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How does the mature entry route operate?

Mature applications are considered on the basis of Portfolio Assessment - quite simply, this means that the academic staff assess all documentation which you provide to the CAO by 31st March.

Please ensure that you clearly write your CAO number on each piece of documentation which you provide to the CAO to ensure it is added to your CAO file.

Note: your application must be made to the CAO by 1st February; however you have until 31st March to send further documentation to the CAO. (DkIT cannot accept documentation directly from the applicant, nor can documentation supplied to the CAO after 31st March be taken into account.)

Every programme for which you apply to DkIT will be assessed on mature grounds.

Due to the numbers of applications involved, it is not possible to provide individual guidance to applicants. The applicant should consider what documentation best supports his/her application. As a general guide, the following is required:

  • your education record to date (copies of examination transcripts, etc.)
  • relevant skills to date (copies of training certificates, CPD certificates, etc.)
  • your employment history and how it may be relevant to the programme you wish to study at DkIT (written employer references, etc.)

As well as the above documentation, you should also send a personal statement(s) which outlines your reasons for choosing a programme(s) of study at DkIT and the ways in which your experience and achievements to date support your application. Your personal statement(s) should also outline your motivation and knowledge of the programme(s) and subsequent career paths.

You may decide to send in one general personal statement or may choose to send in more than one personal statement (clearly marking each statement for a particular programme e.g. "Personal Statement for Vet Nursing" or you may choose to provide a personal statement for a group of programmes e.g. "Personal Statement for Business Programmes"). This is an individual choice for each applicant to make and DkIT cannot make recommendations to an applicant in this respect.

The personal statement should make reference to the supporting documentation provided in order to clearly illustrate the points being made.

Please note the following:

In the interests of fairness and transparency, only information that is backed up by evidence will be taken into account. Evidence includes copies of employer references (which should ideally provide detail of the work you carried out and illustrate how this is relevant to the programme for which you wish to be considered at DkIT). Claims regarding academic achievement to date should be supported by certificates, examinations transcripts, academic references, etc. as appropriate. If you are currently studying for examinations, you are advised to supply an academic reference from someone who is currently teaching you. Please note that depending on the programme(s) for which you have applied to DkIT, some areas are considered particularly critical e.g. engineering programme staff look for evidence of mathematical proficiency, creative arts programme staff look for evidence of creative work to date, etc.

Original documentation should not be sent to the CAO as it cannot be returned. Photocopies of documentation suffices -it is important that the photocopies are legible and of good quality.

 Applicants for programmes DK863 (BA Hons in Creative Media)DK864 (BA Hons in Film  & Television Production) and/or DK769 (BA in Creative Media) must submit a 500-700 word statement as part of their documentation. This statement must address the following questions:

1) Why do you want to undertake this programme?

2) What kinds of contemporary creative work do you enjoy and why?

3) What creative activities have you been involved in over the last few years?