International Programmes

The International Department at Dublin Business School offers a wide range of Undergraduate and Postgraduate Programmes in the areas of Business, Arts, Law, Psychology, Computing and more.

Programmes are awarded by Quality & Qualifications Ireland (QQI).

DBS is currently accepting applications for courses commencing in September 2024 and January 2025.

See all International Programmes here.

Education in Ireland is managed by Enterprise Ireland, the government organisation responsible for the development and growth of Irish enterprises in world markets.

Education in Ireland's goals and objectives include:

•To promote Ireland as a quality destination for students.,

•To promote and support the international activities of Irish education institutions.

•To act as a national point of contact and referral to and from Irish suppliers of education services and the international market place.

•To promote Irish education expertise as a valuable resource for international institutions, development agencies and governments.

•To liaise with education interests and government to identify and remove barriers to the development of the international education sector.

QQI & the National Framework of Qualifications

DBS Degree, Postgraduate Higher Diploma and Masters programmes are accredited by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI). QQI was established on 6 November 2012 under the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Act 2012. The new Authority was created by an amalgamation of four bodies that have both awarding and quality assurance responsibilities: the Further Education and Training Awards Council (FETAC), the Higher Education and Training Awards Council (HETAC), the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI) and the Irish Universities Quality Board (IUQB). The new Authority has assumed all the functions of the four legacy bodies while also having responsibility for new or newly-statutory responsibilities in particular areas.

Ten Level System

The National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) is a ten-level system (1–10) giving an academic or vocational value to qualifications obtained in Ireland. NFQ levels help indicate how an award can be used for training, education and employment opportunities (see fan diagram). Each level is based on nationally agreed standards of what a learner is expected to know and be able to do after receiving an award.

QQI is Ireland's guardian of the NFQ system. They are responsible for the quality assurance of providers of education and training. They also have responsibility for the validation of qualifications and also make some awards themselves.

NFQ serves several purposes:

- It ensures awards obtained in Ireland are quality-assured and recognised internationally
- It is part of a system for comparing Irish and international awards
- It supports lifelong learning by recognising knowledge and skills within a comparative framework even if they are not recognised by a formal award
- It provides a system of establishing eligibility in learning processes for access, transfer and progression
- It recognises awards made by professional bodies

NFQ is linked to similar frameworks in Europe. This helps people considering employment or study opportunities outside Ireland.

There are two qualifications frameworks at European level:

1. The Framework for Qualifications of the European Higher Education Area also known as the 'Bologna Framework'. This deals with higher education awards (NFQ 6-10)
2. The European Qualifications Framework (EQF), which deals with all NFQ levels including schools, Further Education and Training, and Higher Education