Study Hours

For part-time online or blended learning, it is recommended that you should try to allow for 5-6 hours per week per 5 credit module to your studies. Our online courses have about 2-3 hours of live lectures per week (but this can vary per programme). The rest of your study time consists of independent learning, communicating with your lecturers and classmates and carrying out assignments.

Live lectures normally take place between 6pm and 10pm, Monday to Thursday. The number of hours and lecture times depends on the programme you are taking.

Many of our course webpages detail the general study hours needed for that course and if time is needed for workshops, assessments, examinations etc.

Find out more about ‘how online learning works’ here.

Your Timetable

During our full Induction programme in September, you will get a chance to meet your Course Coordinator online and you will receive further information on your timetable then.

Assessment

Assessment can be through a mix of exams and continuous assessment or 100% continuous assessment, depending on your programme.  Check your programme web page to find out what methods of assessment are being used so that you can plan ahead if you need to take time off work to attend exams.   

For further exam information, check out our Online / Part-time Students Exams page here. Exams in semester one are normally held in January and semester two exams are held in May. 

You may have Workshops/Practical Classes for approximately 2 – 4 days per year depending on your programme.

As an Online Learner at ATU Sligo, you will gain access to a host of applications, tools and people that will support you as a student. You will access most of your learning resources and supports in Moodle, our virtual learning environment (VLE).

In Moodle, you will find your programme support page containing details of your Course Coordinator, any news and important announcements about your programme as well as your timetable, links to relevant reading materials and details of assessment methods. You will also find your module pages in Moodle. Once teaching begins you will be able to access your live classroom from your Moodle module page. Live online classes are definitely worth attending as it gives the opportunity to engage with your lecturers and peers. We do understand that some students cannot attend a live class, so lectures are recorded and made available to watch back on Moodle at a time that suits you.

As part of our Pre-Induction programme, we have created a mock Moodle page for you to familiarise yourself with how Moodle works and the resources available to you (please select ‘Enter as Guest’ to gain access) – click here to view our mock Moodle page.

To explore all the technologies used for Online Learning at ATU Sligo, watch Jennifer Gilligan, Instructional Designer at ATU Sligo detail each of the technologies used. Watch now. 

From the Yeats Library team, we look forward to welcoming you to ATU Sligo in person and virtually. You can browse our online content and become familiar with how we can support you through the academic year.

Have a look at the range of guides about Yeats Library services and resources.

There are also subject guides for each programme and recorded tutorials for independent learners.

Once you are registered you will be able to explore course resources including ebooks and online journals through the library website.

During term you can request an online assignment support session for your class or a one-to-one appointment with a School Liaison Librarian.

For online access to the Yeats Library go to this link:  https://www.atu.ie/library Then click on ATU Sligo.

Student ID cards are a useful source of identification and can prove your status to avail of student discounts.  You will upload your photograph as part of the student registration process in due course which will enable us to produce your I.D. card.

You will have your own ATU email address when you register as a student with ATU. It is important for students to regularly check their student email account as lecturers and almost all of ATU Sligo correspondence is communicated with students via their student email account. Before your course begins with ATU Sligo, you will receive instructions on how to access your student email account.

If you need to report any login problems, please use our IT Services Helpdesk.

It is important to consider how you will fund your studies. Whilst some students will be self-funded others will be funded by their employer, Skillnet or Springboard+. You should take the time to consider your funding options and learn about the payment deadlines and fee policies at ATU Sligo.  

Detailed information and guidance about fees and funding  for students studying on online and part-time courses is available here. This includes information about: 

• Deadlines  
• Instalment Plans  
• Payment Methods  
• Implications for Late Fee Payment  
• Fee Implications for Withdrawals/Deferrals  
• Tax Relief  
• Fee Collection Policy  
• Contact Details for the Fees Team.