University College Dublin

The MSc in Finance offered at UCD Smurfit School of Business was a life-changing experience for me. The Program allowed me to acquire a knowledge base in the area of finance and investments that I use every day in the investment industry. Complementing this enriching academic experience is a diverse student body, with students enrolling from all over the world. This diversity allowed me to learn about different perspectives than my own and build a global network. Additionally, the Professors at Smurfit are leaders in their respective field, and were consistently approachable and supportive of my studies. The UCD Smurfit Campus offers an oasis from the busy city-scape that allowed me to focus on my studies while building a strong community with my classmates. That being said, the Campus is a quick metro ride into the notorious city center of Dublin, where I escaped the workload from time to time to enjoy the best of Irish culture.

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.

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.

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.

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.