However, thousands of Irish people are making a career of giving a helping hand every day by being aid workers for international aid agencies in developing countries or areas where emergency relief is required. Others work at home in head office on co-ordinating these activities in non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other similar organisations.

Nurses, doctors, experts in HIV/AIDS, civil engineers, accountants and other professionals have transferable skills that are required in development programmes.

People with education, logistics, human resources and project management backgrounds are also employed by aid agencies.The main route into working for aid agencies is either through volunteering to do work related to your profession before getting paid work or through college courses on development.

Because of the increasing professionalisation within the sector, it's becoming more difficult to get into and the last few years have seen an increasing interest from the third level sector in the issues of globalisation, development, social justice and international relations , , courses that can be vital for a person's CV if they want to work in this area.

Dublin City University (DCU) has an undergraduate degree in international relations as well as masters' degrees in international relations, globalisation and security and conflict studies. Dr Peadar Kirby, senior lecturer in international relations and co-director of the Centre for International Studies at DCU, says the range of organisations that contact him looking for references for past students of his amazes him.

"Some of them are UN organisations and I've also done references for the World Bank, the Department of Foreign Affairs and local banks or businesses. They want people who can give them a good analysis of the world around them."

Others have gone into the diplomatic service, various NGOs, journalism, law , , a lot depends on what their primary degree is.

Because of the level of competition for places on the three master's degrees, Dr Kirby explains that, first and foremost, applicants require a 2:1 in their primary degree.

"Added to that, it does help greatly that people have experience. We do take people straight from college, but we only get a minority of our intake from that source."

People need to have some experience to give an indication that they are serious about the subject rather than doing it because it sounds interesting.

Mairead Bolger is administrative officer of the Centre for Development Studies in University College Dublin (UCD). She explains that UCD runs a master's degree and higher diploma in development studies. "Some people apply for the master's and are offered a place on the higher diploma because their undergraduate degree is not good enough. What we are looking for is at least a 2:1 for the master's and a 2:1 for the higher diploma."

Kimmage Development Studies Centre offers a degree, a master's and a postgraduate diploma in development studies.

Registrar Tom Campbell says that people usually have some experience in development work, perhaps in the community or voluntary sector. The intake tends to be mature students as opposed to school leavers.

Apart from working with international development agencies there are opportunities for graduates to work in community development programmes in Ireland, or in development education work. "Although the main focus of the course is international development, some of the areas are quite practical and would be appropriate to development in either Dublin or Tanzania."

THE COURSES ON OFFER There are numerous courses of use to people working in, or thinking of working in, development or international relations:

? UCD's Centre for Development Studies has a master's in development studies, a higher diploma in development, PhD opportunities and a master's in politics (international relations).

? Kimmage Development Studies Centre has a master's, a postgraduate diploma and an undergraduate degree in development studies.

? DCU offers a master's in international relations, which is one year full-time and two years part-time, a degree in international relations, a master's in globalisation (one year full-time) and a master's in security and con"ict studies.

? National University of Ireland Galway's Irish Centre for Human Rights offers LL.M. programmes in international human rights law and international peace support operations and has a cross-border programme in human rights law and human rights and criminal justice in conjunction with Queen's University, Belfast.

? Ballsbridge College of Further Education offers an international aid and development studies course.

? Trinity College Dublin offers a master's in international peace studies.