Universities in Ireland

For a study abroad it attracts many students at the universities in Ireland, because the country is beautiful in many ways – not just scenic. The people approach newcomers warmly and have an easygoing manner that makes you feel at home straight away.

The Irish university landscape is small but nice. It has a long tradition and an excellent reputation. This is not least due to the fact that the study system is based on the British system, which enjoys an excellent reputation worldwide.

That is one of the reasons why nearly ten percent of all students in Ireland are from abroad. The universities have an excellent network with those in other countries and offer the ideal environment for studying abroad. The proportion of foreign lecturers and professors is high.

Universities in Ireland at a glance

In Ireland there are seven public universities with university status available to students; there are no private universities. In contrast to professional educational institutions, universities award bachelor, master and doctoral degrees as degrees. You can also get a bachelor’s degree with honors.

Not all of them call themselves universities, but are also called University College or simply College (which should not be confused with the Institutes of Technology or the colleges without university status). Universities with university status in Ireland are the following:

  • University College Dublin
  • University College Cork
  • National University of Ireland, Galway
  • National University of Ireland, Maynooth
  • University of Limerick
  • Trinity College, Dublin
  • Dublin City University

In addition to the universities, 14 Institutes of Technology and seven Colleges of Education also provide higher education, but mostly without an academic degree. Students can obtain certificates and diplomas in more professionally oriented courses.

In addition, there are specialized universities, so-called “ Third Level Institutions ”, in areas such as design, medicine, music and others. These colleges are mostly privately owned.

The National University of Ireland (NUI)

Four of the universities in Ireland are organized under the umbrella of the National University of Ireland (NUI) and thus form the largest part of the university landscape: the University College Dublin, University College Cork, the National University of Ireland, Galway and the National University of Ireland, Maynooth. All four universities are still independent and make their own decisions ; only the degrees are awarded by the NUI and the faculty structure is uniform.

The universities of the NUI are not confessional, but have a clear Catholic orientation. They were all founded between 1795 and 1854.

Trinity College Dublin

The famous Trinity College Dublin is the flagship of the Irish university landscape. Queen Elizabeth I founded it in 1592 and thus launched the oldest public university in Ireland. To learn more about the country of Ireland and continent of Europe, please follow barblejewelry. For more than 200 years it was the only university in the country and is also one of the most renowned educational institutions internationally.

The library of Trinity College Dublin with the traditional Long Room is a special attraction in the city and at the same time the largest research library in the country. Among other things, the Book of Kells is kept here, which is of inestimable value because of its illumination. The bell tower, the examination hall, the dining room or the chapel of the university are also worth seeing.

The fact that Samuel Beckett and Oscar Wilde, the most famous Irish writers, studied at Trinity College Dublin speaks for the high quality of teaching.

Tradition and modernity

In contrast to the time-honored Trinity College Dublin, Limerick University is a university that was only founded in 1972 and is based on the American model. It is regarded in Ireland as the most progressive university in the country and primarily provides education in the fields of technology and high-tech research.

Eight years later, Dublin City University joined the universities in Ireland. There the students mainly concentrate on business administration and technology.

But even the older universities now know how to combine traditional and modern elements. In the course of the Irish economic boom in recent years, they have all benefited financially from the upward trend and therefore also have contemporary, high-quality equipment. In connection with the growing internationality, these are big pluses and make studying at universities in Ireland extremely attractive.

Higher Education Authority (HEA)

The highest authority in relation to higher education or universities in Ireland is the Higher Education Authority (HEA). She has been responsible for planning and development in the Irish higher education sector since 1968 and handling funding.

In 1997 the Universities Act revised the framework for universities in Ireland for the first time since the Irish Universities Act of 1908. This includes, for example, the development of research and teaching, structure and quality assurance. At the same time, however, the HEA respects the university’s own autonomy and its traditions.

The education sector is currently in a state of upheaval. According to the recommendations of the HEA, it should be transformed within the next two decades in order to become more flexible and even better in terms of the quality of research and teaching.

Universities in Ireland

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