Dublin Institute of Technology

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dublin Institute of Technology Institiúid Teicneolaíochta Bhaile Atha Cliath


Established	1978
President	Prof Brian Norton
Registrar	Dr Thomas Duff
Faculty	1,188
Students	18,000
Alumni	50,000
Location	Dublin, Republic of Ireland
Address	Fitzwilliam House 30 Upper Pembroke Street Dublin 2
Telephone	+353-1-402 3000
Affiliations	EUA
Website	http://www.dit.ie

The Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) was established officially in 1992 under the Dublin Institute of Technology Act but had been previously set up in 1978 on an ad-hoc basis. The institution can trace its origins back to 1887 with the establishment of various technical institutions in Dublin, Ireland. The institution considers itself to be quite distinct from other Institutes of Technology in Ireland; it continues to build on its long tradition of providing education from certificate to doctorate level.

The institution is currently planning a single campus, the Grangegorman Campus, thus moving from its many city centre locations which has often been a source of criticism. In 1993 the institution was formally separated from the City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee, the colleges and their original year of foundation:

College of Technology, Bolton Street (1911)
College of Catering, Cathal Brugha Street (1941)
College of Music, Chatham Row (1890)
College of Technology, Kevin Street (1887)
College of Marketing and Design, Mountjoy Square (1905)
College of Commerce, Rathmines (1901)

In 1975 the University of Dublin entered an agreement whereby it conferred academic degrees at the colleges; this allowed these graduates a vote in the Dublin University constituency for Seanad Éireann representatives. This situation continued until 1998, when the institution was granted its own degree awarding powers. The institution sought university status in 1996; although the application was declined, the institution now has powers comparable to those of a university, and its degrees are recognised as such in Ireland. On completion of the Grangegorman Campus, university status is expected to be sought again.

The institution currently offers a number of subdegree awards, including the DIT Certificate and DIT Diploma which are comparable to the National Certificate and National Diploma respectively. The institution awards Bachelor's, Master's and Doctoral degrees, and the Graduate Diploma; the institution now has to award at levels and criteria agreed with the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland.