Courses

You are required to maintain a full-time course load of 6 courses (equaling 15 U.S. credits) per semester. Courses are worth 2.5 U.S. semester credits each.

• Please review your courses with your academic or study abroad advisor to ensure they will transfer back to your home school and that you are following your home school’s policies.
• Please be flexible – we can’t guarantee specific courses. If your participation in the program depends on a particular course, be sure to make a note on your online course form.
• Please indicate 7-10 courses, including alternates, on your academic preferences form that you are pre-approved for and can take while abroad. In the event of scheduling changes, time conflicts, prerequisites or cancellations, this ensures that you will be prepared to finalize your courses once overseas.

Arcadia Course Options

Fall or Spring applicants have the option to take a 3 credit independent study course or participate in a virtual internship placement through Arcadia. You will work with an Arcadia faculty supervisor on a semester-long independent research project to produce an original research paper and presentation of your findings. For students pursuing the internship, you will work approximately 20 hours per week for an international organization as you take the Cornerstone Course that academically grounds your experience. If you are interested, see the course syllabi below and indicate your interest on your Academic Preferences Form.

Course Restrictions

• Arts (Humanities): Certain departments are grouped together and can’t be taken together because of scheduling/timetable  (for example English & Politics, History & Music).  Please view the subject groupings (Groups A-F) on the UCD Course Catalog to make sure the departments you wish to study in are not grouped together.
• English and History: Level 1 and 2: open to all students, limited class capacity. Level 3: majors only. Students are only allowed to enroll in two Level 3 English module per semester.
• Psychology: open to majors only, maximum 3 classes.
• Business: must take at least 4 courses from the Quinn School of Business. One or two additional courses may be selected from outside business school. Any course with a course code ending in a letter is not available to undergraduate students. Neither are courses with a number code commencing with '4'.

Special Nomenclature

• In Ireland, the word for class or course is module.
• Major and Minor indications refer to full degree requirements, not to visiting student course selection.
• Certain departments require lectures, referred to as Cores, or seminars, referred to as Options.

Choosing Your Courses

When selecting your courses from UCD, note you must take four courses within your chosen primary college (for example, Business, Arts, Engineering, etc). One or two additional courses may be selected from outside your primary college.

• Course levels 1-3 are available for study abroad students. Level 4 is a master's level and closed to most study abroad students except in the departments of Engineering and Architecture, where students may be approved for these senior-level courses on a case-by-case basis. If confirmation is required before committing, note it on your Arcadia Academic Preferences Form and speak with your Program Advisor.
• In addition to your proposed list of 6-10 courses, choose a series of alternates. Selections may not be available due to scheduling changes, time conflicts, prerequisites or cancellations.
• Special courses for study abroad students may be available within certain colleges,

Semester Science Research

Engineering Research

• MEEN 30170: Introduction to Engineering Research - This module is for Engineering Study Abroad students only. It introduces students to the principles of engineering research through attachment to an active research group in the College of Engineering & Architecture. Students will become active members of a research group and work under the direction of the group’s Principal Investigator. Students will learn about the research focus of the group and conduct independent research into the scientific literature of relevance to the group’s activity. They will shadow a member of the research team and carry out a research project encompassing one or more engineering capabilities. Based on the research activity of the research group, students will learn about research methodologies and what is needed to progress basic research ideas towards higher technology readiness levels. Using data generated by themselves and/or the group, students will learn how to analyse the research data and communicate their findings effectively and take appropriate action. Students will also learn how to write a scientific abstract and a scientific report as well how to make a scientific presentation in the context of engineering research.

Enrollment Process

Official course registration will take place about a month prior to your program start.

English, Psychology, and History majors will receive priority registration for classes in those departments.

The online course form students submit to Arcadia prior to departure does not guarantee approval or enrollment in those courses. There is a drop/add period at the beginning of each semester that allows students to make changes to course enrollments. If you make any changes it is your responsibility to inform your home institution.

Miscellaneous/Fees

There is a surcharge that is assessed by University College Dublin for coursework completed in science, engineering, or agriculture courses. This surcharge will be added to your account after you register for courses UCD.

Grade Scale

The following information is vetted and provided by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) on the Electronic Database for Global Education (EDGE).

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY COPYRIGHT AACRAO EDGE.