California State University, Sacramento
Study Abroad Program
Study in Ireland at Dublin City University
Dublin City University was
established in 1980 to respond to the challenges being set for higher
education by rapidly diversifying industrial and business sectors in
Ireland and in the European Union. The university is located on a fifty-acre
campus in the northern suburbs of Dublin, the capital city of Ireland.
It thus offers the merits of a city location with easy access to public
transport, shops, accommodation,
entertainment venues, and to a wide range of cultural, recreational, and historical
amenities. The university itself has a vast range of sports clubs and societies
and many social events. Current facilities include a modern and well-equipped
library; television and sound studios; computer and micro-computer laboratories;
phonetics, languages and interpreting laboratories; an audio-visual learning
resource center; and print and graphics laboratories. In addition, the university
has recently acquired additional lands adjacent to the main campus, which will
be developed to provide a significant sports facility.
COURSE
OFFERINGS
Students who would like to study in Ireland while still enrolled
at this university have an excellent opportunity through this study abroad
program. As required by the Dublin City University Act and by the Irish Government,
all programs are designed to meet the most rigorous national and international
standards. In addition to receiving a very positive response from employers,
the programs have gained recognition from the appropriate professional bodies.
The university currently offers around forty full-time primary degree programs
and a range of postgraduate taught programs, postgraduate research degrees,
part-time evening programs and distance education programs. All these courses
form part of the degree studies of Irish students; none was devised for visitors.
This means that our students at DCU share the Irish education experience rather
than simply participating in an American program in Ireland. For this
study abroad program, courses are offered in Communication Studies and Journalism
for undergraduates; and for graduate level study, International Communication,
International Journalism Studies, Film and Television Studies, Journalism,
Multimedia, Political Communication, and Science Communication.
ACADEMIC
REQUIREMENTS
Applicants should have upper division standing with a declared
major or classified graduate standing at this university by the
time of departure, good academic records, and a 2.75 cumulative
grade point average for undergraduates and a 3.0 for
graduates or better at the time of the application deadline. The applicant
also should be prepared to accept the challenge of study in a country
with an educational system different from our own. Applicants for fall
participation must have taken the Writing Proficiency Examination at
this university by no later than the March test date and passed
it. Applicants for spring participation must have taken the Writing Proficiency
Examination at this university by no later than the October test date and passed
it. In most cases, the lower division courses of the appropriate
field of study must have been completed prior to participation in this program.
Applications will be accepted for one semester or one academic year. Students
are required to be full-time while studying in Dublin and,
thus, take the equivalent of 15 units during each semester for undergraduates
and 12 units per semester for graduates. (Please note that in general because
of the need for an early departure date in order to return to this university
for the spring semester, fall semester only participation may be difficult.
See the calendar section for more information.)
CALENDAR
Most
of the courses are taught on a semester basis at Dublin City University,
and
semesters are 12 weeks long. The first semester begins towards the end of September
and ends around the end of January, with a break for Christmas and the exam
study period. The second semester begins towards the beginning of February
and ends around the end of May, with a break for the exam study period. Students
should plan to arrive in time to attend the International Student Orientation,
which usually is held about a week before the start of classes.
SCHOLARSHIPS
For
information on scholarships for study abroad, you should register for
and attend a scholarship workshop in the Office of Global Education.
FINANCIAL
RESPONSIBILITIES
Students accepted to the program will pay the usual California
State University, Sacramento fees, remain eligible for financial aid (except
work/study), if otherwise qualified, and receive resident credit just
as if they were attending classes at this university. (Please note that
equivalency of courses falls under the jurisdiction of the academic department.)
DCU has agreed to waive non-resident tuition, approximately 12,014 Euros
(over $18,625) per year, making this a particularly attractive opportunity
for participants. Students will pay for their travel to and from Ireland,
room and board, books, and incidentals. In addition, each student must
have the required insurance during his or her stay in Ireland. The approximate
cost of living in Ireland is comparable to the cost of living independently
in Sacramento (not including travel costs). Expenses for a semester in
Ireland are estimated at the following: usual undergraduate fees - $1,927
(graduates would pay the graduate fee), airfare - $1,020, insurance -
$200, room and meals - $4,840, and incidentals (including local transportation,
books, clothing, entertainment) - $2,400. Total: $10,387. The estimated
expenses for an academic year are about $19,754. This estimate is given
for planning purposes only and is subject to changes from currency fluctuation,
inflation, and fee changes. Keep in mind that the costs to obtain a passport
and a student visa are not included in this estimate.
HOUSING AND
MEALS
Locating
housing will be the individual student’s responsibility,
although the accommodation office at Dublin City
University (Campus Residences Limited) will give assistance in this area. DCU
does offer housing in its residence halls to international students. International
undergraduate students usually are allocated rooms in Hampstead and College
Park Apartments. Location will depend on length of stay and availability. Each
apartment within the Hampstead and College Park Apartments contains four or
five bedrooms with a shared living/kitchen/dining area. More information can
be found at the DCU accommodation website at http://www.dcu.ie/accommodation/int_oncamp.shtml.
For students
who prefer to live off-campus, Campus Residences Limited provides an online
list of houses in the area. International students are advised to contact
the Campus Residences Limited prior to arrival for further information
on these and for information on temporary accommodation for the first
couple of nights in Dublin. Housing lists are available to all incoming
graduate students upon acceptance to the university. A listing of hotels
and guesthouses within the Dublin area also are available at the accommodation
website. Additional resources suggested by DCU are http://www.shanowensquare.com (for nearby student apartments), http://www.daft.ie (for private rentals),
and local
newspaper ads and notice boards around DCU after arrival.
A number of eating places are located on the DCU campus.
FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION
You may wish to consult these
resources for further information:
The Office of Global Education home page: http://www.csus.edu/oge/
The DCU home page: http://www.dcu.ie
The DCU International Office: http://www.dcu.ie/international (helpful information
for international students)
The DCU School of Communications: http://www.dcu.ie/communications (Access
course information at this site.)
The DCU Accommodation (Campus Residences Limited): http://www.dcu.ie/accommodation/int_oncamp.shtml
For information about Ireland, visit: http://www.lonelyplanet.com
http://www.irlgov.ie (Government of Ireland)
The catalogs and other information available in the Office of Global Education
To obtain an application or to speak with a study abroad advisor, please call the Office of Global Education at 278-6686 or go to Lassen Hall, Room 2304. Applications, references, and transcripts should be sent to the address below. The deadline for materials to be received is March 1 for the fall semester and October 1 for the spring semester. Please note that there is an interview process for this application, also.
| Monica
G. Freeman Coordinator, International Programs Office of Global Education Lassen Hall, Room 2304 or California State University, Sacramento 6000 J Street Sacramento, CA 95819-6012 |
Janis
Silvers |
