Location

Notre Dame's program in Ireland is located in the city of Dublin, a capital city of 1,000,000 people located on the Irish Sea on the east coast of Ireland. Physically a small city — all the major museums and sites are within walking distance — it has a rich cultural life manifest especially in its established and experimental theater and traditional Irish and classical music. Dublin also boasts several excellent museums including the National Museum, with Celtic objects from the 8th and 9th centuries, and the National Gallery of paintings, which has a large collection of Irish artists. It is a young city, with over 100,000 college-age students in its many educational institutions.

Students will take courses at the Keough Naughton Notre Dame Study Center in Dublin and at the Republic of Ireland's best universities — either University College Dublin (UCD) or Trinity College Dublin (Trinity). Notre Dame's Keough Center is located at O'Connell House on Merrion Square, the most elegant Georgian square in central Dublin.  The building was the former home to Daniel O'Connell, the early 19th century Irish Catholic political leader. Notre Dame's Center is directed by Professor Kevin Whelan, an historian and member of the Royal Irish Academy. Professor Whelan taught at Notre Dame in the spring semesters of 1997 and 2000.

University College Dublin was founded in 1851 as the Catholic University, and in 1908 it became a part of the National University of Ireland and lost its denominational character. It is now located on a lovely, green 350-acre campus at Belfield, three miles from the center of Dublin. The largest university in the Republic, it is home to over 15,000 students. Trinity College Dublin celebrated its Quatercentenary in 1992. Located in the heart of the capital, the campus extends over 40 acres and includes five quadrangles with buildings from the eighteenth through the twentieth centuries. The Old Library (1712) contains the famous Book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript that dates back to 800 AD. Trinity is home to about 9,000 students.

Program of Study

The Dublin Program is unique in that it can accommodate students from all of Notre Dame's colleges — Arts and Letters, Business, Engineering and Science.

A few highly qualified juniors will enroll in Trinity College for an entire academic year, taking courses in their majors. Trinity's catalogues and course descriptions are available at: the Trinity course link.  It is up to the student to put together a curriculum that has the approval of the major department(s) and college on campus. Students must be able to adapt to the Irish system, as they are students of Trinity and subject to the same exam system as Irish students enrolled at the university. They will also enroll in two courses at the Notre Dame Center for a total of thirty academic credits over the year.

About 30 students per semester will enroll in UCD. While most students will participate in the ND/UCD program for one semester, students can apply to stay at UCD for an entire year. At UCD students must limit their course choices to one faculty — either Arts, Commerce, Engineering or Science. Within those faculties there is a wide range of subjects, and students are advised to choose courses with the help of an advisor in their college. Catalogues for the Arts, Business, Engineering and Science faculties are available in the International Study Programs Office. Click here for links to course information for Trinity College-Dublin (TCD) and University College Dublin (UCD).

Keough Naughton Notre Dame Centre Classes:
In addition to their courses at UCD and Trinity, Dublin program students will enroll in Professor Whelan's course "Introduction to Ireland".  This is a mandatory course for all Dublin program participants. Other courses are sometimes available at the Keough-Naughton Centre, depending upon the semester. A philosophy course is available in F'09 and a theology course is offered during Sp'10.  The philosopohy and theology courses are designed to complete Notre Dame's second philosophy and theology requirements. An Irish Literature course is aplanned for SP'10. Click here for additional information concerning the Keough -Naughton Centre courses.  Theology courses are not available at UCD, but religious studies courses are available at TCD.

Misssion Statement for the Keough Naughton Centre

The Keough Naughton Centre of the University of Notre Dame in Dublin is committed to excellence in the provision of an International Studies Programme in Ireland. We welcome students of all majors through direct enrollment at Ireland's best universities: simultaneously, we advance their knowledge of Irish Studies through the ND Centre classes. We are a community of learning, of faith, and of culture, dedicated in a team setting to supporting one another in our journeys of discovery. We are Irish ambassadors for the Notre Dame mission, committed to what we are and what we do as a University. Through immersion in the life of Ireland, we endeavour to ensure that participants in our programme find their time here to be happy, productive and fulfilling on every level - intellectual, personal, spiritual and cultural.

Academic Year Calendar:
Students in the Dublin fall and academic year program will arrive in Ireland in-September. Students at UCD for the first semester will complete their exams before Christmas. Examinations at both Trinity and UCD extend into the month of May, and students who participate in the program for the academic year or second semester must stay until they are complete.

Since UCD does not have a fall break in their calendar, UCD fall program participants may elect to use their international airline ticket and travel around Europe before their academic program begins.  The Keough-Naughton ND Study Center will meet the students arriving at either of two different arrival dates and store their luggage for the 1-2 weeks before they return to Dublin.  Spring semester and academic year students will travel during spring break.

Program Cost:

The cost of the international portion of the group flight to Dublin is included in the program cost.  Students will pay for the domestic portion of their flight, which can also be arranged by Anthony Travel, the travel agent on campus.  There is an additional $750 study abroad fee added to the normal ND tuition, room and board for any student in a study abroad progam. 

HTH Study Abroad insurance is also included in the cost of the program.  This insurance will cover a student during the specified dates from the beginning of the academic portion of the program until the day after finals.

Dublin is the 5th most expensive city in the world, so everyday costs of living should be considered.  Students receive a stipend while involved in the program.  The stipend is meant to cover some of the costs, but not all.  Student live in flats that have small kitchens, and they will shop and prepare their own food most of the time.  Restaurants and cafeterias are available, but usually not used often by students because of the high cost.  Click here to see an approximate cost of participation in the program.

Eligibility for the Program

Trinity eligibility: For study abroad junior year, sophomores with a GPA of 3.3 or higher may apply. Students need to have academic background in the subject(s) they would like to pursue (basic courses in the major). Trinity applicants must also complete a hard copy Trinity application and submit it to the OIS office by Dec. 9.  Students must be accepted by both ND and TCD.  Copies are availavble in OIS at the end of September.

University College Dublin eligibility: Sophomores wishing to pursue the UCD option need to have a 3.0 GPA. Participation in the program is normally during the junior year.  UCD can accommodate almost all majors, from science, engineering, A&L, and business.  However, course availability is not guaranteed by the host institution, UCD or ND.  Students must also check with their academic advisors and determine if UCD fits into their academic plan.

Participants are chosen by a selection committee for International Study Programs and by Trinity College. Application deadline: November 15.

Additional Information

There is much more we can tell you — about this location, vibrant religious, cultural and recreational life of this community ... about the student housing, transportation, health care and much, much more. It is, after all, the details that make this program so appealing. Interested? Just click here for additional information.