Study in Irish Colleges and Universities

Ireland's worldwide reputation for high quality education is built on the solid foundation of commitment to excellence. Ireland is a beautiful island, combining contemporary modern cities with an unspoilt countryside, cityscapes steeped in history and a rich natural habitat. Renowned for friendliness, our safe, English speaking country offers the warmest of welcomes to students from all over the world. Join the growing number of international students choosing Ireland to fulfil their potential.

The Country



Ireland is an island to the north-west of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth.To its east is the larger island of Great Britain, from which it is separated by the Irish Sea. Politically, Ireland is divided between the Republic of Ireland, which covers just under five-sixths of the island, and Northern Ireland, a part of the United Kingdom, which covers the remainder and is located in the north-east of the island. The population of Ireland is approximately 6.4 million. Just under 4.6 million live in the Republic of Ireland and just under 1.8 million live in Northern Ireland.



The levels of education in Ireland are primary, secondary and higher (often known as "third-level") education. In recent years further education has grown immensely. Growth in the economy since the 1960s has driven much of the change in the education system. Education in Ireland is free at all levels, including college (university), but only for students applying from the European Union.You can choose one of seven great colleges and universities as your study abroad destination in the Republic of Ireland. Today, almost 1 million people (almost a quarter of our population) are in full-time education.

The economy of the Republic of Ireland is a modern knowledge economy, focusing on services and high-tech industries and dependent on trade, industry and investment. In terms of GDP per capita, Ireland is ranked as one of the wealthiest countries in the OECD. In January 1999 Ireland was one of eleven European Union member states which launched the European Single Currency, the euro. The GDP per capita in Ireland was $42,920 in 2011.



What to study


The Irish education system consists of Primary schools, Secondary schools (high schools), Third level colleges and universities and professional institutions. At the third level, institutions provide bachelor degrees of three years, master degrees of one to two years and doctorate degrees. Some institutions also offer shorter certificate and diploma courses.

International students are welcome to study at any third level institution.

You may choose to study from a verity of courses in Ireland like, arts, foundation courses, accountancy, business, computing, engineering, humanitarians studies, law, Tourism etc. However, all international students can study only those courses which are registered with Internationalisation Register of Irish Government. So you must see if your selected course is on list of this register. If the course is not on the list, you will not be granted a visa.



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To be accepted to study on a student visa in Australia you will need to demonstrate a sufficient level of English language proficiency.
English language skills are also a requirement for receiving an Irish student visa. IELTS and TOEFL,  test results are accepted. If your English language proficiency score is not high enough, you can enrol in an English language course to prepare you for further study, though this decreases your visa chances. Usually  IELTS band 5.5 is required for undergraduate and vocational courses whereas 6.5 is required for postgraduate courses.



Visa



International students are welcome in Ireland to pursue a course of studies.Citizens of certain countries who wish to pursue a course of study in Ireland must apply for a visa to enter Ireland before they travel here. Since 1 January 2011 there are changes to the immigration system for non-EEA students. If you are a non-EEA national coming to study in Ireland you must be enrolled in a full-time course under the Degree Programme or the Language and Non-Degree Programme. The visa requirements are different for each of these types of courses.

Visa applicants must apply online for their visa - see 'How to apply'. If you wish to study in Ireland for less than 3 months you should apply for a 'C study visa'. If your course lasts longer than 3 months, you should apply for a 'D study visa'. Generally speaking, the duration of a 'C study visa', is not extended once you have arrived in Ireland. Extensions will be granted in exceptional cases only. It's very important, therefore, to make sure you know the duration of your course before you apply for a visa.



Since 1 January 2011 a ‘New Immigration Regime for Full Time Non-EEA students has been introduced. This sets out new rules regarding studying in Ireland for non-EEA students. In general long term non-EEA students who come to Ireland or who wish to come to Ireland do so to pursue courses which are Language Courses, Further Education Courses or Degree Programme courses. There are other types of student such as short term language students and information for those students can be found via the ‘Other Types of Student. For more details on Irish student visa, please click here.

Where to study



There are also 14 institutes of Technology that offer programs at degree, national diploma and national certificate levels in a wide range of subjects such as engineering and science. All education at the institutes is validated by Ireland's national certification authority to ensure that the education provided holds the highest international standard. Many institutes of technology hold postgraduate diploma and degree programs, both taught and research.There are many private colleges where students can study all types of approved courses.



The cost

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For study at public institution in the Republic of Ireland, you can use the following guideline costs. These may however vary depending on institution and where you live (city or outside, university or private housing). Average living costs is 7480 Euro / year (though Asian students can survive at much lower cost level). Accommodation can cost you from 300 Euros per month to 600 Euros per month. For food, including some meals bought on campus or in cheaper restaurants, you will probably spend between EUR 50 - EUR 100 a week .

Foreign students tuition fees ranges from minimum: 7600 Euro to maximum 17900 Euro for Universities and Institutes and ranges from minimum: 4500 Euro to maximum 8000 Euro for private colleges.



When to apply



The main intake for all the courses is in September each year whereas for some course, there is a Jan./Feb intake as well. Private colleges have 2 to 4 intakes in a year. Universities can take upto 6 months for admission processing whereas private colleges usually take 2 - 4 weeks. The visa process can take upto 12 weeks. So depending upon their chosen institution, the international students should apply for admission 10 - 4 months prior to their course commencement date.



Admission Requirements


Entry requirements for the different types of study differ between institutions, but in general the following applies: A bachelor requires a completed secondary school education with sufficient results. A master degree will require a previously completed bachelor or equivalent from and Irish institution or equivalent abroad. A doctorate will require at least a master degree in your chosen field of research. In some cases, a doctorate also requires a certain amount of work experience for entry.