UC Dublin Campus
Summary: Holy Cross students have the unique opportunity to directly enroll in a full course load (usually 6 classes) at Ireland's largest university, UCD! Holy Cross students join Irish students and other international students in classes across three colleges: Arts & Humanities; Sciences; and Social Sciences & Law. UCD is located in Belfield, a quiet residential area outside of Dublin City Centre. The campus boasts multiple bus stops which students can use to easily access downtown Dublin within about 30 minutes.
With a population of more than one million people, Dublin is vibrant city whose streets were once roamed by the likes of Joyce, Wilde, and Beckett amongst many other historical figures (Think Eamon Devalera, Michael Collins, & James Connolly!) Today, it is a multicultural capital city that immigrants from all over the world call home. Stroll down Grafton Street to hear world-class buskers or check out the night life and explore Dublin’s traditional music scene. Take the D.A.R.T train south to Bray and Greystones or north to Howth for scenic cliff walks along the sparkling Irish sea.
UCD is a great fit for extremely independent and adaptable students who want to experience university life just as the Irish do. Students who do well at UCD tend to be self-motivated and enjoy on-campus activities, getting involved in at least one of the many clubs and societies available throughout the year. UCD is your oyster, the experience will be what you make it!
Check out the UCD Compass, your comprehensive guide to all things study abroad at UCD! Continue reading below for a snapshot!
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Name: University College, Dublin
Location: Dublin, Ireland
University size: 33,000 undergraduate and graduate students (29% international)
University founded: 1854
Terms available: academic year, fall, spring
Dates: early September to mid-May (academic year); early September to late December (fall semester); mid-January to mid-May (spring semester) Start and end dates noted are tentative and subject to change.
Academic Calendar: http://www.ucd.ie/students/keydates.htm
Pre-university program: n/a
Registration info: 60 credits per year (30 per term) is a full course load. This usually amounts to six 5-credit classes per semester. There are some 10-credit classes! If you take one 10-credit class and four 5-credit classes, that is considered a full-time course load even though you are only in 5 modules (classes). It is not the number of classes (modules) students take that matters, but rather the number of credits. Again, 30 credits is a full course load and all HC students are expected to take 30 credits!
ICIP required: Yes for academic-year students
Housing: UCD students live in on-campus student accommodations. Students are not guaranteed to be placed with other Holy Cross students.
Maximum capacity: 20 Holy Cross students per semester: This is a highly competitive program. We are only able to send 20 students per semester as a maximum, and regardless of applicant volume, we need to make every effort to balance the Fall and Spring semesters. Preference will be given to Academic Year students. In the event that we receive more applications than available openings, or we need to shift students from one semester to another, we will select participants with the highest GPAs in their respective majors to attend UCD during their preferred semester. It is advisable that students interested in UCD arrange to meet with Assistant Director Emma Meade (emeade@holycross.edu) to discuss alternative locations in the event that student interest in UCD exceeds capacity.
University website: http://www.ucd.ie/
Study Abroad website: http://www.ucd.ie/global/exchangesstudyabroad/exchanges/studyabroad/
Student life/campus activities: https://www.ucd.ie/global/studentsupports/
Visa fees: Garda (police) registration fee is 300 EUR. A visa is not required for U.S. citizens (students must show access to $3,000 when registering with the Garda National in Ireland). Non-US citizens must check visa requirements for their country of citizenship: http://www.inis.gov.ie/
Housing deposits: Students are required to pay a REFUNDABLE housing deposit to UCD. Last term, the deposit amount was €720. This amount is subject to change each semester.
Course Catalog (module search)*: http://www.ucd.ie/students/course_search.htm (select tab for “modules” and search by keyword "autumn" or "spring" to get an idea of what types of classes might be available during any given semester
Courses previously taken by Holy Cross students: https://sa.holycross.edu
On left-side menu, click on Courses Taken Abroad for Holy Cross Credit then select program. Please be aware this list is meant to give you an idea of the types of courses available to you at UCD based on what past students have taken. This is NOT a list of classes that are guaranteed to be available to you and you are not limited to the classes on this list. Class offerings change each semester and you can certainly register for classes that you do not see on this list.
Grade equivalency sheet: Available on the Holy Cross Registrar’s website: https://www.holycross.edu/support-and-resources/office-registrar/study-abroad-equivalencies
*Note: In Ireland, classes are called “modules” and majors are called “courses.”
All information listed above is subject to change.
For more information, please contact:
Emma Meade, Assistant Director
Email: emeade@holycross.edu
Phone: 508-793-3090
Office: Smith 213
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