Irish impact on education
The Republic of Ireland, also called as Eire, is the third largest island in Europe. Its capital is Dublin and the official languages are Irish and English. This country, called the Land of Saints and Scholars, was at the centre of learning in Europe as far back as 500 AD, with its monks and monasteries. No wonder, it is a preferred destination among students wanting quality education.
Higher education
Irish institutions have more than 5,000 courses on offer for international students. There’s a vast choice of subjects like medicine, engineering, business, law, psychology, languages/ literature and creative/ performing arts. Students can choose an ordinary or honors bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree or a doctorate. The ordinary bachelor’s degree is for three years (180 ECTS credits) while the honors bachelor’s degree is typically of three-four years duration (180-240 ECTS credits).
In Ireland, international students can enroll in university, institutes of technology and private colleges. The entry requirements are decided individually by each institution and are generally based on national examination grades/marks and English language aptitude.
Topping the charts
Trinity College, Dublin, University College, Cork and University College, Dublin are three of Ireland’s top educational institutes, which are also ranked high internationally. Lochlann Quinn School of Business (under University College Dublin) is Ireland’s top B-School. The Dublin Business School, Griffith College, Dublin City University, National University of Ireland, University of Limerick and Dublin Institute of Technology are other reputed institutes.
Preferred subjects
Popular subjects for both undergraduate and post graduate study are Business Studies, Management, Engineering, Marketing, Computer Science, Human Resource Management and Information Systems.
Admission basics
For an undergraduate degree, an applicant should have successfully completed upper secondary studies. If applying for a master’s program, the student will need a bachelor’s or equivalent degree diploma. Students submitting an application for doctorate studies are required to have a relevant diploma or master’s degree qualification.
The IELTS and TOEFL scores are accepted, for both undergraduate and post graduate studies. They are between 6 – 7 for IELTS and between 80-90 for TOEFL. All relevant academic transcripts will also be needed for applying to various universities. The transcripts should be in English or have an authorized translation. Apart from these, students may also need to provide additional documentation specified by the college/ university. To apply for an Irish student visa, the applicant will need to provide details of academic scores/ grades, English proficiency, university acceptance letter, fees paid and proof of funds. An original passport, valid for 12 months, is a must have.
Fees and scholarships
Average yearly tuition fees for non-EU students are between 10,000 and 20,000 for undergraduate and post graduate degrees in Science and Engineering. Arts and Business studies range between 9,000 and 25,000. Fees for Medicine and related subjects are from 30,000 to 50,000. An accredited MBA may be anywhere in the range of 25000 and 3,00,000. Grants are available through the centralized Student Grant Scheme, and scholarships are offered by the government and individual universities. Aid and scholarships are awarded to meritorious students solely at the discretion of individual organizations, which have their own eligibility criteria. The Government of Ireland International Scholarships supports one year of study for outstanding students. Meritorious Indian students enrolled for fulltime taught master’s programs (except joint masters, MBA and clinical programs) in the University College, Dublin can apply for VV Giri Global Excellence Scholarship. It covers tuition fees for a year. An applicant needs to check the eligibility criteria before applying.
A helping hand
Student Support centers provide counseling and development. Disability support service ensures that student rights are protected. In some colleges, they provide career services, too.
Source: This article was originally published in Mid-Day newspaper – PDF File: Education in Ireland