Record number of whizz-kids in honours courses
Saturday November 15 2008
The number of students signing on for honours computing degrees has topped the 1,000 mark for the first time in years.
And figures on science are even more encouraging with a 19pc rise in the numbers enrolling in honours science degree courses.
The figures were compiled by the Higher Education Authority (HEA), whose chief executive, Tom Boland, welcomed the trend.
"While not wishing to overstate the significance of one year, this may be the beginning of a trend of increased interest in science and technology among young people," he said.
"The message may finally be getting through of the many career opportunities in areas such as software development, nanotechnology, neuroscience and biotechnology.
"The increase may also spring from the interest that young people have in global issues such as climate change or from the impact of online social networking," Mr Boland said.
An HEA study has found that for honours degree (level 8) science programmes, 2,958 students accepted first-year places this year, climbing from 2,484 last year (a 19pc increase). Honours degree (level 8) computing programmes saw 1,005 students take places, up from 946 last year.
This marks the first time since the dotcom crash in the early part of the decade that the numbers beginning computing degrees have topped 1,000. There have also been increases in student take-up of levels 6 and 7 science programmes.
Studies by Dublin City University report tens of thousands of vacancies in the whole computing sector.
Mr Boland encouraged Leaving Certificate students and their teachers and parents to look at the wide variety of science and computing courses on offer as they contemplate their CAO options for next year.
- John Walshe Education Editor
