University College Dublin (Ireland)
The Program
A distinctly Irish university, with global impact. A friendly city, with exciting life.
University College Dublin (UCD) was established in 1854 and among its more famous alumni is the writer James Joyce. The university consists of five colleges: Agriculture/Food Science/ Veterinary Medicine; Arts & Celtic Studies; Business & Law; Engineering & Architecture; Health Sciences; Human Sciences; and Physical/Life Science. UCD’s main Belfield campus is located 2.5 miles south of the city center, to which it is connected by a regular bus service.
Program Locations
Ireland
Dublin
The city of Dublin, on Ireland’s east coast, dates back to the time of the Vikings and beyond. For much of the last 1,000 years, it’s been Ireland’s cultural and political capital. Evidence of the city’s history, and its part in Ireland’s long struggle for independence, can be found all over the city. The Book of Kells, an illuminated, eighth-century manuscript displayed in Trinity College, is probably Ireland’s greatest cultural treasure. The nearby National Gallery, on Merrion Square, has works by Jack B. Yeats, brother of the poet, among others. As you walk the streets of Dublin, in the footsteps of Leopold Bloom and Stephen Dedalus, you’ll see statues of Joyce, Swift, and Beckett. You’ll also hear music emanating from dozens of pubs, especially in the Temple Bar neighborhood on the south bank of the Liffey.
Academics
In order to have an idea of what classes are available, you should visit the University College Dublin website. From this link, you can then access the pages for the Schools you are interested in. Once on the Schools' website you can then choose an academic program (major). To find individual courses you should go to the Module section and click on the different stage links. This will then take you to a list of courses.
When looking for courses, be sure that you are looking at courses for undergraduate students only and that you are looking at classes in the correct term of study. In addition to courses within their main college of study, students may choose up to two courses outside of their main college of study. For a listing of UCD Colleges and the schools that fall within each college, please visit this page.
You will need to be sure that you are registered as a full time student according to University College Dublin and Rutgers University. That means you will need to take the equivalent of at least 12 Rutgers credits each semester. The credit translation system between UCD and Rutgers University is 2:1, meaning a 10 credit course at UCD would come back as a 5-credit course on your Rutgers University transcript and a 5 credit UCD course would be worth 3 Rutgers credits. A normal class load at UCD is 6 courses, however Rutgers students may take less with prior approval. It is not possible to take classes as not-for-credit or pass/fail.
For information about Study Abroad credit transfer, registration, and transcripts please visit the Academics section of our website.
Housing and Meals
Student residence halls are located on the Belfield and Blackrock campuses which vary in price, please check the budget sheet for pricing. Most of the housing is suite-style. The residence halls are typically comprised of three or four single bedrooms with a shared kitchen and common room. University accommodation is self-catered, which means you will not have access to a meal plan, but you will have use of kitchen facilities in order to prepare your own meals. A pillow and duvet are normally provided, but you should bring your own sheets, duvet cover, and towels. There are no “American-only” residences. Your particular placement is made entirely at the discretion of the UCD Accommodation Office. For more information, please visit the UCD Residences web page.
You may also have the option of living near UCD in an off-campus apartment shared by other Study Abroad students. No meal plan is available, but you will have use of the apartment’s kitchen. The kitchen will most likely be furnished with cookware, cutlery, plates and utensils. Once you arrive, you can determine whether you need to purchase any kitchen items.
If you are accommodated on-campus, you should not count on being able to stay in your room during official university breaks. You will need to visit the University College Dublin Accommodation office upon your arrival in order to reserve space during university breaks. You may be charged a fee per day for using rooms during the breaks. You may also be asked to change rooms during the breaks so that repairs can be done.
Financial Information
Program Costs
| NJ Resident | non-NJ Resident | |
|---|---|---|
| Program cost with ATW Scholarship* | $20,000 | $23,900 |
Program Cost includes:
• Tuition
• Belgrove Housing
• Administrative Fees
• Emergency Medical Access Abroad
• *Access the World scholarship
Out-of-Pocket Costs
| Airfare | $900 |
| Meals | $1,885 |
| Residence Permit (Estimate is for US Citizens) | $300 |
| Housing Deposit | $810 |
| Books and Classroom Materials | $250 |
| Local Transportation | $480 |
| Personal Expenses | $1,500 |
| Total | $6,125.00 |
Out-of-Pocket Cost includes:
The above costs are estimations and represent the known out-of-pocket costs students encounter during their time abroad.
Some of these expenses will be paid for prior to going abroad, such as an airline ticket and visa costs, while some of these expenses, such as meals and local transportation, will be paid in-country as part of your daily expenses. As you plan, you will need to budget these costs and spend wisely throughout your time abroad.
Program Costs
| NJ Resident | non-NJ Resident | |
|---|---|---|
| Program cost with ATW Scholarship* | $20,000 | $23,900 |
Program Cost includes:
• Tuition
• Belgrove Housing
• Administrative Fees
• Emergency Medical Access Abroad
• *Access the World scholarship
Out-of-Pocket Costs
| Airfare | $900 |
| Meals | $1,885 |
| Residence Permit (Estimate is for US Citizens) | $300 |
| Housing Deposit | $810 |
| Books and Classroom Materials | $250 |
| Local Transportation | $480 |
| Personal Expenses | $1,500 |
| Total | $6,125.00 |
Out-of-Pocket Cost includes:
The above costs are estimations and represent the known out-of-pocket costs students encounter during their time abroad.
Some of these expenses will be paid for prior to going abroad, such as an airline ticket and visa costs, while some of these expenses, such as meals and local transportation, will be paid in-country as part of your daily expenses. As you plan, you will need to budget these costs and spend wisely throughout your time abroad.
Scholarships
Student Spotlights
“To study abroad, I came completely on my own. I didn't know anyone else studying abroad in Dublin. Many people who study abroad at UCD come with a large group of friends or people they already know from their home university. Therefore, while many people already had friends, I had to branch out a lot! This was definitely difficult at first, as I tend to be a shy person. I also had to figure out a new city all on my own at first. However, once I got settled into school here in Dublin, I quickly had a great group of new friends!”
“When I first arrived to Rutgers as a freshman, I was the standard ‘workaholic’. I had no concept of a healthy work-life balance, and my entire time at Rutgers thus far has been working on finding such a balance. While I do feel I’ve made great progress during my first two years, no experience other than studying abroad has brought me closer to obtaining it. Before leaving for Europe, I had this subconsciously-established notion that the value of a person was based heavily on his/her career status – this made me put a lot stress on myself to ensure that career is the #1 priority in my life. Little did I know that this is a uniquely-American ideology, and understandably so – being a country of immigrants, many people came here (including my grandparents) with the desire to work hard and obtain a better life for themselves and their families. It’s definitely not a bad thing – my grandfather came to this country with not even a nickel in his pocket, and now here I am obtaining an incredible engineering education. But I do now feel that, in the process, many, including myself, have forgotten what it is we are all working for – meaningful and happy human connection with our family and friends. Social norms and conventions are radically different on the other side of the pond; these human connections take center stage in everyone’s life, whereas career tends to be a lesser priority. Being home now, I find myself desiring to maintain that strong work ethic and engineering career dreams I have, whilst always remembering what’s truly important to me, what I’m working for, and the effect that my work has on other people and the environment; a balance between European and American ideologies, if you will.”