University open days: A selection from around Ireland

Dublin City University

When is Open Day? November 17th and 18th.

Registration details: dcu.ie/studentrecruitment/Nov23OpenDay

What makes us unique? The majority of courses in DCU present students with the opportunity to undertake a work placement or study abroad, allowing students to unlock their full potential through internships, Erasmus and through clubs and societies.

Accommodation: DCU offers on-campus accommodation, which individuals are welcome to tour during open days. There is also privately owned student accommodation close to the university.

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What not to miss: The opportunity to speak with staff and students to discover what studying at DCU is truly like.

University of Galway

When is Open Day? March 9th.

Registration details: universityofgalway.ie/opendays/

What makes us unique? Galway is a global hub for medical technology, data and IT, and a city renowned for its friendliness, culture and creativity. More than 80 per cent of the university’s undergraduate courses offer a work placement or study abroad opportunity.

Accommodation: A new student accommodation complex, Dunlin, has recently opened with an additional 674 beds. This brings the total of beds across the university’s three student accommodations to 1,867 (Dunlin – 674 beds; Corrib Village – 764 beds; Goldcrest – 429 beds).

What’s new? In the last few years University of Galway has launched new programmes in geography and geosystems, global media, law, criminology and criminal justice, law and human rights, and genetics and genomics.

What not to miss: The campus tours are incredibly valuable. Prospective students can join student ambassadors to view campus residences and visit engineering labs and nursing and midwifery facilities.

Maynooth University

When is Open Day? There are four – Friday and Saturday November 24th and 25th; April 27th; and June 29th.

Registration details: mu.ie/opendays

What makes us unique? Maynooth University is located in Ireland’s oldest university town, 25km from Dublin. It is a place of lively contrasts – a modern institution, dynamic, rapidly growing, research-led and engaged – yet grounded in historic academic strengths and scholarly traditions. Its student population has grown from 4,000 in 1997 to almost 16,000 students today.

Accommodation: Maynooth has its own on-campus accommodation which can be booked following the round-one CAO offers. Off-campus accommodation is also an option for prospective students.

What’s new? There are three new degrees for applications entering university in 2024. They are a BSc in sport science and health; food science and human nutrition; and a BCL in law and languages.

What not to miss: Take in as many of the 80-plus talks which take place across the open day as possible. Chat to our academic and support staff at the information stands in the TSI Building. Enjoy a coffee at one of the many outlets on campus and make time for a guided tour to enjoy visiting the historical and modern sides of our campus. Enjoy the friendly atmosphere that is unique to Maynooth University.

University of Limerick

When is Open Day? October 19th and 20th, 9.30am-3pm; and January 20th, 9.30am-3pm.

Registration details: www.ul.ie/opendays

What makes us unique? UL has the largest work-placement programme in Europe, with students getting between six and nine months’ paid work placement as part of their degree, to stand out from the crowd when starting their career. The university also offers an international qualification, offering opportunities for students to study and work overseas with international partners.

Accommodation: UL has almost 3,000 accommodation places on campus, with UL-managed accommodation available to almost 16 per cent of the university’s student population. Incoming first-year students can apply via the accommodation office, which will work to accommodate them, particularly those travelling some distance, where possible.

What’s new? Three new courses have been added this year: Bachelor of Laws in common and civil law, Bachelor of Science in occupational therapy and Bachelor of Engineering in electrical engineering.

What not to miss: There are subject talks by academics for every undergraduate programme offered within the university. Speaking to their prospective professors gives prospective students excellent insight into what the course would be like in reality. There are also many opportunities to learn about Erasmus and study-abroad options, with the admissions team being able to answer questions about entry requirements.

Trinity College

When is Open Day? Saturday, November 4th.

Registration details: tcd.ie/openday/undergraduate/Clickheretoregister

What makes us unique? Trinity is Ireland’s top-ranked university and ranks 81st in the world according to QS World University Rankings. It’s also the 16th most international university in the world. Its historic and beautiful Dublin city centre campus featured in the Normal People TV series.

Accommodation: Trinity has many rooms on campus and rooms in Trinity Halls, which is in Dartry, a short distance away in Dublin 6, are reserved specifically for first-year students.

What not to miss: The in-depth course talks allowing students to learn exactly what the undergraduate degrees will be like.

University College Dublin

When is Open Day? November 11th.

Registration details: https://ucdopenday.ie/register

What makes us unique? Outside of academia, UCD has a variety of features and facilities such as more than 8km of woodland walkways and a vast range of clubs and societies. Some of the more unusual sports on offer include trampoline, sepak takraw, ninjutsu and ultimate frisbee. The main Belfield campus offers students an Olympic-sized swimming pool, a state-of-the-art 3D cinema, debating chamber, TV studio, radio pod and services including medical and counselling centre.

Accommodation: About 4,000 students live on campus, with priority given to first years for on-campus places

What not to miss: Tours of the main Belfield campus will run every hour on the half hour throughout the day beginning at 10.30am from O’Reilly Hall. Led by UCD student ambassadors, the tours last approximately 40 minutes.

University College Cork

When is Open Day? Saturday, October 14th, 10am-3.30pm

Registration details: No registration is required, but attendees can check out details and plan their day by visiting the UCC Open Day website here.

What makes us unique? University College Cork is an award-winning institution with a history stretching back over 175 years. UCC enjoys a global reputation which draws 4,000 students from more than 130 countries. The university offers a research-led curriculum that attracts the highest calibre of Irish and international students.

Accommodation: UCC recently opened its newest modern student accommodation complex at the Crow’s Nest. The 255-bed complex brings the number of student beds provided by the university to 1,536.

What’s new? My Canine Companions (MCC) PAWS @ UCC is a funded pilot project which sees the introduction of MCC dogs on campus for students and staff. Its aim is to enhance the overall wellbeing of students and staff, with dog visits and activities held to promote social connections.

What not to miss: Clubs and societies will be showcasing their talents and interests on campus throughout the day. This includes the UCC Dance Club which will present a performance titled Murmuration. Make sure to gather around the Amphitheatre, which is outside the Student Centre on the main campus, before 11:30am.

Dublin Royal College of Surgeons

When is Open Day? January 5th, 2024

Registration details: Details will be available soon on rcsi.com/dublin

What makes us unique? RCSI is one of only a few universities worldwide to focus exclusively on the health sciences. With its focus on clinical and patient-centred research, it is continually seeking out groundbreaking discoveries to address the health challenges of our time. RCSI is ranked first in the world for Good Health and Wellbeing, according to the Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings 2023.

Accommodation: There is accommodation, Mercer Court Apartments, which are specifically for first-year students, as well as Scape Accommodation which is for students across all years.

What’s new? The university’s new degree in advanced therapeutic technologies fuses digital technology with traditional science and is focused on the latest scientific discoveries. Upon completion of the degree, students will be a highly sought after and in a position to apply their future-focused scientific knowledge and technical capabilities in the bio-pharmaceutical and related industries.

What not to miss: Touring the campus and being able to see the facilities in person provides excellent insight into what life at RCSI would be like.