Ms Bernadette O'Sullivan, course director for NUI Galway's advanced diploma in applied communications, says second level students and their guidance counsellors may believe students need a degree in English and history. This is a misconception, she says. Postgraduate courses welcome students from a diversity of backgrounds including business, law and the sciences as well as English, history and politics. The schools of journalism are reporting unprecedented demand for their-graduates. For instance, DCU' S careers and appointments officer, Ms Muireann Ní Dhuigneáin, says 90 per cent of DCUs journalism graduates both undergraduate and postgraduate went directly into employment. The majority were freelancing rather than in staff jobs. The cut-off point for DIT's journalism degree was 445 (random selection applied) last year, while students needed 465 points to gain a place on DCU's undergraduate degree. DCU offers an MA in journalism and an MSc in science communication (jointly offered with Queen's University, Belfast). DIT has a graduate diploma in journalism and NUI Galway offers a higher diploma in applied communications as-well an árd diploma i gcumarsaid fheidhmeach.