Location
  • Ireland
    • Dublin
Term
Academic Year, Fall, Spring, Summer

Program Details

Program Type
Direct Enrollment
University
University College Dublin
Degree Level
Bachelors
Housing
Apartment
Language
English

Pricing

Starting Price
$10,000 USD
Price Details
This estimate is based on a semester program fee, and includes housing costs. Scholarships are available for students who decide to study abroad at UCD for a full academic year.
What's Included
Activities
Oct 14, 2020
Aug 19, 2020

About Program

University College Dublin (UCD) is Ireland's largest and most diverse university. It is also Ireland's most global university, with international students comprising 20% of the student body. UCD offers a suite of exciting semester-long programs in Arts & Humanities, Social Science, Business, Engineering, Science, Agriculture & Food, Nursing, Law, Sport & Exercise, Pre-Physical Therapy, and Architecture. UCD's beautiful self-contained campus is located just south of Dublin city centre. The campus encompasses world class sports & recreational facilities and a range of excellent on-campus housing options. Students are also invited to participate in a full program of social and cultural activities while studying abroad at UCD. The consistently positive feedback from Students who study abroad here speaks to their well-supported, academically and culturally enriching experience at UCD.

Video and Photos

Program Highlights

  • No. 1 Irish University of choice for international students.
  • Ranked within top 1% of higher education institutions world-wide.
  • Ireland's most globally engaged university with over 30,000 students drawn from over 139 countries.

About University College Dublin

University College Dublin
City
Dublin
Students:
32,900
Year Founded:
1854

University College Dublin (UCD) is Ireland's largest and most diverse university. It is also Ireland's most international university, with 20% of the student body consisting of students from 120 countries around the world. UCD is located 3 miles south of Dublin city centre in a beautiful self-contained campus with extensive on-campus housing options, academic and recreational facilities.

Scholarships

University College Dublin - Scholarship

Scholarships for International Students

UCD is pleased to offer a number of scholarships to international students. All UCD scholarships are advertised online. Please explore the link below to see what options are available to you.

Value
$1,000 - $10,000

Program Reviews

9.29 Rating
based on 38 reviews
  • 9-10 rating 81.58%
  • 7-8 rating 15.79%
  • 5-6 rating 0%
  • 3-4 rating 0%
  • 1-2 rating 2.63%
  • Academics 8.1
  • Support 8.8
  • Fun 9.2
  • Housing 9.1
  • Safety 9.8
Showing 1 - 8 of 38 reviews
Default avatar
Taylor
10/10
Yes, I recommend this program

A Great Semester at UCD!

Major: Electrical Engineering, Home Institution: Yale University

I am so happy I decided to study abroad at UCD because I absolutely loved my experience and feel I grew tremendously while being there! Academically, I felt very challenged because I was able enroll in courses otherwise not offered by my university. I explored entirely new topics in power engineering and renewable energy that ultimately helped me broaden my passion for sustainability. I was also able to conduct research in UCD’s Energy Institute which was a very exciting process of learning and discovery. Outside of the classroom, it was always incredibly fun to attend the various social and club events hosted by the student organizations. There were karaoke nights, student performances, rock climbing nights, pub crawls, and so much more. All these events made it easy to make friends from all over the world and to create amazing new memories!

Beyond UCD’s campus I enjoyed going out to observe the natural and stunning beauty of Ireland! This was probably my favorite aspect of being abroad! I would often take small bus or train rides outside of the city to see some of the surrounding nature. I loved spending time on the coast and walking on the cliffs of Howth, the beaches of Balbriggan, and seeing the gardens of Wicklow. Although my experience was cut short as a result of COVID-19, I am still very grateful for the time I had in Ireland and for the people I met there.

What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?
At first, move in was nerve-racking with trying to figure out where everything was, where to buy groceries/soap/etc., and how to navigate public transportation. However, the UCD Global Lounge coordinated a lot of helpful tours around campus and in town that made it much less stressful to figure it all out!
20 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Colin
10/10
Yes, I recommend this program

My time at UCD

I made the decision to spend a year abroad pretty spontaneously and I really did not have a place in specific that I wanted to travel to. After looking at my option Ireland seemed to match my desired climate and happened to have a school that specialized in engineering. Said school was University College Dublin. My decision to spend about two semesters at UCD was probably one of the best decisions that I have made.
Academically while studying at UCD was introduced to several different teaching styles and I was able to meet a wide range of professors. I was also given the opportunity to conduct research under one of the professors for a semester, which was a great opportunity to see the different approaches to research at UCD compared to back at my home university. I found that studying at UCD my overall perspective of the world change and it became a lot broader. This is mainly due to all of the different cultures that I was able to experience since UCD has a large population of international students and Dublin in general is one the largest cities in Ireland. Learning about Irish history, government, and common trends was interesting because I was able to compare it all to my experiences in the U.S. and it is fascinating to see how each country has different customs and beliefs.
UCD has numerous clubs that range from the study of certain cultures to sports. While at UCD I was able to join the Taekwondo club, where I was able to meet a bunch of awesome people while also getting into better shape. Some of the clubs at UCD take trips to different locations across the island for instance, in the Taekwondo club we went to a competition in Galway. Overall the clubs are a great way to relax and explore the things that are going on across campus and throughout the island.
Overall I highly recommend studying abroad if you get the chance and I cannot wait to come back to Ireland to see all of the things that I missed.

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?
If I did this all over again I would have explored more of Ireland and traveled more in general.
17 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Bianca
10/10
Yes, I recommend this program

One of My Favorite Semesters So Far!

First of all, classes were well-taught and professors were accommodating and accessible. My favorite class was the independent research module. With the mentorship of Professor Michael Gilchrist, I analyzed rugby head impacts using finite element analysis. The project was a perfect combination of my interests in engineering, medicine, and sports, and I will be continuing this research for my senior thesis with Professor Gilchrist as my advisor.

Though I was worried about going to a school where I didn’t know anyone, everybody was super welcoming and friendly. I mainly met people through the wide array of societies UCD has to offer. I ended up joining the Newman society, mountaineering society, food society, lacrosse team, and volleyball team (all of which, I highly recommend!). Through society events, I made friends for a lifetime, learned about Irish culture, explored Dublin and Ireland, and had tons of fun!

At UCD, I experienced a new culture, new people, and new academic interests. These experiences ‘broadened my horizons’, cliché as it may be. The friends and memories I made and the knowledge I gained are irreplaceable. My time at UCD has exceeded my expectations, and though it’s only been a couple months since I left, I already look forward to going back.

Text Feedback
18 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Carmen
10/10
Yes, I recommend this program

UCD Engineering Abroad!

The semester at UCD was a wonderful experience, and a great way to study abroad as an engineering student. The modules offered to engineering students are unique, and allowed me to go on site visits with my class to different places in Ireland. One of my favorites was a visit to Killiney Beach, which was an enjoyable way to learn about the geology in Ireland. As part of the engineering school, four of six modules I enrolled in were engineering modules. I took classes from different disciplines of engineering, which made for a well-rounded academic semester. This is a fantastic program for anyone looking to make new friends, as there are many societies open for international students to join. Located in close proximity to the city center, as well as other popular sites in Ireland, I had a great time exploring both Dublin and the nature of Ireland.

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
I went on a full day hike in Wicklow with the Mountaineering Club - the views were incredible, and we stopped by the heart shaped lake.
17 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Abygale
10/10
Yes, I recommend this program

Wonderfully Pleasant

Choosing to study abroad in Ireland, especially at UCD, was the best decision I have ever made. Making new friends, great memories, and having wonderful opportunities in a place I never thought I would live in was life changing in the best way possible. If I never went abroad, I would have never been exposed to such different lifestyles as well as the opportunity to learn a language like Japanese! I went with an open mind and returned with a brighter plan for my future and experiences that will last a lifetime.

What would you improve about this program?
Longer options would be nice. I would have liked to stay longer.
19 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Natalie
10/10
Yes, I recommend this program

Loved my Semester!

I couldn’t have been happier with my semester at UCD. Dublin is now a magical place for me that I’ll always remember fondly. The folks, city, campus, and outdoors are all wonderfully lovely. There are lots of clubs, lots of interactive professors that genuinely care, and lots of kind students. Futhermore, the area feels incredibly safe. I never once felt threatened by an atmosphere or the demeanor of peers. I would certainly recommend to others. I, myself, hope to go back sometime in the near future.

19 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Aziza
8/10
Yes, I recommend this program

Great Support! The Quinn School of Business is Top Tier

Prior to coming to Ireland, I did not know much about the country or what to expect out of the academics here. UCD Global and the Business Study Abroad Programme at the Quinn School do an amazing job at helping international students adjust to their new environment. UCD Global offers free trips all over Ireland from nearby Howth to Galway and the staff are super friendly! The Business Study Abroad Programme are upfront at the beginning about how different the academics are going to be and how the grading system works. Since 3 of my 5 classes at UCD counted towards my home school GPA I was worried about the rigour of my courses. The style of teaching in Europe is very very different than that of America, but don't worry! If you get good grades at your home university you will do well here, just bug your professors even if they don't have office hours (because they most likely will only have them once a week if even that) and be prepared to teach yourself because that is just how things work here. If you need anything the Business Study Abroad Programme Advisors are very friendly and helpful.

Some things members of my cohort and I would have wanted to know before coming to UCD are: 1.) UCD is a commuter school so the place is a ghost town on the weekends. This is when you should travel around Ireland and other parts of Europe! 2.) Most food places are closed at 6 pm with the exception of Centra, so keep that in mind 3.) The library closes at like 10 pm so if you are a night owl as many American college students are conditioned to be then this may be tough to adjust to because there is nowhere else to study besides your bedroom after this time (maybe your dorm common space).

What would you improve about this program?
During finals week all the classrooms in the Quinn School are locked which is really weird because there's not a lot of places to study on campus anyway so it would be really beneficial if they weren't locked.
19 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Naman
10/10
Yes, I recommend this program

Spring Semester Abroad Quinn School Of Business, UCD

I had the best time of my life at the University College Dublin this semester. By far, it was the best semester of my entire college life. The campus is 20 minutes away from the hustle bustle of the city and is the perfect place to unwind yourself and focus towards your goals. UCD itself is very beautiful with a couple of lakes and greenery all around the campus. It is equipped with a modern sports complex which offers free fitness classes and has a great infrastructure.The residence halls fulfilled all my requirements and made my semester long stay very comfortable.
The most interesting part of my journey has been attending classes with such a diverse group of people from different countries. The Quinn School of Business is one of the most reputed business school and attracts students from all across the globe which made me meet a lot of diverse people. Before Quinn, I had never been in a room with so many nationalities. Classes in UCD are great place to listen to the different thought processes of people from all over the globe. One of the most important learning was while working in our group of four nationalities: American, Irish, Indian and French. I would highly recommend students to study abroad with University College Dublin and attend classes at the Quinn School of Business

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
When I look back at the time which I have spent in Dublin, I feel like a caterpillar. The way a caterpillar needs to stuff itself with leaves and grow longer through molts to shed it skin, similarly I have been through a tough but rewarding experience. The most important advice I would give to prospective students is to get out of your comfort zone and do things differently. I would recommend them to join student societies on campus such as the Erasmus Student Network or the International Student Society. Joining these organisations are a great place to meet different people and participate in group activities.During my semester, I realised opportunities would not knock on my door, but I would have to work hard and get out my room to make things work. At the beginning, I felt I had survived the feeding process of the caterpillar but as time progressed, I kept learning and growing by taking on challenges. I would suggest all of the incoming students to meet people away from their home country to explore different perspectives. Highly recommend participating in the free and fun events organised by UCD and the Quinn School.
21 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers

UCD Study Abroad Application deadlines: Autumn & Full Year - May 1st Spring Semester - Oct 25th