Studying in Ireland - where tradition meets innovation
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calendar_month 01 Mar 2011, 00:00
In recent years Ireland has become an extremely attractive destination for international students at all levels: it boasts high quality universities and colleges with established international reputations, it is renowned as a friendly and easy country in which to study and is a European, English-speaking nation.

Ireland is an attractive and welcoming location. The consistent increase in the numbers of students from overseas coming to study in the 'Land of Saints and Scholars' over the last decade reflects the fact that Ireland offers the perfect opportunity to enjoy a novel mix of high education standards combined with an exciting cultural experience. As the Gateway to Europe, this modern state, whose vibrant Celtic origin continues to regulate the pulse of the nation, offers a truly rewarding experience for the international postgraduate student. Ireland has long and close historical education and cultural links with the other main English-speaking countries, especially the UK and USA. Over the past 30 years, as members of the European Union, we have developed very close links with European countries and are an integral part of the European Higher Education Area, which stretches from Galway in the West to Vladivostock in the East.

Ireland's long and honourable tradition in educational excellence is recognised the world over. Dating back to the Middle Ages, Ireland held the position of one of the principal education providers to the western world. Successive modern governments have continued to regard education as a key priority and investments in this area have been sustained for a long period. This has resulted in one of the highest education participation rates in the world today that, in turn, has had positive implications for the strong economic growth and development of our country, which over the past fifteen years has enjoyed phenomenal economic growth. The growth is particularly evident in the technological and pharmaceutical sectors and today Ireland is the world's leading exporter of computer software and one of the top exporters of pharmaceuticals.

Ireland is beautiful - much of the countryside is still unspoilt providing an excellent natural habitat for a flourishing flora and fauna. Ireland's landscape provides a rich environment for the many outdoor leisure pursuits for which it is famous.Water sports, hill walking, rock climbing and caving are just a few of the many activities that can be enjoyed when needing a break from study. Postgraduate students are able to enjoy a high quality of life and access to an interesting and stimulating way of life in Ireland. Moreover, Ireland is easily accessible by both air and sea with excellent services to the United Kingdom, continental Europe and North America, placing it at the centre of many peoples travel plans and a good starting point for exploration.

Ireland is a very heavily trade dependent country. The majority of our trade is in the high technology area and is knowledge dependent. To sustain the growth of a knowledge-based economy, government has announced a major investment (about 5 billion Euros) in research, technological development and innovation over the next five years. Much of this funding will go into strengthening research capacity in our universities and colleges, to develop research capacity and to create world-class research centres that will support our ongoing economic development. A number of universities throughout the country have already stated their intentions to broaden their postgraduate curriculum, both in response to these government initiatives and the ongoing changes related to the Bologna Declaration.



Ireland is a good location for higher education and for career opportunities. Throughout the last decade, Irish colleges have been promoting their programmes more actively internationally and have been working closely with the International Education Board Ireland (IEBI) and Enterprise Ireland (the Irish Trade and Technology Board) on student recruitment drives aimed both at recruiting undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as post-graduate researchers. In line with the increasing number of international students choosing Ireland as the destination for their studies, institutions are providing more and more opportunities for international postgraduate students to benefit from their world-class expertise and education.

IRISH UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES
There are seven universities in the Republic of Ireland. The University of Dublin, Trinity College, founded in 1592, is the oldest university in Ireland. The National University of Ireland (NUI) is a federal university with four constituent universities: National University of Ireland, Galway; National University of Ireland, Maynooth; University College Cork; and University College Dublin. NUI also has a number of recognised colleges, including the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Our two newest universities, founded in 1989, are the University of Limerick and Dublin City University.

Additionally, there are 14 Institutes of Technology, which are located throughout the country. These are government-funded institutions, offering courses at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. They offer a large and increasing number of postgraduate research programmes. The Higher Educations and Training Awards Council, under the National Qualifications Authority validate their qualifications. In addition to the publicly funded institutions there are a number of independent third-level colleges, several of which offer postgraduate programmes and have an increasingly large number of international students from a diverse range of backgrounds and countries.

POSTGRADUATE PROGRAMMES
Higher education in Ireland at the undergraduate level consists of a three or four year bachelors degree, which is followed by a range of postgraduate options, entry to most of which require a good honours bachelors degree or equivalent. In addition some courses will have special entry requirements, such as GMAT for MBA programmes. While the majority of courses require a bachelor's degree in a related area, there are a number of conversion programmes, particularly at the postgraduate certificate and diploma level. These programmes are usually of one, and in some cases, two-years' duration and are normally taught courses and offered at a range of Irish institutions. Masters programmes can normally last between one and two years depending upon the programme and the institution and whether the programme is taught or by research. There is a very wide range of taught Masters programmes covering all the main disciplines and full listings can be found here. In addition, many students pursue Masters programmes by research, in the universities and in the Institutes of Technology and in some of the independent colleges. Doctorates in Ireland are by research and normally would be expected to take a minimum of three years. Students work under an academic supervisor and carry out research leading to the publication of a thesis that shows evidence of original work. Availability of places depends on the availability of an academic supervisor in the candidate's area of specialisation.

Application for postgraduate programmes is made directly to the individual college. Information on programmes, dates for application, fees and funding opportunities can be obtained from the postgraduate admission office of the college, where admissions decisions are also made on an individual basis. FURTHER INFORMATION General information on postgraduate Certificate/Diplomas and taught masters programmes are found in the International Education Board Ireland website (here). This also gives links into the sites of the individual universities and colleges where further information on courses as well as research interests of academic staff of colleges can be found.