Win €1000 Towards Your Tuition Fees

To be in with a chance to win this fantastic prize, just enter your name and email address below and tell us where you first heard about IBAT College.

The winner will be drawn on the 30th May 2011 and shown on the website.
Click the link below to enter the competition
http://www.ibat.ie/index.php/ibat-news/ibat-competition.html

Accounting Event on Wednesday 20th April at 6.30pm.

IBAT College are holding an accounting event on Wednesday 20^th April at 6.30pm This will be a great opportunity to meet the admissions team, lecturers and representatives from ACCA and ATI. Please email afitzpatrick@ibat.ie  to be kept on the mailing list for this event.

MBA Taster Session – 8th April

IBAT College are running a Taster Session for the MBA programme on Friday the 8th April. This seminar will start at 6.30pm and will provide individuals with an introduction to 2 of the modules on the MBA programme.

Two of our MBA lecturers will give a 30 minute introduction to each module. The hour session will be followed by a questions & answers forum

*Please note that places on this are limited. As a result you must register your interest to reserve a place.  You can register online using the link below or alternatively you can contact Gráinne Hurley by email at ghurley@ibat.ie or by phone on (01) 8703895 to reserve a place.

ACCA has launched Foundations in Accountancy

ACCA has launched Foundations in Accountancy, a new flexible suite of entry-level awards, designed to meet the needs of both students and employers.
Foundations in Accountancy was created after detailed consultation with employers, learning providers, members, students and other professional accountancy bodies and regulators.
Foundations in Accountancy provides a solid grounding in financial and management accounting, and includes a module in professionalism and ethical behaviour.

The awards include:

•  Introductory Certificate in Financial and Management Accounting
• Intermediate Certificate in Financial and Management Accounting
• Diploma in Accounting and Business
• Certified Accounting Technician Qualification (CAT), which includes specialist papers and work experience in audit, tax and financial management.

'With Foundations in Accountancy, students will benefit from the flexible range of entry points, meaning they can begin at the right level for them, and then progress through the awards,' said Alan Hatfield, ACCA's director of learning. 'And when it comes to flexibility, they can complete qualifications in their own time, selecting those which best suit their own career needs and aspirations.'
Foundations in Accountancy also sees certification awarded at each level, helping students to monitor their progress, and helping employers to recruit and train to meet their own business needs. The practical content means that the knowledge students gain is directly applied to the workplace, offering immediate benefits to existing and prospective employers.

'Increasingly, employers need to know that they are taking on competent employees in account-support roles, often referred to as an accounting technician role,' continued Hatfield. 'Employers can be assured that Foundations in Accountancy will train individuals to high standards, and that their training will be recognised all over the world.
 

With Foundations in Accountancy, employers can also be assured that candidates have the right professional and ethical skills that are required in the workplace in a junior accounting or technician role. The syllabuses span the key elements of financial and management accounting at all levels offered, and also include an Accountant in Business exam at the Diploma level, which puts students' new knowledge into a legal, economic and regulatory context.

'Through Foundations in Accountancy, ACCA continues to provide opportunities for talented people, whatever their background or prior learning, to progress to become a professional accountant.' See http://www.accaglobal.com/page/3408937

Record demand for Postgraduate places

Demand for postgraduate courses is reaching a record level, as students scramble for places.

The latest figures, for September last, show that more than 17,000 students have registered an interest in pursuing a postgraduate qualification. The figure was compiled by the Post Graduate Applications Centre (PAC) in Galway, an offshoot of the Central Applications Office. The PAC Office handles all postgraduate applications on behalf of the universities, except UCD and UL.

More than 30,000 students graduate from the seven Irish universities abd 14 Institutes of technology each year. With bleak employment prospects, many are looking to their postgraduate qualification to help unlock the job market. Demand for places now regularly exceees availability. There are more than 3,000 applicants for the Higher Diploma in Education currently awaiting a decision on their application. Many have already spent a number of years ib either part-time teaching or taking a Master`s programme. The Department of Education recently announced that H.Dip in Education is to be extended to two years from 2013, which will double the cost of securing this qualification. But there are also bright spots. The one-year conversion courses-in which students take the entire content of a three-or four-year undergraduate programme in a single academic year- is a food option.

Conversion courses in IT are especially popular, as employers struggle struggle to find suitably qualified graduates in manu specialist IT areas. Apart from employer driven programmes addressing specific skills shortages, there are hundreds of one-year taught Master`s programmes which should boost job prospects.  PhD study is also booming. But funding-even that provided by Science Fundation Ireland for PhD work, Biotechnology, ICT and the Smart Economy- is under extereme pressure. Securing a postgraduate qualification is extremely expensive in Ireland, unlike many EU countries. Most qualified postgrads will have accumulated bank debts of at least €10,000.

GNIB New Policy Regarding Visa Renewal

Some useful information for International Students currently studying in Ireland

THIS IS IMPORTANT TO INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS ONLY, (VISA REQUIRED)

• The GNIB has changed its policy regarding insurance for international students.

• Students used to be able to present their small green MEDICOVER card with a college letter, but this is no longer acceptable.

• From this point forward the GNIB require the students individual certificate of insurance to accompany their VISA renewal letter

• NEW students coming from overseas will have the insurance covered by IBAT as part of their fees for the first year only.

• Students who are seeking VISA Renewal will have to pay IBAT College €130 before the College issue them with the certificate.

• The payment of €130 is yearly and covers the issuing of the required insurance certificate for a period of 12 months.

• It is imperative that students include their certificate of insurance as well as their VISA renewal letter to the GNIB when renewing their student visa.

Please Note:

• MEDICOVER who issue the certificate will normally turn around the certificate in 4 working days, so it is imperative that students request a student letter at least 5 working days before hand.

• Student who request a letter (VISA / Re-entry, etc) from the college less then the 5 working days required will not be able to obtain a certificate of insurance from MEDICOVER.

• Once we receive the certificate of insurance it will be on file and can be used again for additional letters for a period of 12 months without having to pay the €130 fee.

If you still have any questions or queries in relation to the new GNIB policies or the certificate of insurance requirements, then please contact the college at 01 8075055 or email courseadmin@ibat.ie