CAO points breakdown: Veterinary and ag courses

There was a slight change in CAO points required for various agricultural degree programmes in 2021.

The Central Applications Office (CAO) issued 82,175 round one offers to 55,221 CAO applicants on Tuesday, September 7^th, 2021.

These offers consist of 49,358 level 8 course offers and 32,817 level 7/6 course offers.

24,758 (50%) level 8 offers are for the applicant’s first preference course, and 39,063 (79%) Level 8 offers are for one of their top three preferences.

29,365 (89%) level 7/6 offers are for the applicant’s first preference course, and 32,314 (98%) level 7/6 offers are for one of their top three preferences.

CAO points 2021: Agricultural and veterinary courses

We have compiled a list outlining CAO points requirements for various level 6/7 and 8 programmes.

Level 8:

University College Dublin (UCD):  

• Veterinary medicine undergraduate programme: 601 (589 in 2020);
• Veterinary nursing: 521 (478 in 2020);
• Agricultural Science (options): 454 (456 in 2020);
• Food Science: 531 (477 in 2020);
• Human Nutrition: 566 (531 in 2020).

IT Carlow:

• Sustainable Farm Management and Agri-Business: 270 (269 in 2020).

Cork IT:

• Agri-Biosciences: 368 (397 in 2020);

University College Cork (UCC):

• Agricultural Science: 506 (496 in 2020);

Dundalk Institute of Technology:

• Agriculture (Award Options): 342 (310 in 2020);
• Sustainable Agriculture: 348.

GMIT:

• Rural Enterprise and Agri-Business: 291 (281 in 2020)
• Agricultural Engineering: 304 (309 in 2020)
• Agriculture and Environment Management: 340 (287 in 2020)

NUIG:

• Agricultural Sciences – 485 (new)

Letterkenny Institute of Technology:

• Agriculture – common entry: 308 (307 in 2020).

University of Limerick:

• Equine Science: 367 (339 in 2020);
• Science with Teacher ED (Biology with Physics/Chemistry/Ag Science): 521 (507 in 2020).

IT Tralee:

• Agricultural Engineering: 301 (300 in 2020);
• Agricultural Science: 307 (308 in 2020);
• Veterinary Bioscience: 317 (208 in 2020).

Waterford IT:

• Agricultural Science: 377 (same in 2020)

Level 7 courses:

AIT:

• Veterinary Nursing: 412 (400 in 2020);

IT Carlow:

• Sustainable Farm Management and Agri-Business: 236 (266 in 2020)

Dundalk IT:

• Veterinary Nursing: 451 (399 in 2020)

GMIT:

• Rural Enterprise and Agri-Business: 278 (277 in 2020)
• Agricultural Engineering: 290 (298 in 2020);
• Agriculture and Environmental Management: 281 (281 in 2020)

Letterkenny IT:

• Veterinary Nursing: 389 (365 in 2020)

University of Limerick:

• Equine Science: 351 (337 in 2020).

IT Tralee:

• Agricultural Engineering: 220 (243 in 2020)
• Animal Bioscience: 234 (251 in 2020).

Waterford IT:

• Agriculture: 328 (327 in 2020).

Ag courses:

• What to do if you do not get the points for a straight entry into a degree course – Read this article
• Is the Green Cert all I need? Read this article.

Offers

It is possible that applicants may receive two offers at the same time: one from the level 8 list and one from the level 7/6 list.

Candidates must accept offers by 3 pm on Monday, September 13^th, 2021.

Eileen Keleghan, CAO communications officer, asks applicants to carefully consider any offers received in this round.

She said: “One of the common queries that we receive at the offers stage is around the order of preference.”

“Applicants who receive a lower preference offer can accept this offer. It will not prevent them from receiving an offer of a course higher up on their courses list in a later round should a place become available and they are deemed eligible.”

“Those who have received an offer in this round should also consider the current offer carefully as it may be the only one they will receive.”

Furthermore, if an applicant has not received an offer, they will receive a Statement of Application email.

Round two offers and available places

Round two offers will be available to view on the CAO website from 10 am on September 20th. The reply date by which round two offers must be accepted is September 22nd at 15:00. Offers are then issued on a weekly basis to fill any remaining places.

Applicants who do not receive an offer may wish to check the ‘Available Places’ facility which re-opens on the CAO website on Wednesday, September 8th at noon.

This facility is also available to new applicants on the completion of an online application form and the payment of a €45 fee.

Ag and veterinary students and graduates

Read our Student Focus and Career Focus series, to hear from those who have completed/ are completing the aforementioned degree programmes.

We want to hear from ag, veterinary medicine and veterinary nursing students. Email – [email protected]