Study, Work, Live in Ireland
WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT STUDYING IN IRELAND
Ireland is a popular destination for international students and offers a high level of education that is recognized throughout the world, combining a fantastic higher education experience with historical cities, beautiful scenery and unique heritage. Ireland is located on the west coast of Europe and is a member of the European Union. It is currently home to 35,000 international students from 160 countries.
Reasons to study in Ireland
• Irish universities operate the Free Fees Initiative for EU students, enabling those who meet the criteria to avoid paying tuition fees.
• Join 35,000 other international students from over 160 countries.
• The only English-speaking country in the Eurozone.
• Irish universities are in the top 1% of research institutions in global research impact.
• Home to companies such as Google, Medtronic, and Microsoft.
• Dublin has been voted by Lonely Planet as the world’s friendliest city on multiple occasions.
Irish Student Visa Requirements
Indian students must apply for a student visa to enter Ireland before they travel. Students will be required to have accepted an offer of a recognized program of study in Ireland and to have a receipt of payment letter from a college in Ireland before they can begin the process of applying for your visa overseas to study in Ireland. Students from the EU do not need a visa to study in Ireland.
Any Nigerian student wishing to study in Ireland must meet the minimum English language requirements. Overseas Admission Consult recommends all students undergo IELTS preparation( which we also offer) before joining an Irish university. Each college and university has specific requirements for admission, so we give the necessary advice on the course that suits your need or qualifications
Any Nigerian student wishing to study in Ireland must meet the minimum English language requirements. Erudite Consult recommends all students undergo IELTS preparation( which we also offer) before joining an Irish university. Each college and university has specific requirements for admission, so we give the necessary advice on the course that suits your need or qualifications
Ireland colleges and Universities according to their rankings:
1. Trinity College
2. University College, Dublin
3. National University of Ireland, Galway
4. University College, Cork
5. Dublin City University
6. University of Limerick
7. Maynooth University
8. Dublin Institute of Technology
9.Letterkenny Institute of Technology, Letterkenny
10 Dublin Business School, Dublin
11 Griffith College, Dublin, Cork and Limerick (Campus in 3 cities)
12 Shannon College of Hotel Management, A college of NUI Galway, Galway
Guide to the Irish Higher Education System for international students
With a rich, distinct culture and lively student scene, Ireland has a long history of welcoming international students. Between the nation’s growing economy and advancing education system, it’s not hard to see why. All seven of Ireland’s public universities rank within the world’s top 700, and tuition is free for local and EU students. Whilst the Irish higher education system is largely modeled on that of the British, it’s important you understand how it works before lodging a successful study abroad application. Let our breakdown of the Irish higher education system help.
Types of Institution
Where you’ll study abroad in Ireland depends on the specific subject area you’re interested in, and the qualification level you’re seeking.
University
Irish universities are state-funded and generally operate autonomously. There are seven universities in Ireland, each offering a range of undergraduate and postgraduate degree programs across a wide spectrum of general study areas.
Institute of Technology
These institutions provide education and training study programs in areas such as business, science, engineering, linguistics, and music across certificate, diploma, and degree levels. There are 14 institutes of technology in Ireland, each with a separate set of program, course, and credit requirements that should be pursued directly with each institution.
Colleges of Education
Colleges of Education solely provide specialized training to aspiring school teachers, via either a three-year Bachelor of Education or an 18-month postgraduate diploma. Students wishing to teach at a post-primary level would typically complete a primary degree followed by a postgraduate diploma.
Private College
Third-party private colleges offer education and training in specialist areas such as vocational training, art, and design, medicine, business studies, rural development, theology, music and law. Qualifications are offered across vocational, certificate, and degree levels, but differ considerably depending on the institution and study program. Students are advised to confirm the exact nature of qualifications offered directly with their host institution.
A typical Bachelor’s Degree in a general field of study is around three-four years long for a full-time student. Undergraduate studies in fields such as architecture, veterinary science, and dentistry are about five years in duration. Students may be awarded a Bachelors’s Degree as a General Degree, Honours Degree, or BA (Special Degree), depending on the specific nature of their study program.
Degree programs on offer are unique to each institution, each with separate credit and subject requirements.
Programs are categorized via departments based on the general field of study they are in, and again depending on the area within that field they focus upon. For example, Trinity College Dublin offers students the chance to complete a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Film Studies. Students in this program also have the option to complete a secondary tract of study in another art area such as English Literature or Drama.
Some universities also offer students the chance to complete their undergraduate studies as an Honours degree.
This typically means that they will complete a larger amount of credits across the same duration as a standard undergraduate program, thus increasing the difficulty of their overall studies. Upon completion of their studies, ‘(Hons)’ is added to the student’s degree title. For example, a student completing an Honours program might graduate with the title Bachelor of Science (BS) in Anatomy (Hons).
Postgraduate
Postgraduate qualifications awarded in Ireland might be Postgraduate Diploma, Masters Diploma or Ph.D. Programs and any one of them can be taught or research-based. Studying at a postgraduate level is more focused and takes a more specialist approach to the area of study undertaken at an undergraduate level.
Postgraduate Diplomas are often vocationally oriented and directly linked to professions such as teaching or librarianship. In some cases, these diplomas may be used as a bridging qualification towards a master’s degree in the same field.
Master’s degrees are typically one-two years in length and usually involve both taught coursework and a thesis component. Ph.D. studies are usually three years in duration.
Academic culture
Irish academic culture largely echoes that of the UK: students are expected to work and maintain a sufficient academic standard independently. There is typically a larger focus on the modes of approach to a subject rather than upon factual data, and course content seeks to equip students with the tools to draw their own conclusions on what is taught. Formulation of this critical judgment is expected to be supplemented with readings and research completed independently, in addition, to setting course work.
Assessment varies between areas of study but generally focuses on fewer, longer-form tasks rather than smaller modes of continuous assessment. Examinations are common, and often held at the end of semester one (mid- year) and again at the end of semester two (finals). There is generally a passing grade of at least 40% for any piece of assessment.
Class discussions encourage students to voice their opinions critically and not shy away from asking questions that challenge what their professor is saying, provided it’s substantiated. Professors welcome students to offer new perspectives on a topic and will often have consultation hours where students can schedule appointments with them to discuss ideas or concepts covered in class.