The University

University College Dublin is Ireland’s largest and most richly diversified university. The University provides a broad range of Bachelors, Masters and PhD degrees in subjects grouped into five Colleges (College of Arts and Celtic Studies, College of Business and Law, College  of Human Sciences, College of Life Sciences, College of Engineering, Mathematical and Physical Sciences). UCD traces its origins to the Catholic University of Ireland founded in 1854 by Cardinal John Henry Newman, author of the celebrated “The Idea of a University”. Since

then, the university has played a central role in Ireland’s advancement as a dynamic and highly successful European state and has established a long and distinguished tradition of service to scholarship and the Irish and international community.

Today, UCD is a vibrant, modern university of over 24,000 students situated on a spacious and leafy campus 5 km to the south of Dublin city centre. For students, both Irish and international, it is a supportive and stimulating environment in which to spend a period of intellectual and personal development. UCD offers a lively campus community in which to live and study. The university has modern buildings and first-class academic and sporting facilities. It has a busy extracurricular life and students are encouraged to become actively involved in the wide range of social, cultural and sporting activities available. UCD also has comprehensive student support services, including a student health centre, student advisers, counselling, and careers advisory facilities. Student accommodation is available for 2,500 students and UCD’s International Office provides guidance to international students who seek accommodation off campus. In 2009/10, over 19% of UCD’s student body came from outside Ireland and this international dimension is greatly valued by the university. For more on University College Dublin, please see: Study Abroad at University College Dublin.

Dublin

Ireland’s capital is Dublin, a cosmopolitan, Georgian city of approximately 1M people. As a capital city, Dublin offers a great variety of amenities, including theatres, cinemas and parks. However, given its relatively small size, the city can be easily navigated. There are train links to Belfast in Northern Ireland, Galway in the west of Ireland and Cork in the south.

Dublin began as a Viking settlement founded over one thousand years ago on the banks of the River Liffey and situated on a majestic broad sweeping bay.  It became an administrative capital after the Norman conquest of Ireland in the twelfth century and developed its own parliament and government institutions under British sovereignty from the fourteenth century onwards. During the eighteenth century, the city grew rapidly with the Wide Street Commissioners overseeing the building of fine Georgian architecture which still exists today. Towards the end of the nineteenth century, Dublin became the centre of two great cultural movements - the Gaelic League, aimed at restoring the Irish Language, and the Irish Literary Renaissance. Ireland became a republic in 1949 and Dublin is now the thriving capital of this independent country and the centre of the political, diplomatic, administrative and commercial life. Ireland is a member of the European Union and is a Eurozone member country. There are excellent air links to European capitals and flight time to London is approximately 1 hour.

Academics

The university has two 12-week semesters, divided by Christmas. There is a two-week break in the second semester, to allow for fieldwork in some subject areas. Students are advised to arrive at least a week before the beginning of the semester, to allow time to settle in and prepare for courses. As in most universities, teaching is done through a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials, practicals and laboratory classes. The precise mix of teaching methods varies from subject to subject, depending on the subject being covered and the size of the class. Lectures and tutorials are usually of 50 minutes duration, although seminars can be longer. In general, our study pattern involves less lectures than many universities provide, but much more tutorial and independent study. You should therefore be prepared to do extensive reading and develop a well-disciplined approach to library and laboratory work.

Typically, Study Abroad students take six modules during a semester. Modules are chosen from an extensive range available from UCD’s undergraduate degree programs. Study Abroad Students attend regular classes alongside Irish and other international students. Project and study groups are designed to ensure that students are fully integrated into the UCD learning environment. Classes are typically 3 hours per week per module. Grading is a based on continuous assessment and final examination.

Courses

UCD offers courses in the following disciplines for study abroad students: Agriculture, Food & Nutrition, Architecture, Arts, Celtic Studies, Human Sciences, Business, Clinton Institute for American Studies, Engineering, Nursing & Midwifery, Pre-Law, Pre-Medical, Pre-Veterinary, Science and Sport & Exercise. More information on specific courses may be found by navigating to: Course Search Page.

Once you arrive at the course search page, you will select the module search feature and select modules according to: Category, Subject and Level. Select levels 1, 2 and 3.

Application Dates
https://www.ucd.ie/global/learningabroad/exchanges/studyabroad/

Accommodation

Student accommodation is available both on and off campus. The UCD student residences typically consist of apartments of three/four persons where each student has their own single room and shares bathroom and kitchen facilities. Off campus housing is is available in private rented houses and apartments in Dublin. The Centre for Study Abroad facilitates students in suggesting suitable accommmodation. Houses are furnished and within walking distance of Dublin city centre and on a bus route to UCD. For more information on housing, please see: UCD Housing.

Cultural Programs

One of the essential elements of the study abroad experience at UCD is for international students to fully understand and appreciate the richness of Irish society and culture. Our cultural/social program offers Study Abroad students the opportunity to learn about Irish culture through a series of excursions and field trips in Dublin and across the island of Ireland. The country’s rich and complex history has left a remarkably artistic legacy and modern Ireland continues to be a global centre of artistic and cultural excellence. Typical Activities include: Wicklow Mountain Walk, Neolithic tomb Day trip, Trip to National Theatre, Castle Tour, Irish Dancing and Traditional Irish Music.

Activities

The sports facilities at UCD are among the finest in the country and reflect the popularity and significance of sport at the university. All levels of proficiency are catered for in the fifty six official sports clubs. UCD has facilities for soccer, rugby, Gaelic games and hockey, in addition to an athletics track and tennis courts. There is also a large indoor sports centre with squash courts, sports halls and a state of the art fitness suite.

An exciting feature of life at UCD is the range of over one hundred student societies and clubs that are all open to Study Abroad students. These provide an opportunity to become more involved in college life and pursue a variety of interests. Early in the semester there is an exhibitionto promote and provide information on the clubs and societies.