Tertiary Degrees are co-designed and co-delivered by the Education and Training Boards (ETBs) and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to provide seamless pathways from Further Education to Higher Education. ETB and HEI partners collaborate in the design and validation of the degree programme, including assessments and requirements for progression.
Tertiary degree pathways offer step-back awards wherein, upon completing their studies in the ETB, they receive an NFQ Level 5 Award validated by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), before progressing on to complete their undergraduate degree in the HEI.
Assessments which take place in the ETB component of a Tertiary Degree are in line with ETB assessments, while assessments which take place in higher education setting are in line with higher education assessments.
HEIs do not review the quality of work submitted during the ETB component, nor is any review by the HEI required for the student progression from the ETB to the HEI. Tertiary Degrees by their nature are designed to allow students to seamlessly progress from the ETB setting to the HEI setting, once they have passed the assessments in the ETB.
