Ireland is a beguiling mixture of culture, heritage, and modernity. One can find adventure, the culmination of history with modern cities and entertainment all at one place. It offers more than 5000 programs offering something for every student. Ireland is famously known as ‘land of saints and scholars’ and is apt as it has produced some famous writers like G.B Shaw and W.B Yeats. Ireland attracts thousands of international students every year.
Apart from the mesmerizing landscape, the other reason for this huge attraction is the language of instruction, which is English, making it highly accessible for students. There are nine universities in Ireland, two in the north, and seven in Republic. These universities offer a wide range of programs from bachelors, post-graduate to doctoral. In addition, there are 14 other institutes of Technology offering national diploma and the national certificate in various courses. Thus, this place offers some great opportunities for students, regardless of their interests and ambitions.
Universities of Ireland are state-funded but they work autonomously. Students can choose to study from these top universities: NUI Galway, National College of Arts and Design, Royal College of Surgeons, University College of Dublin, Trinity College Dublin, University of Limerick, Dublin City University, and St. Patrick’s College Maynooth. In addition, there are other private colleges offering mainly vocational courses in business and other professional areas. Students coming from EEA countries do not require a student visa to study in Ireland but a non-EEA student requires a student visa. Moreover, students from EEA countries are eligible for the free-fee scheme.
Many students opt to study in Ireland due to its history of welcoming international students. Much of Ireland’s culture lies in lush green landscapes and mesmerizing architecture. Thus, students can always rush into natural serenity to take a break from their studies. The Irish folktales and folk dances can be felt through Ireland’s music culture. Moreover, international students would not feel alienated as Irish people are famed for their friendly nature and humour.
Students can also experience the luscious Irish cuisine. There is a wide variety of bakery items and seafood to relish. A great way to tolerate the cold weary nights of Ireland is through Irish stew of lamb, carrots, potatoes, and onions.
When it comes to accommodation, many freshers opt to line in on-campus housing. These are dome-styled structures with a common kitchen and bathroom. In addition, students can also choose to live privately. Private accommodation options are easily available throughout the country. Last option for the students is to live with an Irish family. This is one of the popular ways of accommodation and the easiest way of learning English.
Ireland offers dynamic learning opportunities to the students. Universities of Ireland offer a plethora of courses, some of them are:
On average, a student spends €650 – €700 as living cost, which includes €100 for travelling, €300 for food and rest for the other expenses. Accommodation expenditure varies for off-campus housing. A student typically needs to spend €600 per month and €1000 for on-campus housing.
Fees may vary from course to course but on an average, for an undergraduate course, students pay tuition fees of €9,000 – €45,000 per year. For Master’s and doctoral degree, €9,000 – €37,000 per year is required. Thus a student’s life is relatively cheap in Ireland when compared with countries like the UK, US, Canada, and Australia.
Students are offered with various scholarship programs by the government and the University of Ireland. Some of them are mentioned below:
Students from more than 160 countries are studying in Ireland and make up to 12% of the student population for the following reasons:
According to the lonely planet, Ireland is considered as the friendliest country in 2008 and also in Global peace Index 2013, it was ranked 12th.
Ireland is an English-speaking country. All the universities have a cultural, educational and economic link with English-speaking world, especially the UK and USA.
Irish degrees are recognized all over the world. Students have an array of programs to choose from.
Teachers of all the departments are dedicated and focused on giving the best of the education to the students. They fully support the students throughout their time in Ireland. Through this healthy support-structure, students have direct access to facilities, information, and staff.
From the flamboyance of Oscar Wilde to mould-breaking writings of Shaw, Joyce, and Yeats and to the pioneering discoveries of John Bell, Ireland’s unique and creative culture is an integral part of Ireland. Also, Ireland ranks very high in Entrepreneurship.
Leading companies like Google, Apple, Facebook, Intel and the others prefer hiring skilled, capable and highly educated workforce from Ireland.