The Best Schools for Online Courses in Ireland
Due to the Covid19 pandemic forcing schools to shut down, Irish institutions found a way to continue the learning of the students.This led to the growth of remote classes, giving options to people to take online courses in Ireland instead of doing it traditionally.
This article will talk about the institutions that offer online courses and what skills or expertise you can get from them. It’ll also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each institution to help you choose your options.
If you’re ready, let’s get on with it!
The Cost of Online Courses in Ireland
According to various sources, the cost of most online courses starts from €1,500, and it can go as high as €10,000 or more.
The huge discrepancies in rates depend on several factors such as the institution, the course itself, the duration of the course, and other miscellaneous requirements (for example, requiring special equipment or software for courses like 3D animation).
We recommend contacting the institution directly for the actual fees and its breakdown so you’ll know all details and not miss a thing.
Top Online Course Centres in Ireland
We’re reviewing the top institutions to take online courses in Ireland based on the following:
1. Griffith College
Courses | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Variety | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Expertise | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Value for money (Higher score = better value) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Reviews and recommendations | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Student support | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Learning environment | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Learning resources | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
What makes Griffith College stand out for us is that it offers a mixture of online courses and blended learning courses. Both types of courses allow more flexibility than traditional classrooms, and you’ll have the option to choose what suits you!
We appreciate that there are several courses available—from Accounting to Legal; from Business to Human Resource. However, we think you should know that it’s only the Accounting courses that are fully online while the rest are all in blended learning mode.
For blended learning, we love that all online materials like high-end videos and modules are available for you to devour and read any time you’re free. This is where the flexibility and convenience enter—you can learn at your own pace.
In addition to this, there are also face-to-face classes, which give way to more practical activities. We love that after learning all the theories using online materials, you’ll have a chance to apply them through practical activities in the classroom.
And just in case you don’t have time to really go to physical classes, you can choose the Accounting courses. Everything’s fully online including the activities, and you can spare yourself the commute and save some hours to do other things.
Even the fees are reasonable! But we recommend calling the admissions for breakdown of the cost since there are miscellaneous fees you might need to pay depending on the course you chose.
The only complaint we learned straight from some students themselves is that sometimes, there are too many resources available online. So even if they can consume them whenever they can, they’re having a hard time keeping up sometimes.
Pros
- Flexible courses
- Mixture of online classes and on-campus tutorials
- High-end video lectures
- Online activities via state-of-the-art technology
- Interactive virtual classroom
- Inclusion of face-to-face sessions
- Access to learning tools and styles not usually found on traditional classes
- Good value for money
Cons
- Not completely online (except Accounting)
- Onslaught of learning materials for reading or review
Customer Reviews
Helps develop independence and personal discipline
To me, studying through blended learning is similar to writing. For the most part, it’s just me and my laptop, there’s no one reminding me to get the work done or of impending deadlines. I think self-motivation, determination, focus, and good time management are important when considering studying through blended learning. — Sara Donohue, Griffith College
Perfect work-life balance
The blended nature of the course gave me the best of both worlds. The flexibility of the online material allowed me to balance my studies with working and raising a family, while the small class size in on-campus tutorials fostered a real sense of familiarity with my fellow students and lecturers. I would recommend this course to anybody looking to further their education but hesitant to pursue a degree through the traditional route.— Nicola Hutchinson, Griffith College
2. The Career Academy IE
Courses | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Variety | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Expertise | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Value for money (Higher score = better value) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Reviews and recommendations | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Student support | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Learning environment | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Learning resources | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
If you’re looking for a business-related online course, we recommend trying The Career Academy IE. Most of its courses are accounting and finance, and this will help develop your specialisations in these subjects.
According to some students of The Career Academy, they took its online courses because everything’s flexible. They could easily access all the materials—lectures and assessments—and complete them any time as long as it’s within a certain timeframe.
And the course layouts are pretty easy to understand as well! We love that the academy really wants you to easily learn so even the modules are adjusted pretty well for online consumption.
We also appreciate that the students can easily get help online. There are tutors available anytime you need help, which makes things easier if you need help understanding a concept.
Another thing worth noting for us is that the quizzes and assessments are not just a test of memory. They’re practical applications of what you have read from online modules.
Fees are reasonable as well so you won’t need to spend too much just to boost your qualifications–we all love affordable, quality education! Just make sure you’re committed to it though because the academy has a strict payment system.
Lastly, we also appreciate the fast results! When you pass an assignment or an assessment today, you’ll most likely get the results the next day, which will help you assess your own improvements.
Pros
- All courses are held online
- Seamless enrolment system
- Easy course layout
- Quizzes and assessments are practical application of theories
- Staff are always available for help either online or phone
- Fast results
Cons
- Long waiting time for answers from tutors sometimes
- Payment system isn’t very flexible
Customer Reviews
Easy enrolment system
Enrolment was so straight forward from the very beginning. No hassle and totally stress free. I had access to my course within the same day as enrolment meaning I could get started straight away. The course layout is very well done, easy to use and very well explained. The quizzes and assessments along the way are a great way to help you with retaining the information and making sure you have a grasp of the material.
It can be accessed in your own free time once you have it all done within the specific time frame, which is a huge benefit to anyone who is working full time or maybe has a young family. I’d highly recommend.— Veronica Harvey, Trust Pilot
Fast assessment or assignment results
Doing your course online with this Company is so easy, efficient and worth every penny. The structure is so well laid out. I found this an excellent course to do if you want a degree in something but you don’t want to go to college you can do it from the comfort of your own home. The Course is very flexible. You can do it whenever it suits you as long as you have it done within the time frame.There is always someone to help you by simply emailing your problems. Someone always gets back to you very quickly. I found with my course it went very smoothly and quickly. When submitting assignments they were corrected/marked near enough the next day I’d get an email with my assignment results, a very easy process throughout my experience with the Career Academy. I would Definitely recommend this Company — Danielle McGill, Trust Pilot
3. Institute of Public Administration
Courses | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Variety | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Expertise | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Value for money (Higher score = better value) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Reviews and recommendations | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Student support | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Learning environment | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Learning resources | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
If you’re looking for courses that can increase your public administration or legal knowledge, we recommend checking out the Institute of Public Administration. All their courses are focused on public development, which will be useful for those in the field.
We think it’s worth noting this early that the school offers online short courses and webinars. But what we love about them is that there are so many courses to choose from, and they’re delivered by field experts whose experiences are unmatched!
In fact, we’re able to interview some people who took the courses. And they told us IPA short courses were very useful to their professions because of the quality of materials and the flexibility they allow.
Most of the students are already working people who just want to further their knowledge about certain topics. IPA offers webinars and short courses online that last from 2 to 4 hours to 2 to 4 days, which is very ideal for professionals!
Just a little warning though—class sizes are limited despite being virtual! This is to ensure that everyone can be involved in all discussions and activities, making your courses worth taking.
Another thing we appreciate is the provision of pre-reading materials. This helps the students prepare for the actual course so they’ll be able to participate in the discussions and activities without hesitations.
The only problems we think you might encounter is regarding communication matters. Some exam dates, for example, are announced late and there are also cases of late response to email inquiries.
Pros
- Very useful courses
- A wide range of training courses to choose from
- Focuses on public administration and legal short courses and webinars
- All facilitators are successful professionals in their fields
- Provision of pre-reading preparation material
Cons
- Sometimes coordinators are unresponsive
- Exam dates are announced late at times
- Limited class sizes
Customer Reviews
Useful courses that will upgrade your skills
What a great place to achieve great knowledge and upgrade your skills. Check it out, you won’t regret it — Loredana Irina Moata, Google Reviews
Assignments are practical and useful to real life professions
…Throughout the course the lecturers were very professional and made a conscious effort to dumb things down for the less experienced (like me) while teaching the more experienced WITHOUT creating a divide in the class, what an amazing skill that must be. The assignments were not too difficult and were almost always based on real life experience and general common sense. There were a couple of times when life got in the way and I just couldn’t finish the assignments on time, and this was absolutely no problem according to the college, once I kept them updated and was seen to be making an effort to get things done… — Gary Baitson, Google Reviews
4. The TEFL Org
Courses | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Variety | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Expertise | ★★★★☆ (5/5) |
Value for money (Higher score = better value) | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Reviews and recommendations | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Student support | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Learning environment | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Learning resources | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
The TEFL Org is for those who want a certification in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL). If you’re passionate about teaching and need a shorter way to earn a certification, then we think this online course is for you.
What we love about The TEFL Org is that it offers both classroom and online courses, or even a combination of both. But for those who really can’t attend physical classes, there’s always the 120-hour self-paced online TEFL course.
We like that you can finish the course at your own pace—you can complete it within 4 to 6 weeks or you can use up the whole 6 months. And just in case you still can’t complete it within this time frame, the institution offers extension options, which is convenient!
According to recent course-takers, they appreciated the structure of the lessons a lot. Other than the modules and the top-quality video lectures, there was also a virtual classroom experience with a tutor assigned to you so you can apply what you learned.
These tutors are actual TEFL instructors who already have extensive experience. What they can teach you will help you a lot, most especially the advice and techniques they willingly provide you.
We also like that the rates for the TEFL course are reasonable. In fact, the org gives discounts once in a while, so you’re lucky if you catch one of those moments.
The only thing we see that needs improvement is the responsiveness to inquiries. Most potential students need more information before they decide on things, and if they don’t get this information immediately, they might not continue with the course.
Pros
- No hidden fees
- Lifetime access to The TEFL Org Jobs Centre
- Online support from a tutor
- Course teachers are experts in the field
- Self-paced online study
- Also offers classroom-online combination courses
- Virtual classroom experience
- Extension options
Cons
- Needs improvement on responsiveness to emails
- Limited courses in terms of subject matter
Customer Reviews
Comprehensive and easy-to-follow self-paced online course
What a wonderful introduction to the world of TEFL! I’m new to teaching and the self-paced online course provided a comprehensive overview on lesson planning and teaching methodologies. It’s a lot of information but the structure of the course is easy to follow. The highlight of the course was the virtual classroom experience with Simon. He had great energy, perceptive feedback, and patience with students’ technical difficulties on Zoom. My only suggestion for improvement is limiting the class size to 8 or 9 students. We were pressed for time in delivering our practice lessons. Overall, I finished the course much more confident in my teaching abilities and even more excited to start my TEFL journey!— Annalise A, TEFL Course Review
Interactive and fun virtual classroom
Elizabeth was an outstanding teacher and articulated the course well. She put the whole class at ease straight away through her friendly and professional approach. Her teaching style was relaxed and demonstrated approaches her students could apply to their teaching. All students got involved over the weekend, even where there were technical issues, but that added to the learning experience to how to work around these for on-line lessons. The weekend was very interactive and enjoyable. Feedback for lesson presentation was constructive and felt I learnt a lot from Elizabeth which I can apply to my lesson planning and teaching going forward.— Jayne Jenningsl, TEFL Course Review
5. Dorset College
Courses | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Variety | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Expertise | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Value for money (Higher score = better value) | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Reviews and recommendations | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Student support | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Learning environment | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Learning resources | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Dorset College offers both online and face-to-face options for all classes, which makes things convenient for all types of students. So whether you want to change careers or upgrade specific skills, we recommend checking out what the institution offers!
We think Dorset College probably offers the most diverse courses. It offers not just subject matters related to a particular field, but also expertise in other fields like human resource, web development, organisation learning, and english skills.
According to some students we talked to though, what intrigued them the most was the 3D Modelling, Animation & Game Design. It’s 100% online, so if you love creating content with digital platforms, this is a must-try course!
In terms of pricing, we think Dorset College offers reasonable rates for both online and face-to-face lectures. We appreciate that the course fees are all on the website, so feel free to check it out!
Another thing we appreciate is the support of the instructors. We love that they’re very patient with the students and adjust their way of teaching for the virtual space learners.
In addition to this, we also like that there are practical applications of the theories. Learning the whats and knowing how to apply them in your professions are more useful most especially to professionals.
Just make sure to reserve a slot in advance. Dorset College’s online classes often get filled immediately because it’s also open to international students.
Pros
- Upfront pricing (on the website)
- Amazing lecturers
- Offers both online and face-to-face options
- Amazing student support from teachers
- Diverse students
- Practical application of lectures
- Offers 3D Modelling, Animation & Game Design
Cons
- Limited classroom size
- Technical issues
Customer Reviews
Excellent lecturers that handle online classes well
I did a Bachelor in Business Last year and I can say that it’s a great option to study there, despite part of it was online I had very good classes with excellent lecturers, but what I liked the most is that they helped me to improve my professional CV and personal skills.— Nelly Garcia, Google Reviews
Perfect for professionals who want a change in career
I studied Digital Marketing & Social Media. I wanted to change my career path, I didn’t know anything about Digital Marketing, and I was nervous, I didn’t know if I was going to be able to do it. But the tutor knows a lot, he is super patient and in the middle of the course I got a job as a Digital Marketing executive. This course starts from scratch and it has changed my life. I highly recommended.— Sarah, Trust Pilot
FAQs About Online Courses in Ireland
If it’s convenience, accessibility, and flexibility you’re looking for, taking online courses is the best option—and we hope our list can help you find the best schools. If you’re searching for traditional colleges though, try the Best Colleges in Ireland.