Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) is one of 14 Institutes of Technology in Ireland. It was established in 1972 as Galway Regional Technical College. In January 1993, it became an autonomous institution of higher education under the Regional Technical Colleges act 1992. The Institute was legally designated an Institute of Technology in January 1998 and renamed Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology.
Serving a Diverse Student Body
GMIT is a multi-campus, multi-disciplinary, multi-award institute serving a diverse student body, with over 7800 registered students across all campuses. It is a student-centered organization with a primary focus on learning and teaching, informed by research.
It operates across a wide geographical area with campuses in Galway City (Dublin Road and Centre for Creative Arts and Media), Mayo (Castlebar), Letterfrack (National Centre for Excellence for Furniture Design and Wood Technology), and Mount Bellew (Agricultural College). The institute recently submitted an application to the Minister for Higher and Further Education seeking designation as a Technological University with partners IT Sligo and Letterkenny Institute of Technology.
A Higher Educational Institute of Repute
GMIT delivers both accredited and customized programs ranging from apprenticeship to Ph.D. awards and is involved in research, commercial consultancy, and community activities. The institute has delegated authority from Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) to make awards up to Master’s and Ph.Ds. It is proud of its identity and the recognition that it has achieved at sectoral, national, and international levels as a higher educational institute of repute.
GMIT is held in high esteems by its stakeholders, who consider the diversity, quality, and innovativeness of staff, students, program offerings, and learning and teaching resources to be the key attributes in its ongoing development. A broad range of applied programs is offered on several campuses to a diverse student body and employers highlight the employability of GMIT graduates. The institute also actively engages with the wider community through a variety of formal and informal initiatives. It is considered a relevant and critically important entity in the future development of the region, and a facilitator of social inclusion and cohesion.
The Galway International Hotel School
GMIT’s Galway International Hotel School is recognized for several reasons including the excellent student-staff relationship. Staff at the school has an open-door policy and this opportunity ensures students have access to staff when needed. Despite the pandemic, the staff has remained committed to their profession and their students and collectively worked as a team to ensure students experienced minimum disruption to their studies. Moreover, one of the outstanding characteristics of this school is the opportunity students have to engage with industry partners, networks and gain valuable work experience before graduating.
Accredited work placement features in every course and many of these experiences are overseas and all with approved industry partners. This ensures quality learning experiences are maintained and students learn from the very best. The school opened the LINKS Office in 2008 and this small team of industry experienced professionals works with the faculty and management team to help students realize their work placement ambitions and achieve their goals. This team also organizes an annual career fair specifically for the school—providing opportunities for students and graduates to confirm work placements and graduate opportunities before final exams.
The school has also developed significant international partnerships in Guangdong province in China with Lingnan Normal University and St. Lawrence College in Ontario, Canada. Both opportunities support student and staff exchange and GIHS provides degree completion opportunities for both partners in International Hospitality Management and Culinary and Gastronomic Sciences.
