Program Reviews

Going away to my semester abroad in UCD, I experienced something I hadn't since my Freshman year of college: the anxiety of going somewhere new, by myself, leaving everything and everyone I knew behind. Luckily, this only lasted until literally just after landing in Dublin. I quickly met other UCD students right at the airport and from that point on I was never alone. Rather than talk about things you can find on a website (like courses or student organizations), I want to focus on the things that nobody told me and I was most pleasantly surprised by.

I really underestimated how big the role of the Study Abroad staff at UCD would be in my time abroad, and they were incredible. I made what would soon become some of my best friends at one of the events they put together, went to them for numerous questions about either academics or logistics regarding transfer of credits and finances, and most importantly always knew that there was someone I could go to if I ever had any issues or concerns.

Additionally, Dublin is an amazing city to spend a semester in. It's incredibly safe and the people are the friendliest in all of Europe (and I traveled a lot, so I can say that confidently). There are great cafes where you can do work or read a book, great pubs to make new friends or have fun with existing ones, plenty of open spaces to take strolls in, and a major airport with low-cost, direct flights to almost every destination in Europe. Plus, it gives you access to the beautiful country that is Ireland–which is conveniently small and therefore easily accessible.

I cannot recommend this program enough. It was a life-changing experience and one of the best decisions I have ever made. I made life-long friends from around the world, learned about new subjects and cultures, and always, truly, felt at home. I hope to be back soon.

Studying abroad for a semester at UCD was the best decision I made in college. I never thought it would possible to study abroad my junior year of college, as it requires many upper level courses, but UCD had so many interesting classes for me to take that would transfer back to my home university, it was perfect! Also, I decided to study abroad just barely before the application deadline, but it was still such an easy and smooth process.

At UCD, the campus dorms are great- so clean and a lot of things are provided to you which is nice for an international student. The staff is so extremely helpful and will go out of their way to assist you. The classes are challenging, but super interesting and require the analyzation and evaluating of concepts learned as opposed to just memorization, which was new to me, but I appreciated.

There are a lot of international students that attend UCD, but to me that made the experience so much better, as I got to meet a lot of people from all over the world! Overall, Dublin is a great location and a lively city with so many things to do and explore- I didn't even get to do it all and I spent four months here. Definitely don't want to leave!

I spent 9 months in one of the most beautiful countries. The people are the nicest of anywhere I’ve ever been. I got a MA in cultural policy and arts management and was able to learn alongside those from several different countries. We took two class trips during this program and throughout the course of the program, my classmates became my family. UCD was a wonderful place to study and live. There were many food options and tons of places to study, a beautiful state of the art gym and amazing societies to join.

I joined the dance society and my time at UCD with some of the most enthusiastic dancers I’ve ever gotten to work with. I choreographed our jazz routine that year and was a soloist in the contemporary and mixed pieces. Jazz won 2nd and contemporary won 1st at the all Ireland Inters competition in Galway. It was an amazing experience.

Overall, living in Dublin was amazing. The people, the food, the experiences all exceeded my expectations. There is so much to do and see and I cannot wait to get back this summer to visit my friends.

While I was enrolled in this program, I was able to travel to several other countries. I spent time in Northern Ireland, England, Scotland, Spain, and Sweden. Through these experiences I was able to learn and grow so much. These trips were as much a part of my education as my time at UCD. My love for travel and culture only increased while I was abroad and I cannot wait to experience more. It’s my goals to see and experience as many cultures as possible during my lifetime.

This program and it’s studies, as well as the travel I was able to do started a fire in me. I want to grow and understand. I truly believe the key to being a good human being is understanding the human race. The best way I’ve found to do that is to travel and immerse yourself into the culture of whatever amazing country you’re in. The world is an amazing place and diversity should be celebrated. I want to know and experience as much as I can to help bridge the gaps we so often find in our cultural differences.

Study abroad at UCD is was amazing and I am so thankful and grateful I had that opportunity. I truly believe study abroad in any capacity is important. The more you see and experience, the better off you and those around you will be.

I am a civil/environmental engineering major whose home university is UMass Amherst. I decided to study at UCD for the spring semester of my sophomore year, and I'm so glad that I did. All of my professors are extremely friendly, and they are all willing to provide extra help or direct you to other resources if needed. With grades being mostly based on exams, my classes don't have too much busy work so I have plenty of time to travel and explore. The best part is that all of the courses I'm taking here are counting towards my major! Every advisor, faculty member, or any staff that I have encountered at UCD has been friendly, helpful, and if I could go back to my study abroad application process I would make the same decision all over again to come here.

I was very excited to go to Ireland for my exchange since almost no Norwegian students think about going there. UCD was a clear choice for me, since I had heard so many good things about their engineering programs. I had also heard about the beautiful campus and the good accommodation they supply for international students. It was super easy to make friends as there were so many other international students arriving the same semester as I did. I was also able to make som Irish friends though group projects in my various courses.

I am over halfway done with the semester and I can't belive how the time has flown by. During my time here I have tried to travel as much as I can in Ireland and Northern Ireland. So far I have been to Cork, Galway, Derry, Limerick and Belfast. I have also done a lot of hiking in the beautiful Wicklow mountains! Due to all the traveling and school work I have not had time to be very active in any society. Thus my greatest regret is only staying here for one semester!

Wonderful city and amazing university! I have had an amazing time studying at UCD this semester studying chemical engineering. The professors and faculty have been extremely encouraging and helpful. The best part is getting to know other international students from all around the world. The first two months here I took day trips all around Ireland. UCD has multiple programs for international students that offer either free or very well priced day trips. Ryanair has extremely cheap flights to other countries in europe and so far there have been great hostels in all of the cities I've been to. Studying abroad this semester was the best decision I could've ever made!

Hello my name is Cole Sooy I study mechanical engineering at UMASS Amherst. I have had an excellent experience at UCD starting from my wonderful adviser Joanne Riley to exploring the awesome social environment Ireland has to offer. Joanne was extremely helpful going as far as to provide incoming student with all sorts of cooking equipment we needed for the semester free of charge. She also helped me change my schedule several times so that I could have the best overall experience in Ireland. Academically I have enjoyed most of the instructors at UCD. That being said one of the instructors (I wont name them but they teach a second year engineering course) has driven my classmates and I insane with their teaching methods. Overall the class is not bad (I have an A so far) but its very hard to understand the material the way it is explained in class. Socially UCD has a billion clubs that are all excellent. I have been playing both frisbee and soccer and have had a ton of fun and made many friends while not feeling particularly tied down to the teams. Great experience going to miss this place.

I am a Chemical Engineering major from the University of Alabama attending University College Dublin for the Spring 2018 semester. I have found it such a wonderful and welcoming place to be. There are a substantial amount of study abroad/exchange students at UCD so all of the staff is accustomed to dealing with us, which is great. I ended up with a super helpful and supportive advisor and she made the preparation before I arrived and also the transition once I arrived easy. We were always given an abundance of information. I would definitely recommend UCD to anyone looking to study abroad!

I am a chemical engineering student from the University of Alabama that studies abroad at University College Dublin for one semester, and had a great time. While the weather isn't always cooperative in Ireland, the wealth of Irish culture and heritage made up for it. In addition, the professors were always quite helpful when I needed extra assistance, as well as the entirety of the administrative staff.. I had a great time studying abroad at University College Dublin!

My name is Austin Burns and I am a mechanical engineering major from The University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. I have been studying this semester at the University College Dublin.

I wasn’t too sure if I would like studying abroad but I was talked into it. I am so thankful that I was because I am having the time of my life. It has been a great semester in Dublin and I have had all kinds of new travel experience. I would recommend studying at UCD to anyone looking to have a great semester.