for tens of thousands of Leaving Cert students, who are planning to start college later this year. February 1st is the closing date for registration for most CAO courses starting in September and October (late applications will be accepted up to May 1). First round offers of places will appear online on August 23, with the deadline for acceptance falling a week later (August 30). It is, in other words, a pressurised system, where you are supposed to know what you want to do. But first, of course, you have to know what's available...

Despite the economic downturn, students are advised to consider carefully the long term prospects of the career they decide to pursue. According to the ESRI, the Irish economy should return to an average annual economic growth rate of 5% between 2011 and 2015 – perfect timing for those entering degree courses this year! While there are more options than ever on offer for prospective students, interest in creative areas like journalism, media and the performing arts remains high and there are many exceptional courses available, many with a proven track records of placing graduates in jobs. Here, then is a selection from which you can choose, depending on your talents and ambitions.

Independent College Dublin
Independent College Dublin offers a wide range of journalism and writing courses including a BA and MA in Journalism. One of the great attractions of the courses is that they both offer internship opportunities with Independent News & Media PLC titles in Ireland and abroad (including The Irish Independent and The Sunday Independent). The BA (Hons) in Journalism (both day and evening) is a highly creative and career-focused degree programme, covering a wide range of practical and theoretical subjects, from news reporting to celebrity coverage, sports journalism to video and web production. The MA in Journalism aims to prepare graduates for careers in all areas of journalism, in Ireland or abroad. Using the most up-to-date software and techniques and concentrating on practical skills development, the programme equips students with a range of hands-on abilities, including news-gathering and reporting, investigative journalism, feature writing, layout and design, camera and sound recording and editing, sub-editing and online journalism.

According to course director, Janice Gaffey the distinguishing feature of these courses is that they have been developed in conjunction with the industry.
“It’s never been easy for journalism students to get a foot in the door of a publication,” she explains. “I think what we do is offer unique internship places such as in the Independent where students can get their hands dirty. What we found is the ones who perform well find they can get freelance work much easier.”

Students in all courses are involved in hands-on projects from the outset. Classes cover media law, ethics, media analysis, popular culture and international journalism. Students undertake field trips to key journalistic events, including leaders’ questions at the Dáil, ministerial briefings, Circuit, Criminal and High Court trials and government committee meetings.
Students can specialise in sports, business, arts or political journalism. Students are also encouraged to develop strong analytical skills in media law, ethics and contemporary issues in journalism and society. Specialist electives are available in culture and criticism, Irish and international politics and global and conflict journalism.

GRIFFITH COLLEGE
MEDIA FACULTY
The demand for media graduates with up-to-date communication, visual and interpretative skills remains high: traditional media and new media organisations are always seeking fresh talent, whilst corporate, community and financial organisations consistently recruit employees with the ability to communicate an organisation’s message, both internally and externally. Given the growth in media outlets, the ability to communicate effectively is arguably more important than ever.

Griffith College offers a range of higher diploma, honours degree, ordinary degree, diploma and certificate courses that enable students to take full advantage of these opportunities. The courses are designed to present a comprehensive understanding of the media, encompassing a wide range of subjects from writing, broadcasting, marketing, financial and legal dynamics, to printing and publishing.

There is a fantastic variety of media-related courses at Griffith, covering all of the modern media disciplines. These include: MA in Journalism & Media Communications (HETAC); MSc in Applied Digital Media (HETAC); BA (Hons) in Journalism and Visual Media (HETAC); BA in Journalism (HETAC); BA in Photographic Media (HETAC); Diploma in Media Techniques, Television and Media (CGLI); Diploma in Photography (HETAC); Certificate in Journalism or Radio Broadcasting (GCD); and Diploma in Sound and Music Technology (CGLI)

NEWPARK MUSIC CENTRE
Newpark Music Centre in Blackrock County Dublin, established its Jazz and Contemporary Music Department in 1986 and is now recognised as the primary centre for jazz and jazz-related music education in the country. The staff is drawn from the finest performers and teachers in Ireland and abroad, ensuring that students are constantly kept up to date with the latest musical techniques, concepts and trends. Building on the success of the Bachelor of Arts in Jazz Performance the school, a member of the prestigious Berklee International Network, has announced a new fulltime course, the Berklee Track, from September 2010.
The Berklee Track is a two-year programme which prepares students for entry into the renowned Berklee College of Music in Boston, and is the result of an articulation agreement between Berklee and Newpark Music Centre. A student who successfully completes the Berklee Track programme is guaranteed entry into Berklee without the need for a further audition. In addition, the credits achieved on the courses on the Berklee Track are recognised and accepted by Berklee, meaning that the student does not need to take these courses in Berklee itself. Consequently, the student graduating from the Berklee Track can complete their degree or Diploma in Berklee in less time (typically two rather than four years), representing a significant financial saving.

The course comprises modules on harmony, aural training, arranging, instrumental lessons and ensemble playing, and the Berklee Track can be used to prepare the student for entry into Berklee as a Performance Major or a Writing Major. This new programme is a significant addition to the full-time courses available at Newpark Music Centre, where the BA (Hons) in Jazz Performance is entering its fifth year. Entry to the Berklee Track is by audition and interview.
For further information contact the school at 353-1-2883740, or email [email protected]

PERFORMANCE STUDIES AT QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY BELFAST
Two years ago, Queen’s University, Belfast renewed its commitment to its School of Music and Sonic Arts, and awarded the school a large grant to increase and diversify its performance tuition. It was a very significant moment. For the first time in the school’s history, a majority of incoming undergraduate students across both the Bachelor of Music and the BSc Music Technology courses are enrolled in performance modules. Postgraduate students are pursuing performance-based research, and a Performance Research Group has been newly established to support their work. Over 30 performance tutors are employed by the school to provide instrumental and vocal tuition; they include some of the finest performers and teachers in the country. Eight large ensembles perform in the school, including a vibrant student-run orchestra and a new senior-level Brass Band. The Big Band and chamber orchestra are both directed by musicians from the Ulster Orchestra (respectively, Steve Barnett and Colin Stark). The school’s two choirs are conducted by David Revels, newest addition to the vocal performance tuition team. The school is also home to a Viol Consort dedicated to the performance of early Baroque music, and the QUBEnsemble, a forum for improvisation whose last concert featured ping-pong balls and extravagant costumes in addition to terrific playing.

Visiting artists are another integral part of the programme. This year the school will host such diverse visiting artists as Chris Corsano (who most recently appeared in Belfast as the drummer for Bjork), Juice (a vocal trio whose repertoire ranges from jazz standards to avant-garde music), and the Lawson Trio, an outstanding young piano trio that has worked closely with the school’s composition students in the past.

Behind all these activities is a belief that performance studies should be open to all graduates and undergraduates and that they should reflect the range of students’ musical interests. Performance tuition is now available not only to students with an interest in the classical Western music, but to those who wish to study improvised, experimental, avant-garde, jazz, pop/rock, folk, and Irish traditional music as well. "Last year, a lunchtime recital at Queen's featured an Irish traditional music ensemble, a trumpeter who performed a movement of a Hindemith sonata, vocalists whose repertoire ranged from Bach to Vaughan Williams, and a pianist who played the Berg Piano Sonata," a spokesperson pointed out, emphasising the range of what's on offer. Sounds good to us!