University College Cork-Cork, Ireland

Semester only (fall or spring)

History

Students study at the University College Cork. The University was established in 1845 and is one of Ireland's oldest universities. University College Cork is also a leading research university. Today, it is the home campus for over 17,000 students. There are over 1500 international students who attend UCC for a semester or year. The University College Cork has 4 colleges: Art, Celtic Studies, and Social Science; Business and Law; Science, Engineering and Food Science; and Medicine and Health. UCC was voted University of the Year in 2011/2012.

Choosing When to Study in Cork

The fall and spring semesters offer very different opportunities for students to study at UCC. We recommend that you investigate the benefits for the fall and spring semesters before deciding on which semester you want to study abroad. The office of international programs will provide several information sessions throughout the fall term. You should attend one of them.

Fall Semester at University College Cork

Students participate in the pre-term program called early start. Students can select one course from six to learn more about Ireland through a faculty-guided course. The early starts also provide limited excursions around Ireland. It is an excellent opportunity for students to gain an introduction to Ireland and Irish Studies through a carefully guided approach to the country's rich culture, history, politics, business, and civilization. Students who study abroad in the fall will receive a limited number of cultural excursions and dinners. Once the early start program is completed, students will register and start their fall term university courses.

Students can choose from the following early start: (fall semester only)

Early Start in Archaeology
Early Start in Irish Folklore and Ethnology
Early Start in Modern Irish History
Early Start in Literatures in Ireland
Early Start in Marketing and Management
Early Start in Music

Spring Semester at University College Cork

Students start classes early in January with registration taking place upon arrival. Students have approximately a month off to prepare for finals and some use this time to travel. During the spring break, Loyola provides 1-4 day trip for the students who study in the spring, along with other cultural excursions and group dinners.

Criteria for Applying

University College Cork requires that students have at least a 3.00 cumulative QPA. However, students with a cumulative QPA of a 2.800 (no rounding up) can be considered, but admission will be based on the competitive pool of applications. ROTC candidates can apply as freshman to study abroad in the spring of their sophomore year. You should apply if you meet the following:

Attend an information session on Cork;
Attend registration sessions to determine if your degree program matches the courses offered abroad;
Discuss with your major advisor the possible courses you could take abroad and see if there are any potential problems he/she sees with your plans to study in Cork;
Academic reviews will be based on current course offerings;
Registration will take place abroad and the course offerings for the term you will be abroad will be finalized overseas;
Save as many electives for abroad to help with potential registration problems; and
Discuss with your family if taking a summer course(s) is an option to help with any unexpected academic problems that could occur at Loyola or abroad.

Criteria for Remaining in the Program

Studying abroad is a privilege that students have to earn by receiving and maintaining the required cumulative GPA to be accepted into the Cork program. Students must also demonstrate through their disciplinary record (on and off campus) to the Office of International Programs they are able to represent Loyola University Maryland and the United States by displaying such characteristics as honesty, integrity and personal responsibility for self and others by making wise choices and avoiding risky and/or harmful behavior that could jeopardize their privilege to study abroad.

Therefore, once you are accepted into the Cork program, it is also YOUR responsibility to keep your spot in the program. This includes your academic and disciplinary records at Loyola, which the Office of International Programs will review a second time.

Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.800 (no rounding up) by the end of the semester prior to going abroad. Not maintaining the cumulative GPA of 2.800 could result in removal from the program. Summer (at Loyola or away) school will not be considered as an appeal to remain in the Cork program. Students will be financially responsible for any bills incurred by the Office of International Programs on the student’s behalf. This includes but not limited to airline tickets, housing and tuition deposits or full payments, etc. The student will be billed for these items.

In addition to maintaining the academic requirement to study abroad, a student must also maintain the disciplinary requirement and not get into ANY disciplinary trouble after being accepted into the program. When a student gets into disciplinary trouble AFTER receiving his/her acceptance, this strongly indicates to the Office of International Programs the student is not taking the opportunity he/she has been given to study abroad seriously, and it could also be an indicator of potential behavioral problems while abroad. If a student receives any disciplinary sanctions after being accepted into the Cork program, he/she can be removed from the program and the student will be financially responsible for any payments made on his/her behalf. This includes but not limited to airline tickets, housing and tuition or full payments, etc. The student will be billed for these items.

Academics

All courses, grades and credits transfer from University College Cork to Loyola University Maryland and are calculated into the student’s GPA. This includes credit booster courses which “boosts” credits so that students transfer the equivalent of five courses/fifteen semester-hour credits.
You will be in the classroom with other Irish and international students
Loyola students will be studying in a European educational environment at UCC. As an example, for many of the courses offered at UCC, there may only be one test in the course, the final examination. The final examination can be written or oral and this final examination grade will be your final grade earned in the course. So, if you do well on the final examination that is your final grade. If you do not do well on the final examination that is your final grade too.
Registration takes place overseas. You need to have as many course options as possible to counter any registration problems, like a course cancellation or course time conflict.
Consult the Office of International Programs as early as possible to get assistance on course selections at Loyola so that you are prepared for Cork.
Not all students may be able to take major courses at UCC
Science majors (biology, chemistry, physics, engineering, mathematical science), Information Systems majors, and economics majors must be approved to register for courses in the above departments at UCC. If you have a major or minor in one of these areas, schedule a meeting with your major advisor to discuss whether you could study abroad and not take any major courses and return to your major/minor and graduate on time.
If you plan to pursue additional education or take examinations that require you to submit documentation of courses and credits taken abroad, it is your responsibility to ensure in advance of going overseas that your courses and credits abroad will be accepted by the graduate and/or professional schools that you will apply to in the future.
Speech Pathology and Elementary Education majors will not be able to take any major courses abroad. It is very important to schedule a meeting with your major advisor to see if you can still study abroad without taking any major courses at UCC.
Accounting and Finance majors will not be able to take any accounting or finance courses at UCC. Finance majors should take FI 320-Financial Management before fall of junior year in order to remain a finance major and study abroad.
All students should save at least 3-4 electives to use as back-up courses for abroad
Overall, students who study at the University College Cork do just as well at UCC as they do at Loyola. However, grades earned abroad can be higher or lower than what has been earned at Loyola. Loyola students will be learning in a different educational environment and this may reflect in their grades abroad.
Students have to follow the same prerequisites for courses abroad as you would at Loyola. Therefore, make sure you have satisfied any prerequisite(s) in order to be able to take certain core or major courses at UCC.
All students must at least maintain their cumulative GPA (2.800 or higher – and no rounding) through the end of the semester prior to studying abroad. If a student were to drop below the required cumulative GPA at the end of the semester prior to studying abroad, the initial acceptance can be rescinded by either Loyola, University College Cork or both and the student will be financially responsible for any payments made on his/her behalf (airline tickets, housing, tuition, travel assistance plan, etc.,) at the time of removal from the program.

Length of Stay

Fall semester students leave in August to participate in the pre-term early start program, which begins in mid-August and runs for one month. The university officially opens shortly after in late September, and goes until mid-December. Fall semester students return in December from the program. There is no mid-term holiday/break in the fall term.
Spring semester students depart in early January. Spring semester classes usually begin the first week in January and go until around June 1.
Depending on how the UCC academic calendar falls, there is a possibility the group will depart on Jan. 1, or earlier. Spring semester students have approximately one month off to study for exams and travel.

Housing/Meals

Semester only students live in Leeside Apartments. Leeside is approximately 15–20 minutes away from the university. They are roughly 10-15 minutes from the center of the city.
The Leeside Apartments have different room-size configurations. Some apartments have single bedrooms, but the majority are shared bedrooms.
Students share a living room, kitchen, and bathroom.
The apartments come fully furnished.
Leeside rents to various groups of students, and not exclusively to Loyola. Therefore, we cannot guarantee that all students will have a single bedroom.
Most students will have to share a bedroom.
Please keep in mind that overseas housing is very different than housing at Loyola. Rooms are much smaller and may not have all the modern amenities US housing may have.
Meals are not included. Students must provide for their own meals. There is a cafeteria on campus and other eateries around campus and in the city. Most students cook their own meals. There is an English market in town, and supermarkets.
Students can also find inexpensive pub food near the university and Leeside.

Cost

Students are eligible for consideration for all forms of federal, state, institutional and private sources of aid, with the exception of the federal work-study assignment.
Loyola's financial aid can be used on this program.
All students must have a comprehensive health plan, which includes hospitalization and accidents that can be used while overseas.
All students must have a valid passport. The passport must have at least 6 months left after the study abroad program end date.
Students who receive college work study and study abroad may lose their college work study for the returning semester to Loyola. Contact the financial office for specific information.
Students will have to pay an Immigration Fee upon arrival. This is currently 300 Euro and is subject to increase.
Bedding is not provided, but linens can be bought upon arrival. Students can rent cleaned linens through Leeside or purchase their own in Ireland.
Students should budget for any start-up costs associated with study abroad.
Students pay a study abroad fee and a reduced comprehensive fee. Accepted students must submit a study abroad deposit to hold his/her spot in the program.
Please consult the financial aid office regarding your financial aid package.

Costs and Benefits

Students/parents pay to Loyola the following charges:

Loyola tuition
Loyola housing charge
Reduced Comprehensive fee
Program fee
Study abroad deposit to hold your place in the program

Students receive the following benefits on the Cork Program:

Tuition fee covered at UCC
Shared housing at Leeside Apartments
Limited trips through Early Start Program (fall only) and limited cultural excursions
1- 3 day trip/limited cultural excursions in the spring program
Special dinners
Round-trip airline ticket from the United States to Ireland and from Ireland back to the United States
Official airport pick-up and drop-off
Orientation on campus and abroad
3-4 day trip (spring only)
Enrollment in student travel plan
Guide fees, entrance fees, and motor coach expenses
Pre-departure orientation
Services provided by part-time director on-site

Items not included in the Loyola charges but should be budgeted for:
*required

*Meals (past students suggest budgeting $1,800- $2,500)
*Passport
Bedding Packages
*Immigration fee (to enter and stay in Ireland)
cell phones and other communication expenses
Medical and dental check- ups (immunizations up to date)
*Start-up costs (bedding, cleaning supplies, etc)
*Health Insurance (if you do not have a health plan that is valid abroad)
Travel to and from the airport (United States)
Personal travel (hostels, hotels, airline or rail tickets, food, etc)
Bike Rentals (optional and most students do not purchase)

Unexpected items:
(These items do not normally occur but could happen depending on the student and unforeseen circumstances:)

Airline ticket change (student wants to come home early)
A hotel stay abroad for an emergency (snow storm or flight cancellation)
Lost keys or room damage (which students will be billed for by Loyola)
Illness (payment of services rendered expected at the time of service)
Summer school (student is behind in their degree program or a course is not offered abroad)

Documents for Abroad

Currently, the following documents are required to travel and study in Ireland:

Valid, signed passport (with 6 months left after the program end date)
Immigration card (obtained in Ireland)
Letter from health insurance company verifying health coverage that is valid abroad
Official Letter of acceptance from UCC
Letter of support from Loyola University Maryland
No visa- currently, American citizens do not need a student visa- subject to change at any time

Miscellaneous

The Student Health Office at UCC is also recommending that you get a Meningitis C shot when you arrive on campus. Even though you might have had a Meningitis shot already, the Health Center at UCC has informed us that there is a different strain of Meningitis that is found in Ireland. The shot is free and provided by the Student Health Office at UCC. It is not mandatory, but highly recommended by the Health Office at UCC. You can also consult the CDC website to help you with your decision. It is up to you whether you want to get it.
Students studying at UCC have limited access to the counseling and support center there. There are some restrictions regarding visiting students and services available to them. There may be a wait time to see a counselor and there are limits to how many sessions students can have. Appointments with a psychiatrist may require the use of the student's private health insurance.
UCC has a Disability Support Service office. This office supports international students, but there are limitations on what services can be provided to study abroad students. Accommodations and services provided by the Disability Support Service office may not be the same abroad as the services provided at Loyola. We encourage students to meet with Loyola's disability support service office to discuss their options for abroad.

Application Requirements

Students must submit an online application, an advisor acknowledgement form by Dec .1, of the sophomore year to study abroad in the fall or spring term of junior year.
All students must declare their major, and minor if applicable, prior to submitting their online application.
Undeclared majors will be turned down automatically.

Cork Equivalencies

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This is a working list of the course equivalencies for the Cork, Ireland program.

The course approvals and equivalencies provided are the most current for the office of international programs. Once accepted to a study abroad program, students will have an academic interview with the appropriate director and will be advised on their course selection.

Please be advised: All students are solely responsible for informing themselves about the status of these courses. Course approvals and equivalencies may change at a moments notice. This means you should confirm if the following courses are approved, or if the courses have been removed.

If there are other courses you desire to take, and they are not on the course equivalency list; you must get written course approval by the department chair. The courses that you choose should fit into your degree audit and enable you to graduate on time.