Munster Technological University (MTU) was established in January 2021 through the merger of Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) and the Institute of Technology, Tralee (ITT). It is a multi-campus university providing professional, research-informed education.
Munster Technological University, MTU, was established on 1 January 2021 through the merger of Cork Institute of Technology and the Institute of Technology Tralee. It is a multi-campus university in the south-west of Ireland, with about 18,000 students and 1,600 staff, and around one student in ten comes from abroad. The main campus is at Bishopstown in Cork, and further sites are in Tralee and Killarney in Kerry.
The campuses in Cork include the Cork School of Music, the Crawford College of Art and Design and the National Maritime College of Ireland at Ringaskiddy, which trains merchant navy officers and marine engineers. The history of its parent colleges goes back to the nineteenth century, when the Crawford School of Art and the Cork municipal school of music were founded. The Tralee campus focuses on health, computing, engineering and the creative industries.
MTU teaches at all levels from certificates to doctorates, with particular strengths in engineering, computing, business, science, art and design, music, nursing and maritime studies. Many courses include work placements, and the Nimbus Research Centre carries out applied research in embedded systems, cyber-physical systems and the internet of things. The university also hosts the Rubicon Centre, an incubator for start-ups in Cork.
Irish and other EU undergraduates generally pay no tuition under the Free Fees Initiative but pay a yearly student contribution, while students from outside the EU pay tuition that varies by programme. Check the current tariffs. Irish applicants use the CAO system, and international students and postgraduates have their own application routes.
Teaching is in English. Cork is cheaper than Dublin, and Kerry offers an outdoor setting of mountains and coast. The location also gives students access to the pharmaceutical, technology and marine industries of the region.
MTU has strong collaborative links with industry throughout the Munster region, particularly in the engineering, agritech, and ICT sectors.
Research:
Research is focused on providing solutions for regional industries. Key research areas include advanced manufacturing, photonics, and marine technology.
Famous Alumnis:
N/A
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
1600
Current students***:
18000
Foreign students***:
10%
Cumulative former students***:
70000
Pros
A multi-campus university with strong regional industry connections, offering a ladder of progression from certificate to PhD level.
Cons
Being a very new university, it is still building its national and international reputation. The multi-campus nature can be a drawback for some.
Best For
Students in the Munster region seeking a technical and professional education with a strong emphasis on industry collaboration and practical skills.
Where this university leans on civil engineering, mechanical engineering and software engineering, Technological University Dublin does the same, and it is larger, enrolling about 29,700 students against roughly 18,000 here, and is also a public institution.
University of Galway shares the core fields of this institution, namely marine science, civil engineering and software engineering; it is also a public institution, and does not run the associate degree, certificate and diploma programmes found here.
Dundalk Institute of Technology offers a comparable education in mechanical engineering, software engineering and engineering: it covers ecology and sustainability and electrical and electronics as well, and is far smaller, with about 5,200 students against roughly 18,000 here.
Anyone who wants a second school in the same country with a similar spread of chemistry, software engineering and engineering can consider Dublin City University, and it has almost the same size, at about 17,500 students, and is also a public institution.
Also strong in chemistry, software engineering and engineering, Trinity College Dublin makes a sensible second look at home; it also offers mba programmes and covers nanotechnologies and physics as well.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
The closest overseas parallel on marine science, chemistry and mechanical engineering is Qingdao University, located in China; it is larger, enrolling about 46,000 students against roughly 18,000 here, and is also a public institution.
British Columbia Institute of Technology, based in Canada, is built around marine science, civil engineering and software engineering much like this institution, and it does not run the doctoral programmes found here and covers aerospace and manufacturing as well.
Beyond national borders, Yangzhou University stands out as a comparable school for agriculture, civil engineering and chemistry; it is slightly larger, at about 26,000 students against roughly 18,000 here, and is also a public institution.
National University of the South (Argentina) works on the same fields as this university, chiefly marine science, agriculture and chemistry; it is also a public institution, and does not run the associate degree, certificate and diploma programmes found here.
Seen from abroad, James Cook University (Australia) is a close relative on subject matter, since marine science, agriculture and civil engineering are central to both, and it also offers mba programmes and covers ecology and sustainability and life sciences as well.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Where is MTU?
The main campus is at Bishopstown in Cork, Ireland. Other campuses are in Tralee and Killarney.
When was it established?
On 1 January 2021.
Which institutions merged to create it?
Cork Institute of Technology and the Institute of Technology Tralee.
How large is it?
About 18,000 students and 1,600 staff.
What does it teach?
Engineering, computing, business, science, art and design, music, nursing and maritime studies.
What is the National Maritime College?
A college at Ringaskiddy that trains merchant navy officers and marine engineers.
What is the Nimbus Research Centre?
An applied research centre for embedded systems, cyber-physical systems and the internet of things.
Does MTU charge tuition?
Irish and other EU undergraduates generally pay no tuition under the Free Fees Initiative but pay a student contribution. Students from outside the EU pay tuition that varies by programme. Check the current tariff.
How do you apply?
Irish undergraduates apply through the CAO system. International students and postgraduates have separate routes.
Is it cheaper than Dublin?
Cork and Kerry are generally cheaper than Dublin.
Additive Manufacturing, Engineering, Photonics, Process Improvement, Product Development, Research and Development
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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