Study abroad at Dublin City University in Ireland


Studying in Ireland is a very good option for those thinking on the lines of studying abroad. Dublin City University in Ireland is the country's one of the best universities for international students. Get to know more about the university and how to get in it, through this article.

Dublin City University

Dublin City University, or simply DCU was established in the year 1975 as National Institute for Higher Education. In 1989 it got elevated to university status. As the name suggests, the university is located in Dublin, capital of Ireland. The university is quite popular with international students, which can be judged from the fact that, students from at least 70 nations are studying in the university at various levels. Out of a total student strength of more than 16000, international students make up more than 15% of the students population. Students from countries as far away as Brazil, Australia, Japan and India come for their undergraduate and postgraduate studies.

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An international university in the true sense

DCU, as it is popularly known among the students and the staff alike, is a young and dynamic educational institution. The university is ambitious about transforming societies and lives of common people, through world class education, research and innovation. It is also ambitious about internationalising its campus and is very much committed towards international education. DCU is into a wide range of international activities. It constantly offers programmes jointly in collaboration with institutes based outside Ireland. It regularly participates in student exchange program with other countries and as part of the study abroad programme, welcomes students from all over the world to undergo courses at its campuses. Dublin City University, in true sense is an international university. Since the studies are all done in English, it is all very easy for students who are from the Indian sub-continent. Once your studies in the country are over, you also get the opportunity to work in the country for one full year.

University of Enterprise

The motto of this remarkable university is "University of Enterprise" and it has maintained its reputation through its strong links with academic, research and industry partners, at home as well as abroad. The university has a very high reputation in Ireland. Couple of times the university has been named as the Sunday Times "Irish University of the Year". It has also been ranked among the top 300 universities in the world. Numerous times it has been adjudged a place among the top 50 universities in the world below 50 years of age by QS World University Rankings. The university is focusing to get recognised internationally by 2017 as a research intensive and globally engaged University of Enterprise, true to its motto. It is working hard so that its graduates can make an impact on the society and translate their knowledge into social and economic gains.

Faculties - Rich with programmes

The university has five faculties in its campus. They are Engineering and Computing, Humanities and Social Sciences, Science and Health, Business School and Distance Education. The university offers over 80 programmes across its five faculties. Through its various programmes it caters to a wide variety of students - full time, part time and distance education. A good number of students get educated through its distance learning programmes. Most of the international students including Indians, prefer to go for the postgraduate courses instead of the undergraduate ones. The advantage with the masters programmes is that they are almost all of one year duration. This gives a tremendous advantage to international students, as their cost of stay and study comes down drastically and also they can start earning early.

Student activities - Study hard, play hard

It is not all work and no play at DCU. There are a number of students club catering to a variety of interests ranging from computer games, sports, culture to academic ones. There are drama and music societies. There is a radio station completely managed by the students and which airs programs on music, art, news, sports and talk shows from morning 10:00 AM till midnight every day of the semesters. A total of 240 student volunteers run the show at the radio station. Every year 120 new students join the station and get to learn all about managing and running a radio station.

How to apply

Once you have decided on studying in Ireland, you are advised to apply early. An early submission of your application will help you meet all the entry requirements well in time and your visa application too be processed faster, giving you time to plan your trip comfortably. For applying to any Dublin City University your Higher Secondary qualification should be equivalent to Ireland's school leaving certificate. Other than that, you have to have the necessary scores in IELT and TOEFL. Your minimum score in IELT should not be less than 6.5 and not less than 92 in TOEFL. The application has to be submitted online at www.pac/ie.dcu for the postgraduate programs and at www.dcu.ie/undergraduate-application-form for the undergraduate courses. You have to send the scanned copies of all necessary documents, including degree certificates, personal statement, references, passport and English language skills certification. The application fees can be paid through either credit card, demand draft or bank transfer.

Tuition fees

The tuition fees of the postgraduate courses range from Euro 12,300/- to Euro 15,000/- depending upon the course. The technical and the business courses are comparatively costlier than the humanity courses. The annual costs of undergraduate courses are also similar to that of the postgraduate ones. In case your IELT score are comparatively less, then you can enrol for an 'Improve your English language skills' program first. But it's always advisable to have a high IELT score, it makes things a lot easier and cheaper for you. The living costs may come up to Euro 7000/- to 11000/- per year. Then there are other costs such as visa application, travel insurance, medical insurance, deposit for accommodation etc.

Scholarships - Are there any?

There are provision for scholarships for international students, especially Indians. The details can be had at the following website www.dcu.ie/international/scholarships. The scholarships are merit based and are given to the high achievers from India. The scholarships are provided by the Faculty of Engineering and Computing and the Faculty of Humanities to those who score above 70% in graduation, for a sum of Euro 1000/-.

Opportunities after finishing studies

Soon after finishing your studies in Ireland, you get a work permit which is valid for a period of one year. The university has a healthy record post studies. Almost 92% of its graduates get absorbed into some relevant job or get into higher education courses within six months of finishing studies.

Useful websites

These websites will help you a lot in processing your applications, both for visa and for your admission in Dublin City University.
  • www.pac/ie.dcu - for applying to DCU for postgraduation
  • www.dcu.ie/undergraduate-application-form - for applying to DCU for undergraduation
  • www.inis.gov.ie – visa information
  • www.dcu.ie/international/scholarships - for obtaining a scholarship
  • www.dcu.ie/international/country - for country specific entry requirements
  • www.dcu.ie/international - DCU website for international students
  • international.office@dcu.ie - Email id of International Office of DCU

It is worth noting that Ireland is coming up as a popular destination for Indian students willing to study abroad for their higher education. Unlike US and UK, getting into Ireland with a student visa is a lot easier. In that sense many other countries are coming up as popular destinations for higher education. Indian students these days have plenty of choices to select from. There are many good reasons to say, studying in New Zealand or even studying in Canada. Russia for example is a country which is very popular with Indian students for studying medicine there. In recent years the country is focussing on popularising studying engineering in Russia. Not only them, but there are numerous other countries, which are making it easy for Indian students to go there for education and even work there. When it comes to foreign education, Indian students are no doubt having the best of the times. Dublin City University is one such world class university beckoning Indian students to study in Ireland.


Article by Dhruv
Dhruv, an electrical engineer by training and profession, loves to dabble in writing during his free time. For the last seven years, he has been a content writer creating content for ISC on topics mostly related to school and college admissions.

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