NUI, National University of Ireland, is a federal university comprising the largest element of the Irish university system at the present time. The continuing mission for NUI in modern Ireland is to provide a supportive framework for its confederate institutions, to promote the objects of the University, thus contributing to educational, cultural, social and economic advancement.

'National University of Ireland' currently comprises four Constituent Universities, five Recognised Colleges and one College of a Constituent University. Each institution within the NUI federation has its own Governing Authority; the overall Governing Authority of the university is the NUI Senate and headed by the Chancellor

The Universities Act, 1997, which came into effect on 16 June, 1997, redefined the nature and role of the National University of Ireland. It reconstituted the Senate, which is the Governing Body of the University, with a membership of thirty-eight, as follows:

• The Chancellor
• The Chief Officers of the Constituent Universities
• The Registrar of the University
• Four members nominated by the Governmen Four persons elected by each of the Constituent Universities
• Eight members elected by Convocation
• Four co-opted members

Under the Act, the Senate of the National University of Ireland has functions and responsibilities in relation to the following:

determining basic matriculation requirements; reviewing the content and teaching of courses
appointing external examiners; awarding degrees and other qualifications.

The Act 1997 also reconstituted the three Constituent Colleges of the National University of Ireland, and the Recognised College, St Patrick's College, Maynooth as Constituent Universities.

Federal university with four Constituent Universities, five Recognised Colleges.Established by charter in 1908. The five colleges are The Royal College of Surgeons, The National College of Art and Design, Shannon College of Hotel Management, Institute of Public Administration, Milltown Institute.

Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland:

The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland was founded in 1784 by Royal Charter from King George III, to educate surgeons who at that time were trained separately from physicians. After 1886, the training of physicians and surgeons merged, and the College began to train doctors in its Medical School. In recent times the College has developed into a major international Medical School. Primary Degree courses are provided in Medicine, Nursing, Physiotherapy and Pharmacy and postgraduate studies are available in a range of medical subjects including Anaesthesia, Radiology and Dentistry.

National College of Art and Design:

The National College of Art and Design, Dublin was founded in 1746 as ‘a little academy for drawing and painting’ which was supported by the Royal Dublin Society. In 1924 the College came under the control of the Department of Education. From 1936 it was styled ‘The National College of Art’, issuing its own Diplomas; in 1971 the College was reconstituted by Act of the Oireachtas, when many of its functions were placed under a board appointed by the Minister for Education.

Shannon College of Hotel Management:

The Shannon College of Hotel Management was founded in 1951 by Dr. Brendan O’Regan, to train managers for the Irish hotel industry. Since then it has become Ireland’s leading Hotel College and has established an international reputation for excellence. The reputation of the College has grown from strength to strength and spread throughout the world.

Shannon’s educational system is unique. The College believes that industry experience at operational, supervisory and trainee management level is a central part of management training. Equally important are the development of product knowledge, business skills and foreign language fluency. These four elements are carefully moulded together at Shannon to form the Shannon Diploma course in International Hotel Management.

Institute of Public Administration:

The genesis of the Institute of Public Administration arose from the deliberations of a group of senior public servants who saw the need for a modern professional education for members of the Irish public sector and for the informed analysis and evaluation of Irish public policy-making. The founders of the IPA were distinguished public servants. One of the signatories of the IPA’s Articles and Memorandum of Association, Dr Garret FitzGerald, now Chancellor of NUI, was to become Taoiseach.

Arising from these deliberations, a formal organisation, the Institute of Public Administration (PIA), was founded in 1957. It became a company limited by guarantee in 1963 and is a non-profit-making voluntary body. The IPA is the only organisation in Ireland offering a comprehensive range of services in public administration – in research, education, training and publications.

Milltown Institute:

The origins of the Milltown Institute can be traced back to the 1880s when the Jesuits established Schools of Philosophy andof Theology at Milltown in Dublin. The School of Theology has had an unbroken history at Milltown ever since 1889, and became a Jesuit Pontifical Faculty in 1932. The School of Philosophy moved from Milltown in 1930 and became a Jesuit Pontifical Faculty in 1948, returning to Milltown in 1966. The newly-styled Milltown Institute of Theology and Philosophy was established by a group of religious institutes in 1968 as a Pontifical Athenaeum (University) with Faculties of Theology and Philosophy

St. Angela's College, Sligo (A College of NUI, Galway):

St. Angela's College of Education, Sligo, was granted the status of Recognised College of the NUI in 1978, and retained that status until the end of 2005. In a historic Agreement between the College and NUI, Galway, the re-styled 'St. Angela's College, Sligo' became a College of NUI, Galway as of 1 January 2006.

Founded as a training college for teachers of Home Economics, St. Angela's has expanded its education services far beyond its original remit. Today it provides a range of full-time and part-time academic programmes at masters, degree, diploma and certificate level.