UCD is one of Europe's leading research-intensive universities; an environment where (opens in a new window)undergraduate education, masters and PhD training, research, innovation and community engagement form a dynamic spectrum of activity.
Since its foundation, the University has made a unique contribution to the creation of modern Ireland, based on successful engagement with Irish society on every level and across every sphere of activity. The international standing of UCD has grown in recent years; it is currently ranked within the top 1% of higher education institutions world-wide. UCD is also Ireland's most globally engaged university with over 38,000 students drawn from 152 countries, including over 5,000 students based at locations outside of Ireland. The University's main Dublin campus occupies an extensive parkland estate of 133 hectares and offers world-leading facilities including the UCD O'Brien Centre for Science, UCD Sutherland School of Law, UCD Lochlan Quinn School of Business, UCD Moore Centre for Business, and the UCD Student Centre.
As Ireland's largest university, with its great strength and diversity of disciplines, UCD embraces its role to contribute to the flourishing of Ireland through the study of people, society, business, economy, culture, languages and the creative arts, as well as through research and innovation. The University's Strategy to 2030 outlines the objectives and major strategic initiatives set in place in order to accomplish UCD's vision for this era.
Tackling Global Challenges: Research and Innovation at UCD
Research and innovation are essential drivers of a dynamic economy, an informed society and a vibrant culture. The spectrum of research and innovation at UCD encompasses individual scholars, research groups, start-up companies and large-scale collaborations with industry and other partners. Research is conducted within each of the University's extensive range of disciplines, and in multidisciplinary research programmes addressing challenges of global scale.
In 2022/23 UCD researchers secured €161 million in research grants from national and international funding agencies, companies and foundations. Since 2012/13 UCD researchers have secured over €1.3 billion in such grants. Their research underpins national research and technology institutes and centres, including the SFI funded (opens in a new window)Insight Centre for Data Analytics, (opens in a new window)Food for Health Ireland, (opens in a new window)Irish Centre for Research in Applied Geosciences (iCRAG), (opens in a new window)CeADAR Centre for Applied Data Analytics and Machine Intelligence, (opens in a new window)BiOrbic, Bioeconomy SFI Research Centre, (opens in a new window)I-Form Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre and NexSys (Next Generation Energy Systems). UCD is the national leader in winning European Union research funding.
Over the last decade UCD researchers have increased their annual number of papers in the international literature by 62% and have authored more than 40,000 papers in total. These papers are cited by other researchers at a rate that is 74% above the world average. In addition, 62% of the papers were co-authored with institutions in other countries/regions, underlining UCD’s role as Ireland’s global university.
As Ireland's leader in innovation, technology transfer and commercialisation, UCD's commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship recognises the importance of active participation and collaboration to exploit leading-edge research and development outputs. Supports for innovation include NovaUCD – the Centre for New Ventures and Entrepreneurs, NexusUCD – the Industry Partnership Centre and the AgTechUCD Innovation Centre at UCD Lyons Farm. Since 2003 UCD has provided support to over 550 companies and early-stage ventures through the services and supports provided across the university, through NovaUCD, and through business support programmes run and managed by NovaUCD.
Defining Educational Excellence: Teaching and Learning at UCD
The first year retention rate at UCD is 95%.
UCD is globally recognised for its excellence in teaching and learning – 4 subjects are ranked in the top 50 in the world in the latest edition of the most-consulted university rankings ((opens in a new window)QS World University Ranking by Subject 2025). This quality of teaching is complemented by a high standard of support. Every incoming first year is assigned a peer mentor and there are student advisers for every programme.
UCD is ranked 49th in the world in the QS Sustainability Ranking 2025.
UCD is Ireland's leader in graduate education with almost 12,000 graduate students; over 19% of whom are graduate research students. 2,058 PhD students benefit from a structured PhD programme as well as the research-led education culture at UCD.
The (opens in a new window)UCD Horizons scheme of modern, modularised education based on learning outcomes sees 50% of students take modules outside their subject areas.
Engaging Globally
UCD's world extends beyond its campus, city and borders. UCD students and worldwide network of 304,426 alumni benefit from a UCD education that enables them to thrive and contribute in an increasingly global community. As the number one 'university of destination' for international students coming to Ireland, UCD's 11,139 international students make up over a quarter of the student body, while international academics make up 33% of UCD's faculty.
With 400 partner universities for student exchange, UCD offers extensive global study opportunities and is engaged in partnerships including such networks as (opens in a new window)Universitas 21, the (opens in a new window)Una Europa, (opens in a new window)UNICA and the (opens in a new window)EUA.
UCD expertise is recognised worldwide, with international accreditations for UCD degrees from the world's leading professional organisations in Veterinary Medicine, Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Regional and Urban Planning, and Engineering. The (opens in a new window)UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School is one of less than 60 schools worldwide to hold triple accreditation from the US, Europe and the UK accrediting bodies, and the (opens in a new window)MSc in International Management there is now regarded as highly ranked in the world, according to the (opens in a new window)Financial Times Global Master in Management Ranking.
UCD faculty engage in international research collaborations, sharing and contributing to a global bank of knowledge. To further expand this global engagement, UCD has developed a network of UCD Global Centres in North America, UAE, India, China and Malaysia; each of which provides a hub of research and education connections for students, faculty, alumni and partners.
| Acronym | UCD |
| Nickname | UCD |
| Motto / Slogan | Ad Astra; Cothrom na Féinne To the Stars; Justice and equality |
| Colour | UCD Blue, Navy, Gold, Rich Green, and Bright Green |
| Founded | 1854 |
| Location | Dublin, Leinster, Ireland |
| Address | University College Dublin Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland. |
To advance knowledge, pursue truth and foster learning, in an atmosphere of discovery, creativity, innovation and excellence, drawing out the best in each individual, and contributing to the social, cultural and economic life of Ireland and the wider world.
Ireland’s Most Globally Engaged and Research Driven University The educational environment at UCD is designed to stimulate students through flexible teaching and learning practise, and through a curriculum that is constantly updated by the latest research. Our students benefit from an education delivered by experts at the leading edge of their fields internationally.
UCD is one of Europe’s leading research intensive universities; a place where undergraduate education, master’s, PhD training, research innovation and community engagement form a dynamic spectrum of activity. Our lecturers actively adopt a research-led approach aiming to teach our students the learning and skills required to contribute to society, whatever career path they take.
UCD is globally recognized for its excellence in teaching and learning. UCD is ranked within the top 1% of higher education institutions worldwide. Four subjects are ranked in the top 50 and 13 in the top 100 worldwide (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025).
UCD is the most connected and networked university with government, industry and society in Ireland. UCD is an active member of many international education networks such as Una Europa, Universitas 21 (U21) and UNICA. UCD is number one in Ireland for the highest volume of research publications per year.
EU applicants must meet the same minimum entry requirements as Irish school-leavers. As the number of applicants generally exceeds the number of places available, admission is competitive based on a points system. A-level applicants, please see the separate page for A-level.
For information about how the entry requirements equate to the school-leaving qualifications from your country, please see (opens in a new window)the Agreed entry requirements criteria for EU/EFTA applicants.
English is the teaching language of the university so all applicants must show proficiency in English.
Find specific entry requirements published on the UCD Course Catalogue. For general Graduate Entry Requirements, please visit the Graduate Admissions website.
International Qualification
If you're following international curriculum, please see the following links for entry requirements:
Graduate Taught Programmes
The normal requirement is a recognised bachelor’s degree at second class honours, grade one (2:1), or equivalent. Applicants should check the programme specific requirements as some degrees may require a higher standard for entry. For applicants who do not have the required minimum academic entry standard, a year-long qualifying course, such as a Higher or Graduate Diploma, may be available in some cases.
Graduate Research Programmes
To be eligible to enter a research master’s degree or PhD programme an applicant must have obtained a minimum of an upper second-class degree or equivalent in a relevant bachelor degree. For a significant number of PhD programmes a master’s degree may also be required. Specific information on entry requirements can be found on the relevant UCD School website.
Recognition of Prior Learning
Credit may be awarded within a course for certificated or experiential prior learning achieved outside of that course. This is subject to Board approval. Please see Recognition of Prior Learning Policy Document.
English Language Requirement
Graduate Taught and Graduate Research programmes in UCD are taught in English. Applicants must meet the minimum University English language proficiency requirements. In the case of IELTS Academic Version, a minimum score of 6.5 is required with not less than 6.0 in any strand. Please note, some courses may require a higher standard for entry. Please check the entry requirements of the course that you intend to apply for.
Generally, if you are eligible for EU fees* and applying for the first year of an undergraduate degree, you must apply via the Central Applications Office (CAO) (opens in a new window) online at www.cao.ie. The CAO handbook, which gives details of application procedures and closing dates, is available on the CAO website.
POSTGRADUATE:
Follow these step-by-step instructions on how to apply in our How to Apply to UCD guide (pdf)
Email: [email protected],[email protected]
Phone : +353 1 716 1555, +353 1 716 7777
She holds a BE degree from University College Dublin and MS and PhD degrees from the University of California, Berkeley, where her PhD thesis won the DJ Sakrison Memorial Prize
for outstanding and innov... read more
Professor Feely is a Member of the Royal Irish Academy and a Fellow of the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), Engineers Ireland and the Irish Academy of Engineering.
UCD has been a major contributor to the making of modern Ireland. Many UCD students and staff participated in the struggle for Irish independence and the university has produced numerous Irish Presidents and Taoisigh (Prime Ministers) in addition to generations of Irish business, professional, cultural and sporting leaders.... read more
