Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) is the ideal stepping stone for those who wish to progress to primary or secondary school teaching. A recent Institute survey reported that each year almost 40% of the Institute’s Arts Graduates continue on to further education with the majority of these aiming to become teachers in the future.
One such DkIT graduate who progressed from her Bachelor of Arts degree to teaching at second level is Cara Duffy. Cara from Dundalk studied Arts in DkIT and is now a full time post-primary school teacher. Cara originally started her third level educational journey at a university in Dublin but quickly realised that it wasn’t the educational experience that she wanted as the class sizes were too large with up to 300 people in a lecture compared to the more intimate class sizes in DkIT. She joined DkIT in 2nd year and relished the more unique and personal experience that the Institute had to offer.
Cara said“I joined DkIT in 2nd year after completing my 1st year in a university in Dublin, DkIT was the perfect fit for me and what made my time so special in DkIT was the personal relationships I built with lecturers and classmates. What I loved about DkIT was the aspects of the campus community which supported me to get involved in campus life and student activities, in particular I got involved with student politics and this brought my college experience all together. After my undergraduate degree in DkIT in History and Politics I proceeded to a Professional Masters in Education (PME) and I’ve now been teaching at 2nd level for 4 years and I love it”.
She added, “My advice to anyone thinking of doing an Arts degree in DkIT is go for it! This pathway in DkIT was perfect for me to progress to be a post primary school teacher. The Lecturers in DkIT are fantastic and I must add that it was one of my lecturers in particular, Kevin Howard, who inspired me to become a teacher, his depth of knowledge always encourages me to learn and know more about my chosen subjects. The thing I love most about teaching is the students, it’s so rewarding to see the next generation’s interest and love of history and politics which are subjects I feel so passionately about”.
Cara Duffy and Liam McCourt
Another student from Dundalk, Liam McCourt, who has just recently completed his BA (Hons) in Arts in English, Politics, and Digital Humanities, said,“I will graduate from DkIT in November 2024 and have accepted an offer from DCU to start my Masters in Post Primary Education this September, fulfilling a lifetime ambition of becoming a teacher. I had an amazing time in DkIT, I leave having acquired a comprehensive understanding of my interests while simultaneously equipping me with the knowledge required for teaching English”.
An academic Arts degree from DkIT not only nurtures individual growth but also prepares students for a wide range of careers in fields such as education, media, politics, arts administration, and creative industries. A pathway to secondary-school teaching, this course offers a traditional arts education in History, English, Archaeology, Politics and Society, alongside three-years of digital humanities training. Students who complete the course can progress to gain accreditation for teaching in History, English and CSPE by the Teaching Council of Ireland on completion of the Postgraduate Master in Professional Education.
