Program Reviews

UCD was an amazing school to study abroad in for a semester! They provide free trips to go to different places in Ireland such as Galway, Kinsale, Glendalough, and more events where I was able to meet tons of friends. Also, UCD has a great community that makes it easy to join clubs/societies even if it is just for a semester which allowed me to make local Irish friends. It was easy to go into the city whenever I wanted and was a very safe location to walk around even at night so would highly recommend!

I'll start with the two (slightly) negative points:
-Academics can be a bit stressful sometimes, since much of the time, assignments are due all in one month + you have less assignments worth more percentage of your grade unlike the American system. However, I will offset this statement a little by saying that professors will make sure you don't fail!
-My residence wasn't the best— you pay for what you get, but even then, it is a little overpriced and when I came in, the previous owners left it in very dirty condition (however, this is not UCD's fault). But as someone in Glenomena, the single rooms and (in my case) the ensuite bathroom are hard to complain about, and there's nothing a little cleaning up yourself can't do.

But otherwise, I loved being at UCD! Being a UCD student for the semester has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. At first, it was hard to adjust due to the size of the campus, but there have been so many opportunities to find friends and traveling experiences through UCD-organized events (they run trips around Ireland for study abroad students!) and school societies. The campus is also very big, but that means there are many student life and academic resources— it almost seems like a small town sometimes. I have come out with increased independence, many lifelong friends, and new memories that I will always cherish because of my time at UCD. I highly recommend that if anyone goes to Ireland for study abroad that UCD should be considered!

I have loved my time at UCD. I feel safe on campus, enjoy the learning material, and have loved exploring Dublin. The facilities for students like my residence and the gym were excellent, and the bus into Dublin was easy and convenient. One thing I would change is that there could be more academic support for international students adjusting to a new style of teaching. I was able to utilize the maths tutoring centre, but I felt that overall there were not many resources made available to students who may have been struggling.

What an amazing University College Dublin has brought me. Along with an amazing academic structure, this experience brought me life long friends and memories. Everyday is something new and exciting. The city of Dublin is bursting with culture, history and uniqueness all around. My academic experience was one like any other coming with vigorous classes and professors who really know how to teach. Getting outside of your comfort zone was the best decision to make. I would 100% look into studying abroad at University College Dublin!

Though housing can be expensive, I have loved my time here at UCD. I have made so many friends from around the world. Outside of the university, the city is amazing and the whole country is full of fun experiences. It's easy to travel around in the city or in the country. There are many amazing coffee spots on campus as well as plenty of other amenities. No matter the time of year, it is beautiful outside, even in the rain. I would definitely recommend this program for anyone who is looking to study abroad in Europe.

I registered for 3 courses at UCD, all of which were related to architecture/ design. Supplementary courses were enjoyable and worthwhile, however, I was not a huge fan of the architecture studio setting. Studios are not cleaned between semesters, causing clutter and general confusion over which spaces are being used. Projects are highly focused on the production of physical models, but the school lacked resources that would make this process more enticing (3d printers, photo lab, CNC machines etc...). Tutors failed to create a competitive environment for students and the program itself felt very archaic.

The low rigor of classes did make it easier to enjoy my time in Ireland, however, so I would highly recommend this program to anyone who is looking to have ample time to explore Ireland/ Europe. My only complaint outside of academics is the extremely high cost of living in Dublin. Overall, Dublin is a fun city with plenty of amenities close by.

Spent a semester at UCD Engineering & Architecture. I took an intro Landscape Architecture lecture, a Masters level Nature-Based Solutions studio, a Masters level Urban Resilience lecture, as well as a literature elective (in the English dept). At my home university, I study sustainability and visual arts, so this program was a great chance to bring those disciplines together. Courses were rigorous, but professors supportive and helpful. I really liked the overall focus on sustainability and environmental issues. Good variety in the options available in course selection, including Masters-level modules.
On-campus housing is livable but not great. It's very expensive for what you get, but unfortunately not many alternatives are available due to the city's housing crisis.
Student life is welcoming and friendly, and plenty of nice things to do out in Dublin. UCD is definitely in the suburbs, but an easy 30 min bus ride from city center.

The MSc in Finance offered at UCD Smurfit School of Business was a life-changing experience for me. The Program allowed me to acquire a knowledge base in the area of finance and investments that I use every day in the investment industry. Complementing this enriching academic experience is a diverse student body, with students enrolling from all over the world. This diversity allowed me to learn about different perspectives than my own and build a global network. Additionally, the Professors at Smurfit are leaders in their respective field, and were consistently approachable and supportive of my studies. The UCD Smurfit Campus offers an oasis from the busy city-scape that allowed me to focus on my studies while building a strong community with my classmates. That being said, the Campus is a quick metro ride into the notorious city center of Dublin, where I escaped the workload from time to time to enjoy the best of Irish culture.

Major: Electrical Engineering, Home Institution: Yale University

I am so happy I decided to study abroad at UCD because I absolutely loved my experience and feel I grew tremendously while being there! Academically, I felt very challenged because I was able enroll in courses otherwise not offered by my university. I explored entirely new topics in power engineering and renewable energy that ultimately helped me broaden my passion for sustainability. I was also able to conduct research in UCD’s Energy Institute which was a very exciting process of learning and discovery. Outside of the classroom, it was always incredibly fun to attend the various social and club events hosted by the student organizations. There were karaoke nights, student performances, rock climbing nights, pub crawls, and so much more. All these events made it easy to make friends from all over the world and to create amazing new memories!

Beyond UCD’s campus I enjoyed going out to observe the natural and stunning beauty of Ireland! This was probably my favorite aspect of being abroad! I would often take small bus or train rides outside of the city to see some of the surrounding nature. I loved spending time on the coast and walking on the cliffs of Howth, the beaches of Balbriggan, and seeing the gardens of Wicklow. Although my experience was cut short as a result of COVID-19, I am still very grateful for the time I had in Ireland and for the people I met there.

I made the decision to spend a year abroad pretty spontaneously and I really did not have a place in specific that I wanted to travel to. After looking at my option Ireland seemed to match my desired climate and happened to have a school that specialized in engineering. Said school was University College Dublin. My decision to spend about two semesters at UCD was probably one of the best decisions that I have made.
Academically while studying at UCD was introduced to several different teaching styles and I was able to meet a wide range of professors. I was also given the opportunity to conduct research under one of the professors for a semester, which was a great opportunity to see the different approaches to research at UCD compared to back at my home university. I found that studying at UCD my overall perspective of the world change and it became a lot broader. This is mainly due to all of the different cultures that I was able to experience since UCD has a large population of international students and Dublin in general is one the largest cities in Ireland. Learning about Irish history, government, and common trends was interesting because I was able to compare it all to my experiences in the U.S. and it is fascinating to see how each country has different customs and beliefs.
UCD has numerous clubs that range from the study of certain cultures to sports. While at UCD I was able to join the Taekwondo club, where I was able to meet a bunch of awesome people while also getting into better shape. Some of the clubs at UCD take trips to different locations across the island for instance, in the Taekwondo club we went to a competition in Galway. Overall the clubs are a great way to relax and explore the things that are going on across campus and throughout the island.
Overall I highly recommend studying abroad if you get the chance and I cannot wait to come back to Ireland to see all of the things that I missed.