The two ways in
School leavers applying through the CAO
The undergraduate route. You apply through the CAO in the same round as everyone else, and the degree qualifies you to teach at the end of it. Dublin City University, Mary Immaculate College in Limerick, Maynooth University and Marino Institute of Education all run it.
Anyone who already holds a level 8 degree in something else
The postgraduate route, and the one most career changers take. Your first degree can be in almost anything, but it has to be a level 8 honours degree at II.2 or better. You still need the Leaving Certificate grades below, even if you sat it twenty years ago.
What you need to get in
These are Leaving Certificate requirements and they apply to both routes. The three subject grades can be picked up at different sittings, so a repeat is allowed, but the spread of six subjects has to come from one sitting.
| Subject | Grade needed | |
|---|---|---|
| Six subjects | O6 or H7 minimum | In a single sitting |
| Three of those six | H5 minimum | In the same sitting |
| Irish | H4 | The one that stops most people |
| English | O4 or H7 | |
| Mathematics | O4 or H7 |
The Professional Master of Education adds two things on top. You need a level 8 honours degree at II.2 or higher, and you have to pass the oral part of the TEG Meánleibhéal 1 (B1) Irish exam with 65% or more before applications close. The TEG sitting happens months before the college deadline, so it is the thing to plan around first.
The Gaeltacht part
Both routes send you to the Gaeltacht and it is not optional. On the Bachelor of Education at Dublin City University it is four weeks spread across the degree. On the Professional Master of Education at Marino it is typically two periods of two weeks, and the college gives grants that cover the fees.
What you earn, during and after
Nothing. This is the part recruitment pages skip: teaching is not like the Gardai or the Defence Forces, where training is a paid job from day one. You pay fees and you earn nothing for two to four years.
Everyone qualifying now goes onto the scale for teachers who entered from 1 January 2011.
Figures from Circular 0055/2026, effective 1 June 2026. See every point of the scale.
Where things stand right now
Applications for the September 2026 intake of the Professional Master of Education closed on 8 June 2026 at Marino Institute of Education, and the TEG Irish exam for that round had to be booked by 21 April. Dates move each year and every college sets its own, so the pattern worth remembering is that the Irish exam deadline lands roughly two months before the course deadline.
Checked 20 August 2026
Questions people actually ask
How do you become a primary school teacher in Ireland?
How long does it take to become a primary teacher in Ireland?
Do you need Irish to be a primary school teacher in Ireland?
Can I become a primary teacher if my degree is in something else?
Do you get paid while training to be a teacher in Ireland?
How much do primary school teachers earn in Ireland?
What Leaving Certificate points do you need for primary teaching?
Is there an age limit to become a primary teacher in Ireland?
Which colleges do primary teaching in Ireland?
Do you have to register with the Teaching Council?
Before you apply
Everything on this page comes from official sources and was checked in 2026. Entry rules, closing dates and selection stages still change from one competition to the next, and sometimes overnight. Before you apply, read the official version yourself. That is the one that counts.