HigherEducationAwards

Awards presentation & symposium Friday 23 November 2018

Closing date for submissions – Friday 5 October 2018

Entry form

Last years’ winners of the gradireland PostgraduateCourse of the Year Awardswere…

Best New CourseWinner: University of Limerick – MEngMechatronics

Best Postgraduate Prospectus Winner: NUI Galway, Student Recruitment &Outreach Office – NUI Galway For Entry 2017Postgraduate Prospectus(es)

Postgraduate Course of the year in Arts &Humanities Winner: University of Limerick,Faculty of Arts, Humanities and SocialSciences/School of Culture and Communication -MA in Technical Communication and E-Learning

Postgraduate Course of the Year in Business,Finance & Management Winner: Dublin CityUniversity, DCU Business School – DCU ExecutiveMBA Programme

Postgraduate Course of the Year in ScienceWinner: University College Dublin, School ofMathematics and Statistics – MSc ActuarialScience

Postgraduate Course of the Year in LawWinner: University of Limerick, School of Law –Master of Laws LLM (General)

…will you be next?Best of luck!

Postgraduate Course of the Year Award inHealth SciencesWinner: Dublin City University, School ofBiotechnology – MSc in Bioprocess Engineering

Postgraduate Course of the Year for Designand Innovation Winner: Trinity College Dublin,The Innovation Academy - PostgraduateCertificate in Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Postgraduate Course of the Year in Computer Science& IT Winner: University College Cork BIS, CorkUniversity School Business (CUBS) - MSc InformationSystems for Business Performance (ISBP)

HigherEducationAwards

On Friday 23 November 2018 the annual gradireland HigherEducation Awards & Symposiumwill take place. These awards, nowin their eighth year, are the blue riband event for higher educationprofessionals, postgraduate admissions officers and course providersacross the island of Ireland. Combined with a unique learningSymposium, this daytime event is not to be missed.

You are cordially invited to enter to win one or more of the followingnine awards:

Postgraduate Course of the Year categories• Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

• Business, Finance & Management

• Computer Science/Technology

• Design & Innovation

• Health Sciences

• Law

• Science

• Best New Course

Marketing category• Best Prospectus

Closing date forsubmissions 5pm, Friday 5 October 2018

Awards categories

All Award categories are FREE to enter

About the 2019 gradireland Higher

Who can enter?Every postgraduate course provider in Ireland, northand south, can enter regardless of size, annual intakeor sector. The criteria for each award are clearly laidout on the following pages.

HOW ARE THE AWARDS JUDGED?Postgraduate Course of the Year categoriesSubmissions for each course category will beshortlisted and judged by specialist panels puttogether for the purpose of adjudicating onsubmissions made for these Awards. Panels arecomprised of experts in their field, drawn fromindustry, careers, education and other renownedprofessionals in each subject area.

Gold, silver and bronze awards may be made in allPostgraduate Course of the Year categories (subject tojudging panel recommendations).

Marketing category Best ProspectusSubmissions will be shortlisted and judged by aspecialist panel of design and marketing experts.

All submissions will be assessed purely against thecriteria for each award.

For all categories, the judges’ decision is final and nocorrespondence will be entered into regarding theoutcomes of the judging process.

How are the shortlists and winners decided?Points are allocated for each submission according toresponses to the stipulated criteria for that award.Quantified outcomes, hard evidence and data areparticularly valued in the judging, and data on thecareer development outcomes for graduates isespecially important where appropriate. The judges’scores are then collated, and the top submissions ineach category are then discussed. Supportingmaterial can be supplied but this will only beconsidered when differentiating between shortlistedentries, so your focus should be on your initialsubmission.

Submission word limitThere is a strict 2,000 word limit on all submissions.This is a maximum which will be enforced and anysubmissions which exceed this word count will berejected (this does not include supporting material,although this should be kept to a reasonableminimum).

How do I enter?All submissions must be made via our online entryportal at highereducationawards.ie. All entries mustbe received before 5pm on Friday 5 October 2018,although early submission is recommended.

Don’t forget to read ourTips on Writing a WinningSubmission on page 10 ofthis booklet!

r Education Awards

Support materialYou may supply supporting material with yoursubmission eg marketing materials, photographs,charts. Supporting material can be uploaded via thesubmission portal at highereducationawards.ie, orsent into the gradireland offices for eg the BestPostgraduate Prospectus category. Supportingmaterial will only be used in the latter stages of thejudging process when differentiating betweenshortlisted submissions, so your primary focus shouldbe on your initial 2,000 word submission, althoughsupporting materials are encouraged. Supportingmaterial will not be returned.

Closing dateEntries can be submitted via the portal athighereducationawards.ie, but must be completedbefore 5pm on Friday 5 October 2018.

How much does it cost to enter?Absolutely nothing! There is no fee to submit entriesto the 2019 gradireland Higher Education Awards.

ConfidentialityAll submissions are treated in the strictest confidence,and will be used solely for the purpose of adjudicatingon the 2019 gradireland Higher Education Awards. Allsubmissions are securely shredded at the end of theadjudication process.

When are the winners revealed?Awards will be presented at the 2019 gradirelandHigher Education Awards & Symposium Friday 23November 2018. Further details on venue andSymposium content will be available nearer the dateof the event.

Enter via our online portal athighereducationawards.ie

Entry criteriaThe seven Postgraduate Course of the Year awardcategories listed on this page recognise excellenceamongst Irish postgraduate course providers. Allseven share the same criteria as listed on this page.

Entries are invited from relevant postgraduatecourses. The judging panels will look for evidence inthe following areas, and will score submissionsaccordingly (ie a final score will be derived out of amaximum 80 points):

Clear and measurable indicators of success, including:

1 Career development – an excellent and consistentrecord of graduating students finding relevant workand/or career development opportunities in Irelandor overseas. (10 points)

2 Reputation – recognition of the course’s qualityeither in Ireland or internationally, or ranking byexternal bodies. (10 points)

3 Innovation – in methodology, course content/delivery or partnerships with key stakeholders. (10 points)

4 Research record of academic staff. (10 points)

Providing a quality experience for students

1 Excellent resources for students, includinginnovative use of technology or new teachingpractices. (10 points)

2 Good links with relevant industries and recruiters,including relevant placements. Can also includeappropriate and/or unique alliances for researchcentres with external bodies; and access to guestspeakers/lecturers. (10 points)

3 Detail how this course helps students acquiretransferable skills eg presenting at conferences,opportunities for travel, knowledge transfer etc. (10 points)

Positive feedback

Please include testimonial evidence from recentgraduates and/or employers. (10 points)

Postgraduate Course of the Year aw

Enter to win one or more of the following:

Postgraduate Course of the Year – Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

Postgraduate Course of the Year – Business, Finance & Management

Postgraduate Course of the Year – Computer Science/Technology

Postgraduate Course of the Year – Design & Innovation

wards

Postgraduate Course of the Year – Health Sciences

Postgraduate Course of the Year – Law

Postgraduate Course of the Year – Science

Tips on enteringThe judging panels will be looking for evidencethat a course:

• is a best-in-class high impact programme

• has support and recognition from externalstakeholders eg industry, professional bodies

• provides a high quality student experience withpositive career and skills development outcomes.

Support can include evidence of quality workplacements for enrolled students which benefitthe students, employers and the institution.

You should also make clear in your submissionwhat you consider to be the USPs of this course,what makes this course unique?

NB: Judges particularly look for evidence ofinteractive teaching, collaboration and innovationaround communication that enhances students’self-development alongside other keyemployability skills.

Arts, Humanities& Social Sciences

Business, Finance & Management

Also includes:

Science

Languages and culture

Advertising, marketing, PR,media etc

Agriculture & foodscience

Ecology, energy,environment &natural resources

Performing & creative arts

Hospitality, sport,leisure & tourism

Science & mathematics

Social, community& youth

HR & recruitment

Supply chain

To help you decide which course(s) to enter intowhich category, certain categories are listed withtheir sub-categories below:

All submissions must be made viaour online entry portal athighereducationawards.ie. All entriesmust be received before 5pm onFriday 5 October 2018, althoughearly submission is recommended.

Also includes:Also includes:

Best New Course

Entry criteriaIn addition to examining success against your ownobjectives, judges will also look for evidence in thefollowing areas:

1 Innovation in course design, planning andimplementation. (10 points)

2 Collaboration to create a world-leading course. Thismight be between academia and industry; and/orbetween different institutions. (10 points)

3 Evidence of avenues for some or all of the following:• knowledge exchange (eg input from otherstakeholders as part of the course). (5 points)

• knowledge sharing (eg of outputs/results fromcourse work). (5 points)

• knowledge transfer (incorporating transfer ofintellectual property). (5 points)

4 That this course is of international quality andfocuses on an area that is aligned with andsupportive of national economic, social and/orcultural needs. (10 points)

5 Positive feedback from stakeholders and measurableoutcomes/indicators of success (notwithstandingthe newness of the course). (10 points)

Tips on entering• A focus on developing employability outcomes forgraduates, alongside any stats and data to back upyour claims, is an advantage in this category.

• You should also make clear in your submission whatyou consider to be the USPs of this course, whatmakes this course unique?

• Courses from any discipline or sector can enter thiscategory.

Winners of the 2018 Best New Course award:

University of Limerick, MEng Mechatronic

This award recognises the importance of developing new courses that meet theemerging needs of students, industry and institutions. It is open to all coursesthat have started in the last three academic years, ie since September 2015.

Marketing category

Best Prospectus

Entry criteriaIn addition to examining success against your ownstated objectives, judges will also look for evidence inthe following areas:

• Branding objectives (10 points)How does this prospectus meet your brandingobjectives?

• Business and marketing objectives (10 points)Show how this prospectus meets clear business andmarketing objectives (e.g. increase in applicationsgenerally or from a specific audience, etc)

• For this category, 20 points will also be awarded fordesign, production, aesthetics and content. Thesewill be awarded by the judges on appraisal of theprinted prospectuses you will have to send in forthis category

Tips on entering• You will be expected to supply details of print run,circulation and distribution, alongside ROI metricsagainst this spend.

• State how you use your prospectus within yourwider marketing strategy.

• Please send 5 copies of each prospectus you areentering in this category to: Alison Reddy,gradireland, 14–16 Lord Edward Street, Dublin 2. Tel: +353 (0)1 645 1500. Printed copies to bereceived as soon as possible following onlinesubmission.

Submissions for this award can be made for a printed prospectus promoting Level 9degrees and/or research opportunities.

NB: Prospectus entered must be either for the current year or last year. Prospectusentered must be to promote postgraduate programmes, either specifically as a stand-alone postgraduate course prospectus; or postgraduate courses can be covered withina general prospectus.

Here are a few tips on what you should befocusing on to maximise your course’s chancesof success.

In total, there are nine categories you can enter. Ourfirst piece of advice is to take a step back and carefullyconsider the categories, criteria and tips on theprevious pages. Making a strong submission can betime-consuming, so focus on the categories that youthink truly reflect your strengths.

1 Each award specifies entry criteria. Make sure thatyour submission directly addresses each of thesecriteria – judges will award points to eachsubmission against these criteria, so if you don’taddress them all you cannot gain the maximumnumber of points.

2 Stick to the point, and stick to the word limit. Anysubmissions which exceed the 2,000 word countwill be rejected (this does not apply to supportingmaterial, although this should be kept to aminimum). Supporting material is only viewedwhen the adjudicating panels are debating the toppositions, so keep your focus on your coresubmission.

3 The judges are human and have to evaluate manysubmissions so be clear: and show them some wowfactor where you can. Ask someone with anobjective view to critique your entry. Graphics,charts and photos etc can be uploaded assupporting materials via the online submissionportal.

4 Show results: submit relevant metrics, data andevidence of performance to prove and justifysuccess in the judging year. Your mantra here shouldbe: ‘Facts Not Fluff’. The more detail you can provide,the stronger your case for winning.

5 Make it easy for the judges to score your submissionwell. Use headings so the submission is easy tonavigate. Make your evidence stand out to supportyour claims.

Some other tips for success• Start early! Start preparing your entries today. Don’tleave it all to the last minute... We will accept yourentries at any date so don’t leave it until the lastweek!

• Proofread, proofread, proofread… Now the boringbit: proofread and then proofread some more. Itsounds obvious, but the more eyeballs you can geton your entry copy, the better your chances ofsubmitting a strong, well-argued, well-worded entry.

• Check that each submission addresses each of theentry criteria specifically.

Entries can be submitted via the portal athighereducationawards.ie, but must becompleted before 5pm on Friday 5October 2018.

Good luck!

How to write a winninggradireland Higher EducationAward submission