Level eight agricultural courses in colleges throughout Ireland experienced a drop in points as the first round of CAO offers were revealed on Monday.

Of the 11 level eight agricultural courses, all but four saw their points reduce. Points for agricultural courses in UCD, Tralee, Carlow IT and GMIT all fell slightly.

Agricultural science in UCD dropped from 454 in 2017 to 451 this year, while environmental science also dropped below 400 points to 397. On the flip side, agricultural science in Waterford IT saw an increase in demand as points jumped to 403, 14 higher than last year. Dairy business in UCD saw over 30 points of a rise to 432, while Dundalk IT saw its agricultural course rise by eight points to 327.

Points for the level eight food and health sciences rose sharply in some colleges, with half the courses seeing an increase in points and the other half showing a drop in points. No level eight food and health science course had the same points as last year.

The new level eight agricultural course in LIT and Letterkenny IT joined the CAO list this year with environmental management in agriculture in LIT requiring 299 points and the agriculture course in Letterkenny slightly higher on 301. Next year will see another level eight agricultural science course on the CAO list as UCC launches it’s first agricultural programme. In June, the Irish Farmers Journal reported that UCC was in the advanced stages of developing an agricultural science undergraduate programme.

For level seven agricultural courses, points dropped in Carlow IT, Cork IT, GMIT and Tralee IT, while the points jumped for level seven courses in Waterford IT, LIT, and Letterkenny IT.

Horticulture

Points for horticulture courses increased this year. In UCD, points for horticulture, landscape and sportsturf management jumped 70 points to 298, while horticulture in Blanchardstown IT increased to 245 points. Level seven horticulture courses also jumped in Waterford and Blanchardstown IT.

Veterinary

Veterinary medicine in UCD was 560 this year, up five on last year, while veterinary nursing remained the same at 467. Bioveterinary science in Athlone IT, also a level eight, increased to 304. Level seven veterinary nursing courses in Blanchardstown IT, Letterkenny IT and Dundalk IT all increased.

Food and health science

Points for the level eight food and health sciences rose sharply in some colleges, with half the courses seeing an increase in points and the other half showing a drop in points. No level eight food and health science course had the same points as last year.

UCD saw a significant jump in points in this area, as human nutrition increased from 498 to 521, while food science in the college jumped over 20 points to 484. In UCC, nutritional science broke the 500-point barrier to 507 points after it fell to 484 last year.

Points in public health nutrition in GMIT, food science in UL and nutraceuticals in health and nutrition in DIT all fell.

CAO offers: list of agriculture and food-related courses

CAO OFFERS

The Central Applications Office (CAO) issued 73,652 round one offers to 50,746 CAO applicants. These offers consist of 42,301 level eight course offers and 31,351 level seven and six course offers.

Applicants have until Friday, 24 August at 5:15pm to accept round one offers. If they fail to accept by this date, their offer will lapse. When accepting an offer, the CAO advises applicants to use the online system, stating that it is “easier, safer and faster than returning the paper offer notice”.

The CAO Available Places facility opened on Tuesday 21 August. Available Places refers to places that remain unfilled in particular courses after all offers have been made and waiting lists have been exhausted.

The Available Places facility is open to new applicants for a fee of €45. An application can be made by clicking on the Available Places link on the CAO website. CL