University College Dublin

Our exchange program with University College Dublin in Dublin, Ireland was launched in January, 2011.  It is designed to give students a chance to study  International Human Rights Law, European Law and Criminal Justice in an Irish law school.  UCD is rich in tradition and scholarship and situated just 5km outside the city center, one of Europe's fastest growing cosmopolitan centers.

Eligibility:

The program is designed for students matriculating at the University of Connecticut School of Law.  First and second year day division students are eligible to apply to study abroad during their second or third year.  Evening division students and four-year day students are eligible to apply in their second or third year to study abroad during their third or fourth year.  Students may participate during the fall or spring semester or for a full year.  Students from UCD study at UCONN for a full academic year.

Students who wish to study abroad for one semester attend school in Dublin during the Fall semester only.  Term 1 starts in mid September and runs into December.  Term 2 starts mid January thru the end of April.  There is an orientation before the start of each semester.
UCD modules are offered at different levels.  The level of a module is an indication of the level of difficulty of the learning outcomes and the material that will be encountered.
Level 1 modules are usually taken by first year undergraduates
Level 2 modules are usually taken by second year undergraduates
Level 3 modules are usually taken by second and third year undergraduates
Level 4 modules are usually taken by graduate students that have completed an undergraduate law degree. 

Students coming from a JD program usually enroll in Level 4 modules.

Students are required to take 30 European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).  Courses in the School of Law are worth either 5 or 10 ECTS.  Connecticut students must take at least one Postgraduate module worth 10 ECTS.  Students earn a total of twelve credits a semester at UCD.  The ABA has approved study abroad credit for a full year. 

Students will be examined and graded as are all other students at UCD.  Credit will be awarded for all courses in which a passing grade of C- is received.  Grades are not listed on the Connecticut transcript, but credit for those courses passed is noted.  No mention is made nor credit given for failed courses.   Credits are not averaged as part of the student's GPA.  The UCD grading system is:

Cost:

Students are charged for twelve study abroad credits at UCONN.  In addition, students will be charged the Law School Study Abroad Fee of $475 to help defray the administrative expense of the program.

Costs for housing and other associated living expenses are:

Housing:
  
International students are given priority for on campus housing, but housing is not guaranteed.  The International office provides advice on finding off-campus accommodation.  More information on on-campus accommodation at UCD is available  at www.ucd.ie/residences.  The best website for off-campus accommodations is www.daft.ie.     You can search for listings and place an ad.  Another useful website is www.celtichalls.com.  They set up rooms in houses for short term students.  Upon arrival before Orientation, temporary accommodation is available in youth hostels.

The Town and the University:

Dublin, the capital of the Republic of Ireland, enjoys one of the best settings of any European city.  Stretching around the wide expanse of Dublin Bay, few parts of the city are far from the sights and smells of the sea, while many center-city streets seem to end in a vista of mountains.  Cosmopolitan in its origins, Dublin arose originally from a Viking settlement.  The principal city of Ireland for most of its 1000 year history, it experienced a period of rapid expansion in the eighteenth century, when it attained the status of one of Europe's great cities, with magnificent squares and stately public buildings.  Much of the elegance of that period is conserved in and around Trinity. 

Small by present-day international standards, Dublin has nevertheless the resources of a capital city with a full and varied cultural and intellectual life.  Both the National Museum and the National Gallery are within a few hundred yards of Trinity College.  In the work of its writers, playwrights, actors and musicians, Dublin is exceptional.  It is renowned particularly for its theatrical life, whether in established theatres such as the Abbey and the Gate, or in small experimental theatre, including Trinity’s Players.  In the literary field, the contribution of  Dubliners has been outstanding with Jonathan Swift, Oliver Goldsmith, Oscar Wilde, Bernard Shaw, W.B. Yeats, James Joyce and Samuel Beckett the most prominent names.  A particular feature of Dublin life is the tradition of live music, from street busking to the National Concert Hall and the singing pubs in which traditional music still flourishes.

With one of the youngest populations of Europe=s major cities, Dublin offers an unusually congenial atmosphere for students.  While the economic upsurge of recent years has brought a proliferation of fashionable boutiques and expensive restaurants, there are many second-hand bookshops, street markets, fast food outlets and ethnic eateries of all kinds, many located in the revitalized Temple Bar area opposite the front entrance to the College.

University College Dublin is Ireland’s largest and most richly diversified university.  UCD traces its origins to the Catholic University of Ireland founded in 1854 by Cardinal John Henry Newman, author of the celebrated “The Idea of a University”.

Today UCD is a vibrant, modern university of over 22,000 students situated on a spacious and green campus some 5km to the south of Dublin city centre.

Cancellation Policy

Foreign study in Dublin will not be canceled due to lack of enrollment. Should UCD decide to cancel the program, Connecticut students will then register for regular classes at the School of Law. In the event that cancellation occurs after the pre-registration period for the semester in question, every effort will be made to accommodate student preferences in registering for classes. No promise can be made that all desired classes will be available.

Further Information

Check the Reserve Section in the Law Library for the notebook containing catalogues, course listings and other useful materials about Dublin.  For additional information about UCD, check the website: http://www.ucd.ie

Blanche Capilos can answer many questions or direct you to helpful resources. Students concerned about handicapped access at Trinity College are encouraged to consult with Dr. Jane Thierfeld Brown, Dean’s Office, 860 570-5130.