Ireland offers more than 5000 courses of study and choosing it as a destination for your studies would surely be a fantastic and enriching experience for your CV:
- By studying in English you will be able to master the language, allowing you to work or continue your studies anywhere in the world.
- Good news if you are an EU citizen! You fall into the “free fees” category and therefore part of your university tuition is paid by the Irish government. You will only have to pay a student contribution of €3,000. When it comes to international students each institution has different fees.
In addition, as Ireland is a member of the European Union, it is part of the Erasmus exchanges so in the second or third year of your three-year course you will also have the opportunity to study a semester at other universities across Europe.
The Dreamando team will always be with you to advise and guide you through the whole process!
University system, degrees and ECTS
In Ireland, the university system is divided into:
- Universities: 8 universities – entirely funded by the state
- Institutes of Technology (IT): which, unlike the name suggests, offer courses in literature, commerce and other fields.
As well as various other subgroups for state-funded institutions or independent institutions.
Regarding qualifications and ECTS credits, Ireland follows European standards:
- Bachelor’s degree: (Three year degree) 180 – 240 ECTS (3/4 years).
- Master: 60 – 120 ECTS (1/2 years).
- PhD: there is no range for credits
How to apply to study in Ireland
If you are finishing high school and are interested in starting your university studies in Ireland, then you are looking for a university that offers a three year bachelor’s degree. Ireland, like the UK, has a single portal to centralise applications at different universities.
The Central Application Office (http://www.cao.ie) portal brings together higher education institutions (HEIs) applications. As for the Masters (average cost €34,000) and PhD you have to check on the website of each university to know procedures and application dates.
An entry test is not required for most courses in Ireland, rather the educational paths of students are evaluated. But watch out! The application must be completed about one year before the start of the chosen university course.
To complete your application you will be asked to provide:
- Language certification (IELTS – minimum 5)
- Final high school grade
- Grades in individual subjects
- Passport (if it expires in a year you have to redo it) or the identity card (if you are a European citizen)
- GRE (it is not required but it could be useful to improve you application)
- CV
- Statement of Purpose (SOP) that should convince the selection committee that you have solid achievements behind you that show promise for your success in graduate study
- Letters of Recommendation (LORs)
- Student Visa
All these requirements are essential to complete your application. Above all, you must pay attention to the deadlines, the university application in Ireland is sequential; therefore there are various deadlines that need to be met. Universities begin responding to students in August. The application process is long but not insurmountable, to avoid your efforts going unrewarded due to clerical mistakes, you can consider having a Dreamando team member by your side to guide you through the process!
Tuition fees
If you are a European citizen you fall into the “free fees scheme” category and therefore part of your university tuition fee is paid by the Irish Government (Higher Education Authority – HEA). You will only have to contribute a student contribution of €3,000, while for international students each institution has different fees.
For Masters and Doctorates fees vary according to the course and whether you are a European citizen or not. Usually starting from €3,800 you can reach a maximum of €30,000 for programs such as Business or Medicine.
Of course, each university offers a number of scholarships, which can be seen on their websites and you can also apply for government funding:
- Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) offers the exemption from student tuition, grants or contributions that will supplement your tuition (especially for postgraduate).
Know the language
If you want to study in Ireland you need to know the language! But don’t be scared if you don’t master the language perfectly, the language requirements (IELTS) aren’t too high and once there you will quickly master the language!
The language exam requested and accepted by all universities is the IELTS. Trinity College requires applicants to have passed the IELTS with an overall of 6.5 and no less than 6.0 scored in the individual parts of the test. The requirements however may vary from university to university, so remember to check if your university and course in particular have a different IELTS score requirement.