Griffith College Dublin
Griffith College Dublin is one of the longest-established private third level colleges in Dublin, Ireland, and the largest such institution in the country. Begun as Business and Accounting Training in 1974, and having started to award degrees in 1990, it today has four campuses, two in Dublin, and one each in Cork and Limerick, the latter two based on acquisitions.
Overview
Griffith College is the largest private third-level institution in Ireland, with a student population of just under 8,000, including 1,400 overseas students from over 77 countries.It is named after its main campus, at the former Griffith Barracks on the South Circular Road in Dublin. The 7-acre Dublin campus is close to the city centre, where Griffith College has a small additional campus. Student Halls of Residence are located on the main campus, close to the library, creative studios, restaurant, gym facilities, and the Students Union.
Griffith College offers full and part-time degrees and other higher education qualifications in Law, Accountancy, Business, Computing, Journalism, Media, Creative Arts, Psychology, Design, Fashion, Music, and Drama. The college also offers professional accountancy programmes for Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, ACA, CPA and IATI, Griffith College is a Gold Star CPA approved Educator. The ACCA has awarded the college its Platinum accreditation, its highest recognition level, and the college is also an ACCA CPD registered course provider.
The Griffith College Dublin campus is the home of the Leinster School of Music & Drama. Established in 1904, the Leinster School offers theory classes in Music and Drama to groups and individuals. The Leinster School is also an examining body and has a Theory Examinations Syllabus with levels from Preparatory to Grade 8.
History
The college was established in 1974 by Diarmuid Hegarty and incorporated in 1978 as Business and Accounting Training . Originally located on Morehampton Road, in 1991, Business and Accounting College moved from Milltown Park, Ranelagh, to the Griffith Barracks site and changed its name to Griffith College Dublin. In 1979, Griffith College was designated as an institution under the Irish Government's National Council for Educational Awards Act.In 1990, the first degree course was offered by Griffith College in Computer Science, validated by the University of Ulster. In 1992, it was followed by a Business Studies degree. This arrangement ceased in 1996 and degrees thereafter were validated by the Irish National Council for Educational Awards, the predecessor of HETAC.
Expansion and developments
Over the years Griffith College has expanded beyond its base in Dublin. Having previously established Professional Accountancy programmes in Cork in 2000, offering training in ACCA, CIMA, CPA, and IATI, Griffith College acquired Skerry's College Cork, operating since 1884, in 2005, forming Griffith College Cork.In 2006 Griffith College opened in Limerick with the acquisition of the Mid West Business Institute, creating Griffith College Limerick. In 2009 Griffith College Limerick moved into new premises which were officially opened by the Minister of Defence Willie O'Dea T.D. on 23 January 2009.
In Spring 2013, Griffith College Cork expanded to a 5.3-acre campus on Wellington Road, Cork City, on the former site of St. Patrick's Hospital and Marymount Hospice. The Campus is called 'Griffith College Cork, Wellington Road Campus'. Teaching commenced at the Wellington Road campus in Summer 2013 with an English Language Residential School.
In 2024, Griffith College announced a €200m masterplan for its Dublin campus.
Griffith College City Centre
In 2018, the college opened Griffith College City Centre in Dublin, off Mary Street, at 25 Wolfe Tone Street, Dublin 1.Faculties
The College is divided into a number of faculties and schools:- Business
- Professional Accountancy
- Law
- Pharmaceutical Science
- Computing
- Journalism & Media Communications
- The Leinster School of Music & Drama
- Griffith College Professional Academy
- Griffith Institute of Language
- Design
- Creative Arts & Screen Media
- Teaching & Learner
- Psychology
- Counselling & Psychotherapy
- Engineering
- Music & Multimedia
- Springboard+
Faculty of Law & the Professional Law School
Innocence Project
In September 2009, David Langwallner, then Dean of Law, founded the Irish Innocence Project at Griffith College.The Irish Innocence Project reviews claims of wrongful conviction and miscarriages of justice in Ireland. It is based on the famous Innocence Project in the USA.
The Irish Innocence Project was launched officially by Dr.Greg Hampikian, director of the Idaho Innocence Project and DNA expert for the Georgia Innocence Project in March 2010.
In January 2010, Tipperary man Harry Gleeson became the first recipient of a posthumous pardon from the State. He was cleared decades after the crime took place in a dramatic development representing the dedicated work of the Griffith College-based Irish Innocence Project and the Justice for Harry Gleeson group.
School of Professional Accountancy
Griffith College works with several local and international partners to offer professional courses in areas of accounting.Association of Chartered Certified Accountants
Griffith College holds a platinum status Association of Chartered Certified Accountants accreditation, and offers courses in the following areas:- ACCA
- ACCA - Computer Based Exams
- ACCA Diploma in Accounting & Business
Certified Public Accountants
- CPA
- CPA - Computer Based Exams
- CPA -Certificate in Business & Accounting
- CPA Certified Tax Adviser
Accounting Technicians Ireland
Collaborations and recognition
At an international level, Griffith College Dublin is a participant in the Erasmus / Socrates mobility programmes.Ireland is a member of the Bologna Process, of which Griffith College is a promoter. The generic outcomes for Irish degrees are laid out in the National Framework of Qualifications. In 2006, Ireland became the first country to verify the compatibility of its national framework with the overarching framework of qualifications for the European Higher Education Area and Griffith College’s degree programmes adhere to this framework.
Validating partners
Griffith College works in partnership with a number of validating bodies in Ireland and the UK. This ensures that all programmes are recognised nationally and internationally.QQI validation
QQI is the awarding body for Irish higher education and training institutions outside the university sector.King's Inns Recognition
In 2004, Griffith became the first independent college in the country to have its degrees recognised by the Honourable Society of King's Inns. for the purposes of admission to its annual entrance examinations. Having successfully completed these five examinations, students may then complete the Barrister of Law degree in one year. which is a professional qualification for practice at the bar.Student life
Halls of Residence
is a student accommodation facility associated with Griffith College, located on South Circular Road, Dublin 8. It serves students from multiple educational institutions across Dublin; both domestic and international students. Overlooking Dublin's Grand Canal, Griffith College’s Dublin campus is over 200 years old, and was originally known as the Richmond Bridewell. In 2013, a statue was unveiled by then Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD to mark the campus’s 200th anniversary, along with the publication of a history book.Griff FM
Griff FM was a radio station that students from the Journalism & Media Faculty operated from the main Dublin campus. The radio station was licensed by the BAI to broadcast for a couple of weeks. The station aired news and music-oriented programmes produced and presented by second-year journalism degree students and postgraduate journalism students.Students' Union
Griffith College Students' Union is the representative body for all full-time and part-time Griffith College students. The Students' Union executives include the roles of president and two vice-presidents. The union organises a number of trips and events throughout the academic year, including Freshers Week and several balls. It also helps fund and assist college clubs and societies covering activities such as sport, music, debating, and film.Griffith College Dublin's debating society were team winners of the 2009 Thomas Finlay Court Moot Competition in UCD.