IB SURVEY DBS
Springboard TO SUCCESS InBUSINESS spoke with the CEO of Dublin Business School, Gerry Muldowney, who outlines the wide range of opportunities students can avail of at DBS. Q: What distinguishes DBS from other colleges?
A: DBS is the Irish division of Kaplan, which delivers education and training programmes in over 100 countries. We are 40 years old in 2015, and planning to celebrate the milestone this year. Over the last 40 years DBS has established an excellent reputation in Ireland. It is the largest independent higher education institution in Ireland, with a student population of approximately 9,000. Its success is attributable to its focus on students, the quality of its teaching and staff, the recognition and reputation which it has achieved, responsiveness to market needs and the range of programmes it offers. Q: What postgraduate and professional programmes is DBS offering?
A: DBS offers a range of postgraduate and professional programmes in the areas of arts and business. Since 1975 DBS students have achieved thousands of prizes on a national and worldwide basis in the professional accountancy examinations. In 2014, 37 of our students were awarded places and prizes in the examinations, including 13 first places in Ireland, and one joint first 90
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further five years, and the launch of new programmes in computing (BSc in Computing) and psychology, with the validation of our MSc in Applied Psychology.
in the world. As DBS has grown and developed, it has designed and launched approximately 20 masters programmes in a variety of disciples, leading to MBA, MSc and MA awards.
Q: In what way does DBS Q: What Government
continue to engage with Irish businesses?
initiatives are DBS involved in and what are the benefits?
A: Since 2011, DBS has been involved in a number of Government initiatives such as Springboard, ICT Skills Programme and Momentum. These are aimed at upskilling and retraining individuals for the emerging future growth areas of the economy. To date, DBS has retrained and upskilled over 3,000 learners in the areas of ICT, digital marketing, international financial services and project management. One of the most significant initiatives in this area has been our graduate conversion course in computing. Graduates of the programme have achieved an 80 per cent fulltime employment outcome. Q: How was last year for DBS?
A: There were many highlights for the college in 2014. On the international front the launch of our programme in Malaysia
Gerry Muldowney, CEO, DBS
To date, DBS has retrained and upskilled over 3,000 learners in the areas of ICT, digital marketing, international financial services and project management in conjunction with the Malaysian Government was a highlight. The programme was formally approved and validated by both the Irish and Malaysian regulatory bodies in May 2014, and from a standing start we recruited 170 students. 2014 also saw 40 of our Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) programmes be successfully revalidated through a programmatic review process for a
A: DBS works very closely with industry in the development, design and delivery of all of its programmes. We have an ‘industry-led’ approach in our programme design. In the last year we successfully developed a cloud sales programme with Microsoft Ireland and its employer network, and had significant input into our new BSc in Computing from Version 1 – one of the rising indigenous stars of the Irish tech sector. These are just some of the examples of the industry liaison our programmes have had, but we should note that all our programmes have had considerable input from employers over the last number of years. The range of input includes content, skills for the workplace and personal development skills. These areas are now a standard design and content feature of all of our programmes. We at DBS feel strongly that this is one of our unique USPs.
InBUSINESS | YEARBOOK 2015
25/02/2015 16:11