Study in Ireland – Ireland is one of the most popular study abroad destinations in Europe. Its universities offer first-class education in a traditional, yet modern setting. Ireland is home to some of the finest universities in the world. Some of the key fields Irish universities specialise in include natural sciences, technology, economics, and humanities. Across Ireland, there are two dozen universities and institutes of technology where students can apply. Obtaining a Bachelors or Masters degree in Ireland contributes towards a student’s professional development.
Let’s explore more about Irish education, universities, courses, admission timeline, visa requirements, scholarships and much more.
Study in Ireland – Reasons to study in Ireland
- Irish Gaelic is recognised as the official language of Ireland but only 36% of the Irish population speak it and English is most commonly used in the country.
- It is easy to obtain post study work visa for international students who wish to look for job opportunities in the country after graduating from an Irish institution. Once the students find employment, they become eligible to apply for a work permit.
- Universities like Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin, National University of Ireland, Galway are ranked globally for providing quality education.
- There are plenty of scholarship opportunities to study in Ireland.
- Ireland has beautiful landscapes, scenic beauty, famous hospitality, rich culture of music, etc., and students can really have a wonderful learning time & experience the vibrant culture of Ireland.
- Part time jobs – students can work for up to 20 hours during semester months and 40 hours during holidays.
- Global companies like Microsoft, Google, Apple and Dell have offices in Ireland and often look to hire brilliant candidates from the Irish universities.
Study in Ireland – Top Universities in Ireland
Here is the list of the top universities in Ireland (based on Times Higher Education or THE rankings):
- Trinity College Dublin
- University College Dublin (UCD)
- Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland
- University College Cork, Cork
- National University of Ireland, Galway
Study in Ireland – Most Popular Programs in Ireland
We have listed the top study abroad programs below:
- FIE Peace and Conflict Studies in Ireland
- API in Galway, Ireland
- AIFS Study abroad in Limerick
- Irish World Academy Summer Music Initiative
- Athena Study Abroad in Dublin
Some of the top UG and PG courses in the Ireland’s world renowned university, Trinity College Dublin are:
- Nursing
- MBA
- Language and Culture Studies
Study in Ireland – Eligibility and Application Process
- In order to be eligible to compete for any UG course, you must obtain a minimum of Grade H5 in two subjects and a minimum of Grade O6/H7 in the remaining four subjects. For more details, check UG course-wise requirements here. The CAO (Central Applications Office) manages most undergraduate applicants (EU/EEA) for the Higher Education Institutes in Ireland.
- International students should apply directly to the university of choice. The following criteria applies to them:
- They should be Non-EU applicants.
- They must be seeking to enter post year one (including those who were in Ireland before and want to re-enter).
- They must be applying for graduate, Certifications/Diplomas or a small number of undergraduate degrees not listed in CAO handbook.
For example, if you are applying for UG or PG courses in University College Dublin (UCD), international students should apply via this link for their choice of course.Applications may open at various stages throughout the year but applications for graduate taught programmes which is supposed to start by next September, opens on 1 October of the current year. The admission key dates at the University College Dublin is shown in the image below. Students can check the website for more details.
International students can apply via sending paper applications to the following address:
Central Application Office
Tower House
Eglington Street
Galway
Tel: +353 91 563269/509800
Fax: +353 91 562344
Email: help@cao.ie
Graduate degree aspirants can browse various courses given in this link to find their choice of Masters degree which they want to pursue at UCD.
Study in Ireland – Admission Timeline
The primary academic intakes begin in September at most colleges and universities in Ireland, though a few institutions offer intakes in February. Undergraduate degree programmes usually last for 3 to 4 years (full-time study), which might vary depending on each institution. Postgraduate qualifications could be awarded as postgraduate diploma or PhD. Both taught and research postgraduate courses are on offer at Irish institutions. A typical postgraduate course lasts for 1-2 years and a PhD lasts for 3 years at Irish institutions.
Generally, the following tuition fees (Euros) applies to international students:
Indian undergraduate students
- Arts and humanities: 10,000 – 16,500
- Business: 10,000 – 16,000
- Engineering: 10,000 – 21,600
- Medicine: 31,000 – 50,000
- Sciences: 10,000 – 21,600
Indian postgraduate students
- Arts and humanities: 10,500 – 20,000
Business: 10,500 – 30,000
Engineering: 10,500 – 19,500
Medicine: 12,000 – 52,000
Sciences: 10,500 – 18,000
Check out tuition fees for UG or PG course for 2019/20 academic session at UCD here
Study in Ireland – Visa Requirements
Indian students must apply for a visa to enter Ireland to pursue higher studies. Students must have accepted an offer of a recognised programme of study in Ireland and possess a receipt of payment letter from a college in Ireland before they begin the process of applying for their visa overseas to study in Ireland.One can apply for a study visa if they are planning to come to Ireland to undertake a course of study for more than 3 months.The fees for visas are in the following manner:
- Single entry – 60
- Multi entry – 100
- Transit – 25
To get more details on visa process, check out Ireland Government website here –Department of Justice and Equalilty.
Study in Ireland – Scholarships
Top Irish Scholarships are listed below:
- UCC Ireland Meritorious Scholarship for September 2019
- Trinity College Dublin Scholarship for September 2019, Ireland
- Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme 2019
