• Post Leaving Cert (PLC) courses are typically one or two year, module-based programmes of study, covering a wide range of subject areas.
• PLCs are flexible and are developed in response to the needs of industry and the job market. Many provide training that will lead directly to specific jobs. Some include work placements as part of the programme.
• Class sizes in PLCs tend to be smaller than in universities and institutes of technology (IoTs) and lecturers are generally available and quite accessible to students.
• PLC courses are available in around 200 schools and further education colleges around the country, mainly offered by Education and Training Boards (ETBs). This may eliminate the need for a student to relocate.
• Most PLCs offer a QQI qualification, mainly at Levels 5 and 6. These are internationally recognised and  often a job requirement in vocational specific areas such as Childcare.
• PLC courses can also serve as an alternative way of accessing a third level degree course with almost 20% of all CAO applicants presenting a Level 5 or Level 6 PLC award to access these opportunities. There is also a range of new Tertiery Degree Programmes.  These are designed to be a seamless transition from Further Education to Higher Education, after successful completion of the first part of the programme in further education, students will complete the remainder of their degree course in the partnered higher education university. Tertiary degrees were created with the learner in mind, providing students the opportunity to get the education and career they want, through an alternative route.

Did You Know?

• Did you know that there are 1,571 Courses in the CAO system that accept PLCs for entry?
• Did you know that most PLC courses have a related Work Experience element included?
• Did you know that although PLC courses can gain the equivalent of up to 390pts, many courses above 390pts still have places set aside specifically for PLC applicants?
• Did you know that you must achieve a minimum of a pass in ALL modules of a PLC course in order to use it for entry to college?
• Did you know that PLC courses are also known as ‘Further Education’ courses?
• Did you know that eligible applicants can avail of SUSI or Back to Education Allowance for PLC courses?
• Did you know that the €200 fee for PLC Further Education Courses was abolished in Budget 2022?
• Did you know that applications to PLC courses are made either directly to the FE college or through www.fetchcourses.ie? 
• Did you know that there are currently 1,998 PLC courses currently listed around the country?
• Did you know that PLC courses are offered in Colleges of Further Education, 2nd Level schools and Community Education Centres?
• Did you know that PLC courses can provide the qualifications needed for entry level jobs such as in Childcare, SNA and Administration?
• Did you know that PLC courses are generally comprised of 8 modules?
• Did you know that many PLC courses have the same code (The important bit!) but may have different names?
• Did you know that there are PLC courses available across ALL 33 Career Sectors in the Irish World of Work?
• Did you know that there are almost 114 Pre-University PLC courses currently listed on our CourseFinder?
• Did you know that there are 38 Pre-Apprenticeship PLC courses currently listed in our CourseFinder?
• Did you know that you can claim a SUSI grant for a PLC course and still claim for up to FOUR years in Higher Education?
• Did you know that there are 450 PLC courses at Level 6?

To search for PLC courses, simply filter the database in whatever way suits for you. Choose one or more of the filters provided - QQI Award Code, Industry Sector, Career Interests, Region, County, College, NFQ level, QQI Links - you can use any combination.

Click here to start your search. 

PLC courses are in demand, with far more applicants than places available. There are now some 40,000 places available annually, and it is not just school leavers who are seeking places, but also mature students. Unemployed people who find that their work skills need to be updated are also taking-up PLC courses.

Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) courses have so much to offer students across a wide variety of career sector areas.

Arguably, one of the key benefits of PLC courses is the growing number of opportunities to progress onto Higher Education through the Higher Education Links Scheme (HELS) with almost 20% of all CAO applicants now presenting a Level 5 or Level 6 PLC award to access these opportunities.

What is the HELS?

The Higher Education Links Scheme (HELS) is the process by which students can progress from Further Education PLC courses into Higher Education programmes using their Level 5 or Level 6 Major award.  There are over 1,800 of these linked PLC courses throughout the country that students can study, across a diverse range of study areas. 

Can any PLC award be used to apply?

Some high demand degree courses require applicants to have studied specific PLC courses closely related to the degree.  For example Nursing degrees will typically require Pre-Nursing or Healthcare related PLC courses.  However, there are also over 1,500 Higher Education courses that will accept ANY full PLC award for entry.

How do I know which Higher Education Courses accept my PLC course?

Due to the huge number of PLC courses and their linked degrees, this can be a difficult question to answer.  The important thing to remember is that it is the course code of your PLC course, rather than the course name, that you need to look for.  Luckily Careers Portal have made this easy for you to understand! Our CourseFinder contains every linked course in the country and by following a few simple steps you can find out all theHigher Education Courses that accept your PLC Course for entry.  A good place to start would be to watch our Understanding Progression Routes demonstration video.

How do the PLC Courses Work?

Post Leaving Certificate courses are usually full-time, one year long courses comprised of eight modules.  They are generally at Level 5 on the National Framework of Qualifications, though some may progress onto a second year for a Level 6.  The marking system for PLC courses is Distinction (80%+), Merit (65%-79%), Pass (50%-64%) and Unsuccessful (0%- 49%).  In order to achieve a full award, and to be eligible to apply to Higher Education, students must achieve a minimum of a Pass grade in every module. 

Assessment of modules may be 100% coursework or a combination of coursework and exam while many modules may also contain practical assessment also.

What grades do I need or are there any specific PLC module requirements? 

This all depends on which degree is being applied for.  Only MAJOR awards can be used, and every module in your PLC course will need a pass result at least.  Some high demand courses require distinctions in all eight modules, many require five distinctions, while some courses may simply require you to have passed all of your modules.  In cases where there are more applicants than places available, those with the highest QQI points total will be awarded the place. 

PLC candidates can achieve a maximum of 390 QQI points, our QQI points calculator is a really handy tool which lets you insert your module results to calculate your points.  Finally, some courses may require distinctions in specific modules to satisfy their entry requirements.

So is it only courses of up to 390 points that I can apply for?

No. These are QQI points that are used to differentiate between QQI applicants, not Leaving Certificate (CAO) points, although they are considered as equivalent in comparison.  There are a great number of Higher Education courses with specific places set aside for QQI applicants in excess of the maximum number of QQI points you can achieve, in fact there are many 500+ points courses that have places set aside for those applying with a PLC qualification.

How many places are set aside for PLC applicants?

This can vary widely depending on the institution and the course.  Many courses set aside 10% of their places for QQI applicants.  This can mean that there are some surprisingly large amounts of places available for PLC students on the popular courses that have the largest intake of students, and sometimes these places do not all get filled. 

Some examples of the number of places set aside on these courses in recent years:

Arts-                           (UCD-30 places, Maynooth-175 places, NUI Galway-90 places)

Science-                      (UCD-30 places, Maynooth-10 places, NUI Galway-30 places)

Business-                    (UCD-12 places, Maynooth-20 places, NUI Galway-20 places)

Social Sciences-          (UCD-50 places, Maynooth-20 places)

How do I apply and when will I find out if I have been offered a place?

Candidates applying with a QQI award apply through CAO in the same way as a Leaving Certificate student.  In the qualifications section, tick the relevant QQI qualifications box (typically box No.2 for recent PLC students).  Of course, many QQI applicants will also have completed their Leaving Cert (Box No.1) and some may also be Mature students (Box No.8), so make sure to tick all the boxes that apply to you in order to enhance your chances of an offer.

QQI applicants who successfully meet the course requirements will receive their offer for the courses with quota places in Round 0 in early August a couple of weeks before the Leaving Cert applicants receive theirs. 

For CAO courses without quotas, eligible PLC applicants will receive offers for these places in Rounds 1, 2 etc until institutions have filled their courses.

Click here to use the CourseFinder Tool.

How Do I Apply to a PLC Course?

Post Leaving Certificate courses are usually full-time, one-year long courses comprised of eight modules, including Work Experience.  They are generally at Level 5 on the NFQ, though there are some two-year Level 6 options also.  PLC courses can lead directly to employment or as an alternative entry route into Higher Education.  They are offered in a wide variety of fields including Healthcare, Business, Computing, Accountancy, Science and Engineering.

Do I apply for PLC courses through CAO and do I need points?

No, CAO is for Higher Education courses in the college and universities where applicants need points and other entry requirements to get offered a place.

PLC courses are Further Education courses in Colleges of Further Education.  Entry requirements can vary between courses- some may require certain Leaving Certificate results (such as 5 passes) and/or some may require an interview to get offered a place. 

How do I apply and when do I need to make my application?

PLC applications are made directly to the relevant College of Further Education or through the www.fetchcourses.ie website.  Most FE colleges accept applications from January onwards and there is no set deadline or change of mind facility such as with CAO.  High demand PLC courses can start filling up early, so the advice would be to make your application early.

Once you apply you will get confirmation of your application. Some colleges will offer you a conditional offer immediately. Some colleges will require you to attend an interview or audition to make sure you are suitable for the course.   If you get offered a course you will need to pay your registration fee (€40/50) to secure your place. This offer will be conditional on you meeting the basic entry requirements as outlined in the Institute prospectus.

These requirements will need to be checked with each college but are normally 5 passes in the Leaving Cert, for a 2^nd level student. As an adult learner the criteria may be different and will be outlined at your interview .

What does the interview involve?

Many FE colleges hold interviews for each course, and these are typically held from Easter onwards, but can be earlier in the year.  The interviews are usually carried out by teaching staff on the course who are looking to assess whether the candidate is the right fit for the course.  The interviews are generally informal in nature and last between 10-20 minutes. They can be held on line or in person.

How many choices can I put down?

As each application is separate for each course, applicants can apply for any number of PLC courses in as many FE colleges as they want. 

Does it cost me anything to apply?

There is no fee when applying to colleges of Further Education or through the www.fetchcourses.ie website.  Some FE colleges may require applicants to pay a non-refundable fee (Typically €40/50) in order to hold your place.  Failure to pay your deposit may result in your application being cancelled and loss of your place.

When will I know if I have been accepted?

Successful applicants will be notified by the FE college by post, email or phone call.  These offers are made much earlier than the CAO offer season of mid-August, so it can be nice to have an offer secured early.  Students must secure this place by paying the relevant course fee before a set date.

To find out more about the range of PLC course options that are out there and where you can study them, use our dedicated PLC CourseFinder tool.

This offer is conditional on you meeting the basic entry requirements as outlined in the Institute prospectus.

What is an Award?

An award is one of 4 types:

1. Major award – all the full qualifications that you see on the rainbow of qualifications in the outer 2 bands, degrees, masters, certificates, advanced certificates, leaving cert, junior cert. Click here for the QQI rainbow diagram of qualifications.
2. Minor awards – partial completion of the no 1s ( some modules, some subjects)
3. Supplemental awards – additional learning in addition to a no 1 major award (extra modules)
4. Special purpose awards – relatively narrow or purpose specific achievement

How are awards graded?

Awards at levels 5 and 6 are graded Distinction, Merit and Pass.

What are credits and what is CATS?

Credits are marks that can be accumulated over time and some students can study at their own pace to arrive at a full award which has a total of 120 credits. Think of credits as building blocks - 1 credit equates with 10 hours of ‘learner effort’. 

By completing minor awards at Levels 5 and 6 (subjects/modules), students can use Credit Accumulation and Transfer System (CATS) to reach a full certificate award of 120 credits. 

Students should note that some Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) do not allow students to progress unless the Award (qualification) was achieved in one academic year.

What are Minor Awards?

A typical QQI Level 5 course is made up of 8 components (subjects/modules) also known as ‘minor awards’. 

Example: 5 vocational (mandatory and electives) 2 general studies and 1 work experience module

These 8 components are worth 15 credits each - total available credits of 120 (8 x 15 = 120 credits)

Some courses may include extra components/awards. A minor award can have a credit value of 5,10,15,20, or 30. Even if students take extra awards, they may only use components up to a maximum value of 120 credits when trying to convert their results into CAO points.

What is CAS?

The Common Awards System (CAS) means that each award has a unique code.

The codes look like this:

5M2102 which is a Level 5, Major Award in Business Studies, in other words a full Certificate at Level 5 in Business Studies.

Your PLC / QQI award points may be used as a criteria for acceptance to a HEI. Just like when students study 8 subjects for the leaving cert - only the 6 best results count.

Post Leaving Certificate courses are usually full-time, one year long courses comprised of eight modules.  The marking system for PLC courses is Distinction (80%+), Merit (65%-79%), Pass (50%-64%) and Unsuccessful (0%- 49%). 

In order to achieve a full award, and to be eligible to apply to Higher Education, students must achieve a minimum of a Pass grade in every module.

This means they achieved the maximum converted CAO points score of 390 points.

Assessment of modules may be 100% coursework or a combination of coursework and exam while many modules may also contain practical assessment also.

To convert the PLC / QQI credits we use a formula. It is basically a tool to convert the credits into points (knocking out any surplus credits over 120).

If you find the above far too confusing, don’t worry we have a calculator available which will take the pain out of battling with the formula yourself and work out the points for you!

Click here for our CAO Points Calculators - choose QQI 

If students are applying for a linked programme of study such as a nursing degree, they must fulfil the entry requirements by doing the correct QQI linked course (there are 3 for nursing) and they must get 5 distinctions in specific named components.  Once they are deemed eligible for consideration, they are allocated places using the CAO random numbers method.

Last year there were 13 HEIs offering places on nursing degrees. Nursing is one of the most difficult degrees to get into, so this progression route can be an attractive alternative for those who did not receive a place with their LC points. To view the places reserved for QQI applicants, click here.

When students apply to get on to any HEI programme, they are allocated places on a competitive CAO points basis. Only when more than one applicant is sitting on the same points total will the random selection method be used to rank them.

If students need to pass a particular maths component to gain entry to the HEI, they may be allowed satisfy this entry requirement from the grade they achieved in maths at leaving cert level.

How do students apply to progress using QQI Level 5?

They apply through the CAO and their results will be sent directly to the CAO.  They will be offered places in round 1.

How do students with QQI Level 6 progress?

A Level 6 award can be used to progress to HEI Year 1 through the CAO.  However, some HEIs allow Level 6 award holders to gain advanced entry to 2^nd year.  To do this, students must contact the HEI directly to discuss application procedures.

Engagement with Employers

A real strength of PLC courses is the level of engagement with employers at a local and regional level.  Many Further Education Colleges and ETB’s liaise with employers and companies in relation to taking students on for Work Experience, typically one day per week, for the duration of the course.  More and more partnerships are also being formed in order to help deliver courses designed to address skills gaps and changing labour market conditions.

Get straight to work!

Successful completion of PLC courses and the associated Work Experience can mean that graduates are often ready-to-go in terms of employment.  Their CVs now include the vital Work Experience and References that employers desire.  QQI Level 5 awards are often the required qualification for many occupations.  An excellent example of this is in the Childcare sector where a QQI Level 5 qualification in Childcare is the current requirement for employment in childcare settings.  Also, many SNA’s in our school system secured employment positions directly from their PLC course.  PLC students making positive impressions on employers during work placements is also a common occurrence and can often be offered a permanent position upon completion of their course. 

Apprenticeship Opportunities

Many PLC courses also offer learners the opportunity to progress onto apprenticeships or other “earn as you learn” opportunities.  These are often advertised as Pre-Apprenticeship PLC’s and are highly thought of by employers and industry.  Modules are designed to equip potential apprentices with the relevant vocational skills as well as improved communication and IT skills that are important for their chosen apprenticeship pathway.    

Transferable skills

PLC courses help develop a broad range of transferrable, career or employability skills thattheirgraduates can take into the workplace.  Communication, IT, Teamwork, Critical Thinking and Self-Management skills can all be honed much more during a PLC course due to the tailored and vocational nature of the course.  The QQI awards earned by successful PLC students are also internationally recognised, meaning they travel well and can be very useful when securing employment abroad.

Aside from the huge number of links into third level through the Higher Education Links Scheme (HELS), PLC courses can also help students prepare for college life in a number of key ways.  This is borne out by the fact that college drop-out rates are considerably lower in students who have completed a PLC qualification before entry.

A ‘Gap Year’ with benefits - PLC courses can act in much the same was as a welcome year out or gap year after the rigours of the Leaving Certificate.  Students opting for a PLC course will be giving themselves an extra year to mature and to decide what they really want to do in college, while at the same time acquiring an additional qualification in a specialised area of their choosing.  Students can also choose PLC courses in areas that allow them to sample a subject area before committing to a four year course, for example a pre-university Science or Nursing PLC.

Assignments-  Most PLC modules operate very much in the same way as college modules do in that there is a mix of coursework assignments and exams.  PLC assignments generally need to be word processed and use similar formats to those in third level, including an introduction to referencing.  This not only familiarises a PLC student with systems used in college, it also greatly improves their typing and ICT skills which can take a bit of getting used to for first year college students.

Independent learning - PLC courses challenge students to develop their independent learning skills and to take more personal responsibility for their learning.  This style of learning is much more akin to third level as opposed to the more teacher-led style employed in secondary school.

Communication Skills - Communications is a core module common across PLC courses.  Throughout the module students learn and are examined on their presentation, meeting and interview skills.  Making presentations and collaborating with your peers are key elements of most college courses so the excellent, transferable skills picked up during a PLC course means that students are very well equipped to deal with this side of a college course as well as the workplace. 

Finance - PLC courses are also recognised for SUSI funding.  Eligible students can apply for grant funding through SUSI for their PLC year and this does not affect any subsequent grant applications for when they enter third level.  SUSI will continue to pay out to eligible students as long as they are progressing up the NFQ levels. 

For example, an eligible student could get grant funding for a Level 5 PLC course, then continue to get funded for each year of a Level 6, 7 or 8 course afterwards, as long as they are progressing and not repeating a year.  Many students use the grant funding of their PLC year to help save for the greater expense of a third level course.  The work experience in PLC can also provide opportunities for a part-time job with an employer.