Portobello Institute Returns to Higher Options to Guide Students Towards Their Professional Futures

Around 30,000 fifth and sixth-year secondary school students are expected to gather at Higher Options 2026, taking place at the RDS in Dublin from 16-18 September. This year, Portobello Institute returns to the event with an expanded presence.

Across three days, students can explore the careers that interest them and the higher education pathways that could take them closer to the professional future they want.

Portobello’s programme leads, tutors, academic teams, and current students will help those visiting the stand make sense of their choices and provide information on the undergraduate degrees and postgraduate progression opportunities available.

At Portobello, the conversation starts with the career, not simply the course. The goal is to give students a clearer sense of how their studies can lead to professional practice and meaningful roles across the healthcare, sport, education, and fashion industries.

Key Information

Dates: 16-18 September 2026
Location: RDS Main Hall, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4
Where to find Portobello Institute: Stand 54

What is Higher Options 2026?

Higher Options is one of Ireland’s leading education events for fifth and sixth-year students. First established in 1986, it celebrates its 40^th year in 2026.

Bringing together more than 150 universities, colleges, admissions organisations, and education providers, the event gives students the opportunity to explore what life after secondary school could look like and speak directly with the people behind different study options.

Higher Options returns to the RDS in Dublin on 16, 17, and 18 September 2026, with talks and Q&A sessions running throughout. WorldSkills Ireland will take place alongside it, showcasing apprenticeships, further education, skills, and career opportunities.

More Choice Beyond the CAO

Students leaving secondary school today have more routes into higher education than the traditional CAO pathway alone. As The Irish Times recently explored, there is growing recognition of the different education and progression routes available to school leavers, with greater emphasis on finding the option that best matches the career they want to pursue.

Portobello Institute is part of this wider choice. Students apply directly to the Institute, either through the website or by phone, and are assessed against the entry requirements for their chosen programme. This gives them another route into higher education alongside their CAO choices.

What Students Can Look Forward To at Higher Options

Portobello Institute returns to Higher Options in 2026 with a bigger presence, a larger stand, and more people from across the team on hand to meet students.

Attendees can look forward to:

• Connecting with programme leads, tutors, academic teams, and current students across Portobello’s health science, sport, education, and the business of fashion programmes
• Hearing first-hand from students studying areas including speech and language therapy and sports therapy
• Asking questions about programme content, entry requirements, and what studying at Portobello is really like
• Exploring progression beyond undergraduate study, including Portobello’s postgraduate pathways and the professional opportunities different programmes can lead to
• Taking a spin on the Portobello wheel, back for 2026 after proving a firm favourite last year
• Entering a competition to win CleverCard vouchers worth €250, €100, or €50
• Catching up with Portobello’s social media team, who will be out and about speaking with students throughout the event and filming content

Where Careers Begin: Undergraduate and Postgraduate Pathways

At Higher Options, students can explore Portobello Institute’s level 8 undergraduate degrees, awarded by University of Essex, by starting with the career that interests them and considering the study pathway that could lead to it.

• Physiotherapist: Begin with the BSc (Hons) Sports Therapy or BSc (Hons) Applied Health Science. After graduating, apply and progress to the MSc Physiotherapy (Pre-registration). Together, the programmes form a five-year study pathway towards eligibility to apply for professional registration.
  
  
• Occupational Therapist (OT): The BSc (Hons) Applied Health Science provides an undergraduate foundation for students who later wish to apply to the MSc Occupational Therapy (Pre-registration), creating a five-year study pathway that prepares graduates to apply for professional registration.
  
  
• Speech and Language Therapist (SLT): Start with the BSc (Hons) Applied Health Science. On completion of the degree, graduates can apply for the MSc Speech and Language Therapy (Pre-registration). Within five years, this can take students through both undergraduate and postgraduate study, preparing them to apply for professional registration.
  
  
• Dietitian: The BSc (Hons) Applied Health Science can be the first step towards dietetics. Graduates who meet the relevant entry requirements can apply to the MSc Dietetics (Pre-registration). The full study pathway can be completed over five years, after which graduates can apply for professional registration.
  
  
• Special Educational Needs Teacher: Begin with the BA (Hons) Inclusive Education Practice. Graduates interested in becoming teachers in this area may explore a Professional Master of Education (PME) with another provider, subject to the relevant provider and Teaching Council requirements.
  
  
• Play Therapist: The BA (Hons) Early Childhood Care & Education can provide a starting point for students interested in becoming play therapists and making a meaningful difference in children’s lives. Specialist postgraduate study and professional training in play therapy would form the next stage towards the profession.
  
  
• Professional Coach or PE Teacher: The BSc (Hons) Sports Coaching & Physical Education can prepare graduates for professional coaching and related roles. Those interested in becoming PE teachers may later explore a PME with another provider, while master’s-level study in sports coaching offers another postgraduate option.
  
  
• Sports Therapist: The BSc (Hons) Sports Therapy can lead graduates into sports therapy roles across sporting, clinical, and rehabilitation settings, enabling them to make an impact in the world of sport from the outset.
  
  
• Fashion Buyer or Merchandiser: The BA (Hons) Fashion Buying & Merchandising is a practical, industry-focused honours degree with real-world experiences that help students build insight into buying, merchandising, and the wider fashion sector.
  
  
• Brand Manager, Retail Manager, Marketer, or Fashion Entrepreneur: The BA (Hons) Fashion Management combines business and fashion with real-world learning, industry insight, and international experiences that help students build the perspective needed for commercial careers across the fashion industry.

A Quick Note on Progression and Registration

Progression to postgraduate study and professional registration is not automatic and remains subject to the entry requirements of the relevant programme.

Eligibility to practise in regulated professions is subject to the requirements of the relevant regulator, including CORU in Ireland and the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) in the UK, while teaching pathways are subject to PME provider entry criteria and Teaching Council requirements.

It is all part of understanding not just what to study, but where that study can ultimately lead. The clearer the pathway, the easier it is to make confident decisions about what comes next.

Meet the Portobello Institute Team at Higher Options

Are you attending Higher Options? Visit Portobello Institute at Stand 54 to speak directly with our programme leads, tutors, and students.

Bring your questions about entry requirements, programme content, direct application, and postgraduate progression. Our team will help you compare your options and identify a study pathway that supports the future you want to build.

You can spin the iconic Portobello wheel for a variety of prizes, meet our social media team and take part in event content, and enter a competition for a chance to win a CleverCard voucher worth up to €250.

Follow Portobello Institute on Instagram for daily Higher Options updates, student conversations, and event highlights.