Program Reviews

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.

In the United States I attend The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa , studying mechanical engineering and math. I never thought that I would come abroad, but it was a spur of the moment decision that I will never look back from. Attending UCD has been a great experience. I enjoy all the classes I am taking and Dublin is a great city to be in. The school itself has ample free opportunities like free trips around Ireland, and tons of free events all the time. As a study abroad student one thing you look forward to is traveling. The school work at UCD has never seemed to get in the way of that and the classes meet alot less often then at my home University. While looking for a university to study abroad at, I would highly recommend going to UCD.

My name is Elizabeth Bach and I am a Chemical Engineer major from Cornell University. Last semester I had the honor of studying abroad at University College Dublin in the College of Engineering and Architecture.

Going abroad was one of the most bitter-sweet experiences of my academic career. During this semester I made lifelong friends whom I would have never met otherwise, travelled to cities I had only read about in books, and experienced a new, vibrant culture. The only bitter part of the experience was having to leave after one semester. I highly recommend anyone who chooses to study at UCD go for the full year.

While the academics at UCD are challenging, I never felt overwhelmed because UCD has wonderful staff members and on-campus resources for abroad students. I also enjoyed the collaborative academic work environment because I got to know my fellow students and learn more about the Irish educational system.

UCD’s social life and clubs are just as good as its academics. The clubs I joined at UCD allowed me to try activities I never imagined doing like kick boxing and windsurfing. The clubs also helped me expand my friend group beyond the classroom which made me feel like I was really a part of the Irish community.

I am so happy and grateful I had the opportunity to study at this amazing institution. Studying at UCD really was a once in a life time experience.

When I was little my dream was to move to Ireland. I wanted to be closer to family and friends and for years that dream never went away. When the time came to start applying for colleges I knew that UCD was the place for me. I had visited once before and fallen in love with campus, the staff, and the structure. A friend of mine in the USA had done a study abroad to UCD and fell in love with it. She had an amazing time and from listening to her stories I was sold! Unfortunately, I was not accepted right away. I attended a univeristy in Hawaii for a semester and reapplied to the University of College Dublin again the following year. My determination, passion and patience is what got me here to study my full degree in Animal science to further study in Veterinary Medicine. My experience has been entirely worth the wait. There is so much opportunity here for international students. The first week was definitely daunting but with so much support from UCD international and all the events planned it was extremely easy to make friends. These past 7 weeks have been so incredible. I have made life long friends, traveled around Ireland and ...oh yeah studied too. The staff here at UCD are so supportive. I would highly recommend doing a study abroad with UCD. My favourite memory so far would have to be freshers week. It takes place the second week of college and is an introduction to all the clubs and societies on campus. It is so festive and fun and there is always something for you to get involved in. If you are thinking about coming to Ireland I can not recommend it enough. You will feel right at home while having an amazing opportunity traveling around the world <3