# Cost of Post Grad Courses in Ireland are Outrageous



## ccbkd (29 Jun 2009)

I inquired about a single term course in Arbitration in UCD - it was a staggering €5250 for single year with lectures over weekends with some midweek - It seems some sectors of country are not willing to accept what the rest of us know, and that is there isn't much spare cash out there!!


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## Brendan Burgess (29 Jun 2009)

I would imagine that even at that price, the course is heavily subsidised.

The people giving it would presumably be senior legal people and practising arbitrators who would charge a lot for giving the course. I suppose you could argue that these people are not as busy now and could reduce the fee they charge to UCD. 

They can't really reduce the price and run it at a loss. It would make more sense for them to just stop offering the course until there is more money available. 



Brendan


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## onq (29 Jun 2009)

There is an opinion that all prices/fees should fall in a recession, and purveyors of professional services and education are easy targets.
Or course there is the contrary reply - that when things are going well you can get great discounts and people are less inclined to deal when every sale counts.
People seem to forget the time and money already put into education by the people giving the courses and the fact that they are intellectually mobile.
They can decide not to give courses, as well as 3rd level institutions can decide not to hold courses.

Unless the course offers good interaction with people on the cutting edge of the profession, and unless you need to see people in front of you to learn, correspondence courses giving the same level fo advice will prepare you just as well.
Why don't you try another university - perhaps something like the Open University.
The real issue, as was noted in a recent contribution to a thread dealing with a psychology course, seems to be whether the course qualification is well thought of and recognised by other institutions, persons who and places where you might gainfully be employed.

But to come back to Brendan's point, there is another side to the cost of post-graduate courses, which I agree seem very high, particularly so in the case of Project Management for some reason.
It is assumed that people who already are qualified and have been earning for a few years can afford to pay more of the cost of the course.

(OT) Lumping course fees on students at a time when we should be investing in intellectual capital - for the sake of short term book balancing - will be one of the signs that this government is unfit to govern, should it come about.

FWIW

ONQ.


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## Yaffle (29 Jun 2009)

I thought the Open University was great and would recommend it to anyone. 

I have spent a fair amount of money on post grad qualifications (personally and through work) and I've found it to be the best investment I've ever made in terms of pay and experience gained. I always used the cheaper distance learning courses as to begin with I didn't have the money to spend and in the end I liked the flexibilty.


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## kkelliher (8 Jul 2009)

I did this course and just finished it. It cost €5900 including application fee. It was €3,200 last year and we didnt find out the fee until we had already started the course. The couse only lasts 12 weeks. Tuesday and Thursday for those with no legal qualification and thursday only for those who have a legal qualification. There are a few saturday morning classes but not many.

the course is very good and worth while but the cost of it is hard to justify.


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## Yeager (8 Jul 2009)

How much extra to you would be in relation to wages? Say its worth an extra 2K per year vs someone at degree level then its paid for itself in just over 2 yrs.

In comparion to some of the MSc where lab work needs to be covered its on the cheap side. Some of them are closer to the 10K bracket.


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## jp2009 (8 Jul 2009)

Try an MBA! 30k.


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## Joanne1 (9 Jul 2009)

I know what you mean.  I was put off doing a Masters a few years ago (UCD) by the outrageous charges.  Although if I'd gone ahead with it I'm sure I would have recovered my costs by now!  I suppose it's short term pain for long term gain.


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## Curious81 (9 Jul 2009)

onq said:


> Why don't you try another university - perhaps something like the Open University.



The OU is excellent, however their fees are not significantly lower than Irish Universities for comparable courses. Irish university fees are far lower than fees in the USA also. I believe its money well spent.


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## galleyslave (9 Jul 2009)

ou is damn expensive also...
doing a masters - do it in sweden.... its free... and in english!


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## Swallows (9 Jul 2009)

Hi, you can claim tax relief on The OU course which will knock the price down.


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## galleyslave (9 Jul 2009)

Swallows said:


> Hi, you can claim tax relief on The OU course which will knock the price down.



down by 20%, but with a course costing thousands, you're still looking at big bucks...


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## Complainer (10 Jul 2009)

Swallows said:


> Hi, you can claim tax relief on The OU course which will knock the price down.


So they just add 20% to the price of the course beforehand. I guess a lot of these courses are paid or part-paid by employers, so that allows them to bump up the prices too.


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## ontour (10 Jul 2009)

Complainer said:


> So they just add 20% to the price of the course beforehand.



I find it hard to believe that there is a bunch of people in OU sitting in the basement ...."Do you know that the Irish get 20% back in their taxes"....."Right, lets up the price of all our courses by 20%"....."but the people in England will suffer"... "but sure didn't they make the people of Ireland suffer for years".......


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## MissRibena (10 Jul 2009)

The OU set 3 different prices for most courses; one for the UK, a higher one for Rep of Ireland and a third one higher again for other European countries.  

I've asked before why the UK one is lower and they say it's because the UK government heavily subsidise their own citizens.  I'm not sure why the Irish fees are less than elsewhere.

Either way, I still think OU are terrific value for money.


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## cork (10 Jul 2009)

I did an MA back in 05 . It was €4000.  (Biggest waste of money)

I am thinking about a PHD nowdays - If I sign up - I think I'd do it full time.

Avoid costly tuition and other fees.

A 20% tax relief is niether here or there.


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## Curious81 (10 Jul 2009)

Swallows said:


> Hi, you can claim tax relief on The OU course which will knock the price down.



You can claim tax relief of courses at Irish Universities too.


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## mgc (15 Jul 2009)

Google www.rdi.co.uk and compare their fees.


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## eddyteddy (16 Jul 2009)

Hi
I agree about the high cost of these courses.
The MBS in Strategic Procurement in DCU costs 7350/yr for 3 days each month by 6 months.

Wondering if its worth it.
Recedntly took a 10% salary cut.

Eddyteddy


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## Purple (16 Jul 2009)

eddyteddy said:


> Hi
> I agree about the high cost of these courses.
> The MBS in Strategic Procurement in DCU costs 7350/yr for 3 days each month by 6 months.
> 
> ...


€410 a day, I hope it's good!


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