A BSc course in occupational therapy in NUI Galway that was postponed last week after failing to get accreditation from the Association of Occupational Therapists of Ireland (AOTI) has now commenced.
It began after an agreement was reached between the university and the association yesterday.
Last week the university was told the course had failed to get approval from the AOTI because it had yet to meet established international standards.
In the absence of such approval, graduates completing the four-year degree course would not have been licensed to practice occupational therapy in the State.
In a joint statement released today, the Association acknowledged that a programme leading to a BSc in Occupational Therapy had commenced in NUI Galway and said "the process of accreditation is now in train".
Although formal approval to proceed with the programme has not yet been granted, the AOTI and the university have committed themselves to a process that will lead to such approval - subject to the accreditation procedures of AOTI.
This week, 25 students began attending lectures in the basic sciences that make up the introductory programme of the BSc course.
The university has said it is "very happy with the outcome" of the talks and added that it was looking forward to continuing co-operation with the AOTI.
The AOTI has granted the necessary approval to new courses starting this year in UCC and the University of Limerick. Previously, courses were only available at Trinity College Dublin and the University of Ulster.
