Graduate Programmes at the University of Limerick

Global-Minds is an Erasmus Mundus master's program meaning that it's a master's funded by Erasmus+ and hosted by different European universities. The University of Limerick is one of them. As part of the program, you move between the semesters and study at different universities. The program created many great opportunities for me. I got to focus on social and cultural psychology - there's only a few master programs in Europe that focus on those topics. I got to learn about psychological concepts like social identity, intersectionality, coping, resilience, sense of belonging and about societal structures like xenophobia, racism and sexism. Overall, I gained understanding in societal processes, barriers to social justice, possible interventions and social-justice-oriented psychological research. With its staff, alumni/ae and students, the program has created a great network of passionate psychologists. Students have the opportunity to connect with diverse researchers which can create future career opportunities. Especially in the second year of the program, students have a lot of freedom and individual responsibilities to create learning opportunities. So I would say the program requires individual responsibility and self-initiative as well as the ability to cope with stress because moving across countries, applying for visas, joining new universities, interacting with more or less open-minded professors, organising an internship by yourself and writing a master's thesis in a foreign language can be very challenging. On the other hand, it also means that the program creates a lot of space to learn about yourself, test your boundaries, try out new hobbies, meet new people, gain new perspectives, make friends and develop new coping strategies. Therefore, despite the challenges within the program, it can be a great experience, like it was for me. I've learnt a lot and I've grown a lot throughout the program which is why I would recommend it to many people. However, students should be aware of the challenges they might encounter cause the program isn't for everyone.

The MA Songwriting was exactly the program I was looking for when I found it. I was given the tools I needed to develop my skills as a songwriter and the space I needed to develop my voice as an artist. Carl Corcoran was an amazing supervisor who was always available to offer assistance or support. I had the opportunity to perform, to record, and to collaborate across multiple artistic disciplines. The people in my program became close friends who I still talk to and collaborate with, even years after the program has ended.

I went to UL from 2015-2016 on a study abroad from Texas State University to explore Ireland and see the rest of the EU and I genuinely credit the experience to shaping what my world view is today.

I played rugby, surfed, hiked the peaks of multiple counties, and drank and laughed at the largest and smallest pubs in the country while getting to learn and work with one of the most diverse cohorts in all of Ireland. I plan to go back once every few years just to hike and have fun with old friends.

I enjoyed my time there so much, I went back to get my MSc from 2019-2020! My second experience had me living in the city, away from campus for a year and to this day I get remarks on how it has made my resume/CV stand out amongst the crowd.

I loved my experience at UL, and mostly because I found myself surrounded by wonderful people, from my course, my on-campus apartment, and different societies. No matter what you're studying, I would recommend trying to get involved in societies to meet people!! My personal favourite was the outdoor pursuits club, which goes on hikes and climbs around Ireland on the weekends (as well as offers weekly climbing wall sessions).

To keep it brief, I studied at both Trinity in Dublin and the University of Limerick (UL) and preferred UL for several reasons, as follows:

- More authentic Irish feel vs big city feel. You're a bus ride away from Limerick city centre so you cannot walk there, but UL is a gorgeous campus and almost feels American in the sense that it has a lot of amenities on campus such as a pizza place, SPAR, pub, bank, etc. Also great campus for sports/gym use and walks around the grounds. In Dublin, it is very easy to lose the Irish culture and feel, but Limerick is more rural and felt more authentic to me - also get a different variety of accents (and county colours... but I'll let you figure that one out yourself :))
- I found it easier to integrate into Irish culture & society and meet/befriend Irish people but also had wide community of international friends on weekends since most Irish students go home
- The on-campus pub Stables is so FUN. (also, the chicken fillet rolls are to die for!!!)
- The international team is much more supportive at UL - they plan events and make it easy to get involved and make you feel heard and included in campus life (I felt none of this at Trinity).
- Limerick provides access to most major Irish cities and is a cute city in itself, but it is harder to access mainstream Europe because the closest airport is Shannon and Dublin is a bigger airport. This is only relevant if you'd prefer to travel Europe - for me I wanted to travel Ireland and I found Limerick was better for that than say, Dublin, in many ways because it's closer to spots like the Ring of Kerry and Cliffs of Moher, which people usually love (though my favourite was always Killaloe!!)
- Admin and wait times are slower in Ireland than in the states just in general - no matter the university - but immigration and the like tends to be easier in Limerick than in Dublin just because it is smaller and the International team is able to help you.

I studied abroad at UL in 2016 and fell in love with campus, the welcoming and exciting energy of UL and life as a Limerick resident. As soon as my semester ended, I had my heart set on going back. I needed to earn a master's degree to work in my field, and when I researched UL's programs I realized that tuition was significantly cheaper than schools in the US and programs tended to last only one year. Not to mention, I could work part time. I got to return to my favorite place in the world and even worked with the international office to support incoming students! At UL, I learned from professors and mentors who really cared about me and made friends that truly became family. I loved the people around me, my Limerick community, and Ireland!

I decided to pursue my master's at UL not really know what to expect but it turned out to be some of the best memories and friendships I've had.
I was able to meet my closest friends through the buddy program and orientation events and we've been together ever since - taking trips all over Ireland and Europe!
My favorite part of studying here was the ease of life and ability to integrate. I've truly found another home that I can stay and feel I belong.

My decision to pursue a Masters degree at UL was largely based around my first experience at the University as a study abroad student in 2012. I had heard from a friend about the MA in International Tourism programme and after some researching I knew it was the right course for me. The programme blended students from all over the world such as the U.S., China, Cuba, Germany and Ireland. Our course took us on different field studies all around Ireland and even a trip to Cuba. As a class, we travelled to Cuba for a week where we learned and experienced first-hand about the tourism industry! Not to mention it was a great class bonding session. I would encourage anyone who is interested in getting a Masters in Ireland to look into the many options that UL has to offer. My experience as a Masters student was much different than when I studied abroad but it was different in a new and exciting way!

I came from an American research university on the east coast to complete a 1-year MSc math modelling at UL. I had a decent background in math, but was certainly taking courses that were going to be out of my comfort zone. The professors and the students in my program--many of whom were also new to upper-level math--worked with me through the entire year. Outside of the classroom I traveled the island with the guys in my program, going to Sunday dinners at their houses, visiting their hometowns, and taking long weekends in Dublin and along the Irish cost with them. It was the perfect blend of study and traveling, thanks to the group of fellow students. After UL I ended up at another American research university to continue graduate studies.