Limerick Institute of Technology

Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT) is an institution of higher education in Limerick, Ireland and is one of 14 member institutions of the Technological Higher Education Association (THEA). The Institute has campuses in Limerick city, one in both Thurles and Clonmel in County Tipperary and a regional learning centre in Ennis, County Clare. The main campus is located at Moylish Park adjacent to Thomond Park and houses the Faculty of Applied Science, Engineering and Technology and the School of Business and Humanities. The School of Art & Design is located at the Clare Street and Clonmel campuses.

LIT offers courses at Level 6 (certificate) through Level 10 (PhD) whilst also catering for craft apprentices and adult and continuing education. The Institute has twice been named as The Sunday Times Institute of Technology of the Year in The Sunday Times University Guide, firstly in 2008 and again in 2013.

LIT is to the forefront in ensuring that the region's economy continues to have the requisite array of leading-edge skills demanded by our knowledge-based industries. In 2017, LIT was granted permission to develop a new campus at Coonagh in Limerick, to be focused on teaching and research in engineering.

LIT has a distinctive approach to Teaching and Learning known as the Active Learning philosophy. Whatever discipline area is offered the core methodology is active and practical; lab work, studio work, case studies, field visits, group assignments and more.

This approach to teaching and learning is embedded in assessment strategies and campus development so that the learning environment reflects the identity of LIT. It is also underpinned by staff developments, e.g. workshops and an online repository of active learning strategies.

The genesis of LIT was the Limerick School of Ornamental Art set up in 1852 when the Athenaeum Society started a School of Arts and Fine Crafts in Limerick. In 1963 a series of technical colleges, to be known as Regional Technical Colleges (RTCs) was announced by the then Minister for Education, Patrick Hillery and the first of the RTCs were opened in Athlone, Carlow, Dundalk, Sligo and Waterford in 1970.

A regional technical college for Limerick followed in 1974, initially under the name Limerick College of Art, Commerce and Technology (CoACT). CoACT was upgraded to Institute of Technology status in 1997, along with the restof the RTCs. In 1999 LIT was awarded delegated authority by the Higher Education and Training Awards Council, which allows the institute to award its own bachelors, masters and doctorates degrees.

In 2011, following a government decision, the former Tipperary Institute was integrated into LIT, significantly enhancing and enlarging the education provision of the institute.

LIT is among the most vibrant and connected institutions in Ireland. When you look around our 5 campuses, you will see an astonishing diversity of programmes and people exploring new ideas, pursuing new knowledge, creating new art, and filling our workshops, studios and labs with the vibrancy that comes from being an institution that is committed to discovery and creativity.

As a student in LIT, you will find yourself at the heart of this vibrancy and activity. Each of our campuses is a community of learning, rooted in its place, and rooted in our ethos of learning together and bringing theory and practice together.

That is why LIT scores at the very top of Irish student surveys for friendliness, access to lecturers and diversity. This is something that we are very proud of.

At the same time, our programmes are developed in partnership with industry, professional bodies and the community to give you the best outcomes possible. This is part of our connectedness.

That is why students, graduates and employers consistently give us high scores for the quality of our programmes, which have an excellent employability record. More than 9 out of 10 of our graduates are in employment within 6 months of finishing their college programme.

We deliver over 120 programmes to learners through our campuses in Limerick, Tipperary and Ennis. I invite you to explore this prospectus and see if you can find a programme to fit your needs. You can be assured that if it fits your needs it is also fitting the needs of a potential employer as well.

We are very open to applications from mature students looking to return to education and if you have the right qualifications and experience you may be able to take a fast track route.

LIT graduates have been successful in every field of endeavour, from business to the sciences, technology, public service, engineering, hospitality and tourism, fashion and the arts.