222 graduates from Tipperary conferred at WIT Ceremonies
At the first of 11 conferring ceremonies across three days during which over 2,500 students will be conferred with academic degrees up to doctorate level, Dr. Ruaidhrí Neavyn, President of Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT), delivered a message of hope and optimism to the first graduates of 2015.
In his conferring address, Dr. Neavyn said, “The outlook is good in terms of graduate opportunities both at home and abroad, particularly in ICT, business, science and engineering, along with a renewed confidence in the construction sector. We emphasis work experience as part of our programmes of study and our graduates are work ready and are well positioned to hit the ground running once they leave the Institute”.
Dr Neavyn went on to say that in spite of the improved employment prospects, graduates should be prepared to avail of further educational opportunities including postgraduate and research opportunities. “WIT is well positioned in this regard with a broad range of taught postgrad courses and some 200 research studentships at Masters and PhD level. We are immensely proud of our taught and research postgraduate programmes and our research and development portfolio continues to produce tangible direct economic benefit for the region.”
In congratulating the graduates of 2014, Mr Dick Langford, Chairman of the Governing Body, reminded them of the significant investment which they, their families and indeed wider society have made to reach this important milestone in their life journeys. He stressed that “this is not the end of your learning as the ability to prosper in further life stages will require continuing engagement with both formal and informal learning.”
Mr Langford went on to say “I expect a great number of you will spread your wings and travel far in search of opportunity and experience but I am also confident that many of you will either remain in the area or return in time to make valuable a contribution to the growth and development of the south east”.
A record 31 PhD students were awarded doctorates this year including 8 students on the Institute’s flagship postgraduate business programme, the Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA). An additional ten new programmes were conferred for the first time, including the BA (Hons) in Teaching in Further Education; the Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching in Further Education; the Higher Diploma in Science in Computer Science; the Postgraduate Diploma in Business in Innovation Practice; the Higher Diploma in Business in Service Design & Innovation; the MSc in Global Financial Information Systems; BSc in Small Enterprise Management; the BSc in Applied Conservation Skills; the BSc in Pharmaceutical Science & Good Manufacturing Practice; and the BSc in Pharmaceutical Science.
Out of the 2,500 graduates being conferred with academic awards up to doctorate level, 1,029 are from Waterford City and County. However, WIT graduates hail from all 26 counties of Ireland with 375 from Wexford, 310 from Kilkenny, 222 from Tipperary and 156 from Cork.
The WIT conferrings take place over three days: Monday, 5 January, Tuesday, 6 January and Wednesday, 7 January 2015.
