University College Dublin

Sustainability

UCD has been named in the top 50 in the QS World University Rankings for Sustainability 2024, achieving the highest result in Ireland and ranking 24th in Europe.

The impressive rise comes following the appointment of Professor Tasman Crowe as Vice President for Sustainability at UCD, a new top level role placing sustainability at the heart of UCD's education, research, governance, operations, and engagement activities.

Professor Crowe, who has been in post since June 2023, said ''this achievement reflects the high level of commitment of staff and students across the university to transitioning to more sustainable approaches and to the attainment of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which span climate change, biodiversity, inequality, poverty, and a range of other environmental, social, economic and governance challenges.''

''The ranking underlines UCD's excellence in education, research and operations and its demonstrated commitment to good governance, equality, health, and wellbeing and to partnership for impact.''

''UCD has long been a prominent contributor to sustainability, with great strength in energy, agri-environmental systems, the circular economy, and humanitarian action, for example, and through innovative educational programmes. It also has a real appetite for the kind of interdisciplinary approaches and wider partnerships that are needed.''

UCD is ranked 22^nd in the world in the 2021 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, which benchmarks universities against the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UCD rose 12 places in these rankings, following the university's new ‘Rising to the Future' strategy. One of the main areas of the strategy is striving to create a sustainable global society.

UCD was also ranked very highly amongst universities in Ireland for two individual SDGs:

• UCD ranked 41^st for SDG 8: Decent work and Economic Growth
• UCD ranked 32^nd for SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

QS World University Rankings

UCD has been named among the best universities globally in the QS World University Subject Rankings (2023), with 42 world-ranked subjects and four in the top 50. Top courses available at UCD include:

• Library and information management, ranking in 23rd place globally and Ireland's highest-ranking programme in this year's listings.
• English language & literature: 39^th place
• Veterinary science: 39th place
• Petroleum engineering: 40th place

School of Business

The UCD Michael Smurfit School of Business remains the only Irish business school consistently featuring in global rankings over the last ten years.

The school is ranked 24th in the Financial Times 2023 ranking of leading European business schools.

Other UCD Financial Times rankings (2023) include:

• UCD Executive MBA: 64th in the world
• UCD Full-Time MBA: 94th in the word
• UCD Executive Education Open Enrolment programme: 35th in the world
• UCD Master's in International Management: 17th in the world

International outreach

UCD has the best internationally accredited curriculum in Ireland. With centres in cities such as Beijing, Dubai and New York, students enjoy a global university that is a member of a number of international research and education networks including Universities 21, UNICA and the World Universities Network.

More than a third of the faculty is made up of international academics, while more than a quarter of the student community originates from outside of Ireland.

Global Opportunities for UCD Graduates

The university's graduates are always in demand, with 93 percent of UCD students entering professional employment or further study within six months of graduating.

Ireland is consistently named within the top 10 globally for the quality of its higher education system, which is tailored to the needs of the competitive economy – one of the fastest-growing in the Eurozone. A number of innovative global companies base their European headquarters in Ireland, including Google, Apple, Facebook and X, and consistently employ graduates from Irish universities.

UCD has been ranked 5th in Europe in the latest ranking of universities producing the most entrepreneurs at the undergraduate level. Pitchbook, an international financial data and software company, has again named UCD as Ireland's number one source of start-up founders who have completed their undergraduate education and gone on to raise VC-funding.

According to Pitchbook's 2023 report, there were 189 UCD undergraduate entrepreneurs who established 174 companies, raising over USD 2.6 billion in funding, in the last decade. UCD ranked 89th on the list globally for 2023, and was the only Irish university in the Top 100.

Careers Network

At UCD, students can take advantage of the careers network, which provides a full range of support services to help with career planning and decision-making. Services include:

• Personal career guidance
• Resource room
• Workshops
• Interview preparation
• CV support

Alumni

UCD boasts over 304,000 alumni working in many top organisations internationally. This network is spread out over 185 countries with many at the top of their respective fields. Among its alumni are four Irish Taoiseach (Prime Ministers), three Irish presidents, four current Irish cabinet ministers and five of Ireland's European Commissioners.

Academic

Academic entry requirements at UCD vary between subjects and students are advised to check the specifics for their course prior to application.

Generally speaking, undergraduate students must achieve a minimum of three A-Levels at Grade C, or 24 points in the International Baccalaureate, or an equivalent qualification.

The admissions team is experienced at assessing applications from all over the world. Students interested in undergraduate courses can select their country to find out further information about the qualifications accepted.

At postgraduate level, most courses require students to have achieved a bachelor's degree with upper second-class honours, or equivalent.

Applications are processed on a rolling basis and prospective students can apply to UCD through the university's online application system from the 1st of October each year. The deadline for undergraduates is the 15th of July. There are usually no specific deadlines for graduate applications.

English Language

As programmes are taught in English, international students must prove a high level of English proficiency. The standard requirement is an overall IELTS score of 6.5, with no less than 6.0 in any band (or equivalent), but some programmes may require a higher score.

Pathway Programmes

UCD offers a number of pathway programmes, designed for students who do not meet the requirements for direct entry.

Supported by the International Study Centre, with its world-class learning environment, students enrolled in the International Foundation Year pathway programme receive excellent support and guidance, allowing them to develop the requisite skills to confidently progress to undergraduate degree studies.

A preparatory programme for postgraduate studies is also available. The UCD pre-master's pathway programme aims to facilitate the development of English language proficiency and academic skills enabling students to successfully adjust to the rigours of a new learning culture at postgraduate level.

UCD offers a diverse range of modern facilities, regarded as some of the best in Ireland. Students have the opportunity to get involved in a multitude of activities, from keeping fit to joining societies.

The student centre and the UCD Sport and Fitness complex are the hub of student life on campus. At the student centre, students have access to top-quality facilities, with everything from a 600-seat auditorium and 3-D cinema to numerous shops and social spaces. The centre also looks after the health of students with a pharmacy and medical centre.

More than 80 student societies and networks at UCD provide a great way for students to explore existing interests, develop new ones and meet like-minded new people. Some examples include the International Student Society and the Erasmus Student Network (ESN), which organise numerous events and activities.

The sport and fitness centre is extremely well equipped and provides for a wide variety of activities, regardless of the fitness level or experience. Students can take advantage of everything from a climbing wall and 50-metre swimming pool to squash courts and spinning studios. There are also numerous pitches for football, rugby, hockey and a fully equipped high-performance gym.

Library

UCD Library boasts an expansive collection of over 800,000 books, journals and archives with an extensive range of digital resources. Across its five Dublin sites, students can access over 3,000 study spaces, free WiFi, and numerous IT clusters.

Accommodation

UCD offers student residence options across 13 different sites, including three student villages. All buildings are modern and include rooms to suit all budgets and lifestyles. Rent includes bills.

Students may also rent privately in Dublin, with a number of properties being available close to campus. UCD's dedicated Accommodation Pad is available to assist students in sourcing reputable off-campus residences.

UCD recognises student excellence and achievement by providing a large range of scholarships and awards, which celebrate the diverse talents of its students. Several of these awards are held in high esteem by employers and industry.

To award outstanding achievement and to attract students of the highest calibre from around the world, UCD offers a number of scholarships to international students. These are competitive and based on academic excellence, country of origin and subject area.

Students from all over the world are welcome to use the scholarship search tool to find and apply to the scholarships open to them. Students must have received an offer of a place to study at UCD in order to apply for a scholarship.

Some of the scholarships and awards available at UCD include:

• UCD Global Excellence Scholarships
• UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School Scholarship
• Government of Ireland Scholarship