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Because of the breadth and complexity of post-compulsory education in the Republic of Ireland, the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) was established in 2003 by the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland. The Framework sets out the level at which a qualification can be recognized in the Republic of Ireland and includes academic and vocational qualifications.
The NFQ helps students make informed decisions about the qualifications they need, and they help employers and educational providers assess what qualifications an applicant has completed. The NFQ is comprised of ten levels, and set out the basis on which qualifications are approved, so that everyone can have confidence in the standards of qualifications and the consistency between these qualifications in terms of levels, size, content, use of titles, etc.
To best understand the applicant's credentials, we have provided a very short list of the 10 levels of the Frameworks. This short list, which is not all inclusive, includes both vocational and other non-university credentials and their comparisons in the university sector to make it easier to see how all of the credentials complement one another. This list summarizes information contained in the interactive fan diagram provided by the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland. Higher education studies begin at Level 6.
1 – Level 1 Certificates (offered by FETAC – Further Education and Training Awards Council)
2 – Level 2 Certificates (offered by FETAC)
3 – Level 3 Certificates (offered by FETAC) and Junior Certificates (offered by SEC – State Examinations Commission)
4 – Level 4 Certificates (offered by FETAC) and Leaving Certificates (offered by SEC)
5 – Level 5 Certificates (offered by FETAC) and Leaving Certificates (offered by SEC)
6 – Advanced Certificates (offered by FETAC) and Higher Certificates (offered by HETAC and IoT – Institutes of Technology) and Higher Certificates (offered by DiT – Dublin Institute of Technology)
7 – 3-year Ordinary/Pass Bachelor Degrees (offered by HETAC & IoT, DiT, and Universities)
8 – Honours Bachelor Degrees and Higher Diplomas (offered by HETAC & IoT, DiT, and Universities)
9 – Masters Degrees and Post-Graduate Diplomas (offered by HETAC & IoT, DiT, and Universities)
10 – Doctoral Degrees and Higher Doctorates (offered by HETAC & IoT, DiT, and Universities)
Non-degree programs in Engineering include the Level 6 Higher Certificate in Engineering. Graduates of a Higher Certificate in Engineering (Level 6 on the NFQ) from an institution accredited by Engineers Ireland are eligible to apply for the professional title of Engineering Technician (Eng Tech).
While Bachelor degrees in Ireland have historically been offered as both 3- and 4-year programs, the Baccalaureatus in Arte Ingeniaria/BAI (Bachelor of Engineering) program has required four years of study since the 1950s. Since the 2010s, a 4-year Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSc. Ing.) has also been offered.
Some higher education institutions in Ireland do offer 3-year Bachelor of Engineering programs. Both 3-year Bachelors (Level 7 on the NFQ) and Bachelor’s Honours (Level 8) are eligible to apply for the professional title of Associate Engineer (AEng).
A 1-year Magister in Arte Ingeniaria/MAI degree program has also been available since 2013 and may be offered as a 5-year integrated degree. Since 2013, Master of Engineering programs that represent completion of five years of tertiary study in engineering (Level 9 on the NFQ) satisfy the educational requirements for the title of CEng (Chartered Engineer). Prior to then, holders of the Level 8 qualifications were eligible to apply for the CEng title.
In the 4-year Bachelor of Engineering program, the first two years of the program offer a common core curriculum that focuses on engineering sciences while the later two years focus on a specialization in computer engineering; electronic engineering; mechanical/manufacturing engineering; biomedical engineering' or civil, structural and environmental engineering.
Degrees and diplomas are sometimes conferred in Latin, especially from the National University of Ireland. Duplicate copies of documents certifying such qualifications in this instance may be issued in English upon request.
Resources:
Associate Engineer. Engineers Ireland. https://www.engineersireland.ie/Professionals/Membership/Registered-professional-titles/Associate-Engineer and https://www.engineersireland.ie/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=bfUywZFQSUg%3d&portalid=0&resourceView=1
The Bologna Process and the Education of Engineers. European Society for Engineering Education, 2009. https://ehea.info/media.ehea.info/file/2009_Leuven_Louvain-la-Neuve/94/5/SEFI-IGIP_Communication_2009_BP_594945.pdf
Education Systems: Ireland. NUFFIC Internationalisation in Education. https://www.nuffic.nl/en/education-systems/ireland/higher-education#honours-bachelors-degree-
ENAEE Database of EUR-ACE Labelled Programmes. European Network for Accreditation of Engineering Education. https://eurace.enaee.eu/node/163
Engineering Technician. Engineers Ireland. https://www.engineersireland.ie/Professionals/Membership/Registered-professional-titles/Engineering-Technician and https://www.engineersireland.ie/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=YYEpM03dsX4%3d&portalid=0&resourceView=1
European Engineering Education Database (EEED). Engineers Europe. https://iframe-feani.eeed.eu/node/137
Chartered Engineer. Engineers Ireland. https://www.engineersireland.ie/Professionals/Membership/Registered-professional-titles/Chartered-Engineer and https://www.engineersireland.ie/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=e0GRBDH7ZIs%3d&portalid=0&resourceView=1
Engineers Ireland: Accredited Programs, 2025. Engineers Ireland. https://www.engineersireland.ie/Professionals/Membership/Become-a-member/Accredited-third-level-courses and https://www.engineersireland.ie/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=jjNg6HFPjSM%3d&portalid=0&resourceView=1
Engineering Programme Structure Requirements for Bologna Compliance. International Symposium for Engineering Education, 2007. https://doras.dcu.ie/459/1/Olabi-ISEE07.pdf
Higher Education Authority: https://hea.ie/higher-education-institutions/?v=l
Irish Register of Qualifications. Quality and Qualifications Ireland. https://irq.ie/ and https://www.qqi.ie/what-we-do/the-qualifications-system/irish-register-of-qualifications
National Framework of Qualifications: https://www.qqi.ie/sites/default/files/2022-01/nfq-fan-poster.pdf and https://www.qqi.ie/what-we-do/the-qualifications-system/national-framework-of-qualifications
Qualifax: Ireland’s National Learners’ Database. Quality and Qualifications Ireland. https://www.qualifax.ie/
Qualifications Can Cross Boundaries: A Guide to Comparing Qualifications in the UK and
Ireland. National Qualifications Authority of Ireland, 2019.
Quality and Qualifications Ireland. https://www.qqi.ie/what-we-do/the-qualifications-system/listed-awarding-bodies https://www.qqi.ie/sites/default/files/media/file-uploads/Qualifications%20can%20Cross%20Boundries%202019.pdf
Stepping up to Level 9. Engineers Ireland, 2008. https://www.nspe.org/sites/default/files/resources/pdfs/blog/EngineeringMasterDegree-Level9-aw.pdf
Third-Level Education in Ireland. Citizens Information. https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/education/third-level-education/colleges-and-qualifications/third-level-education-in-ireland/
Trinity College Dublin. https://www.tcd.ie/engineering/about-us/history/ and https://www.tcd.ie/stem/about/engineering/ and https://www.tcd.ie/calendar/general-information/2017-18/degrees-and-diplomas.pdf and https://www.tcd.ie/engineering/about-us/history/