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Academics

Fields of Study: Humanities, Social Sciences, Science, Engineering

Trinity College Dublin (TCD) has been ranked Ireland’s top university and is internationally recognized for strong research and dedicated teaching. Famously home to The Book of Kells, the university maintains an academic culture of creativity and innovation. You can choose from a wide array of courses related to your major, but Trinity encourages you to venture outside your core discipline. By taking a Trinity Elective, you engage with Trinity’s ground-breaking research, explore languages and cultures, or address key societal challenges.

Unique study opportunities

  • Take popular courses in Irish language and literature to learn more about Irish culture and history. 
  • Many nursing and midwifery courses are open to you. Although not practiced-based, they are a great opportunity if you are interested in health and biological sciences.
  • Study Middle Eastern, Jewish, and Islamic civilizations from ancient past to modern times in the department of Near and Middle Eastern Studies.

Language

Language of Instruction: English

Foreign language study available. Notable options: Russian and Polish, also Arabic, Turkish, and Hebrew. Check host institution catalog for additional offerings.

Courses and Credit

Requirements While Abroad

To successfully complete this program:

  • Take a full-time course of study: 25 quarter/16.3 semester UC units per semester; usually four or five courses.
  • A total of 50 quarter/33 semester UC units are required per year.
  • You may take two courses (5 quarter/3.3 semester UC units each) or one course (10 quarter/6.7 semester UC units) per term pass/no pass.

Current Program Courses

Trinity allows you access only to departments that approve your application. You cannot add departments upon arrival to take courses in other subject areas. You can apply to up to six departments, but since all departments review your application, you would have to wait longer for a decision from Trinity. It is recommended that you apply to at least three or four departments. You can apply for courses not related to your major. Trinity will let you know if you are qualified, and if not, you would be advised to select lower-level courses. 

See the Academic Offerings guide in the Catalog and Resources section for more information on the fields of study that are available at Trinity. Courses may be lower or upper division.

You will have the opportunity to take one Trinity Elective which is an interdisciplinary module that can add breadth to your academic studies. Trinity Electives may link to the University’s research themes, focus on key societal challenges, or cover languages and culture.

Catalogs and resources

  • Academic Offerings: See an overview of academic offerings at all Irish partner institutions.
  • Trinity College Dublin: Find a full selection of courses offered at the university. Scroll to the bottom of the page for the Module Directory.
  • Trinity Electives: Explore all offerings.
  • UCEAP Course Catalog: See a list of courses students have taken on this program. (Note: The number of units has not been updated for all courses.) This is not a current representation of course offerings on this program. Reference the above links to review recent course offerings. 
  • Campus Credit Abroad: Learn the types of credit (major, minor, general education, elective) students from your campus received at this location.

Academic culture

Studying abroad in Ireland helps you develop an independent learning style, with strong writing skills and active participation in your own learning.

  • Introductory courses at an Irish university are comparable to sophomore-level courses in the US.
  • Second-year courses at Irish universities are often equivalent to upper-division UC level, and third-year or fourth-year courses are specialized and demand significant background knowledge.
  • There is more emphasis on writing and independent reading than at UC.
  • Differences in teaching style may include less-detailed instructions, fewer in-class sessions (except science classes), and fewer in-term assessments.
  • Many courses are taught with lectures and seminars. Lecture class sizes can be quite large while seminar groups are smaller.
  • Faculty (called lecturers) don't often hold office hours, but welcome individual questions and are eager to help visiting students.
  • Final grades depend heavily—and sometimes fully—on the final exam.
  • UCEAP participants aren't allowed to retake exams (called re-sits), and exam dates are not flexible.

Grades

You will earn direct UC credit and grades for all coursework. Grades for the fall semester are typically available late March, and grades for the spring semester are typically available late July or early August.

Tip: If you intend to put yourself on your campus degree list for graduation while on UCEAP, consult your campus advisors before departure about possible delays in the degree verification process.