University College Cork (UCC) Regents' Program

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COUNTRY: Ireland CITY: Cork HOST INSTITUTION: University College Cork (UCC) TYPE OF PROGRAM: Iowa Regents’ Program SESSIONS: Fall, Spring, Summer, Early start programs. ELIGIBILITY: Sophomore or above; 3.0 GPA, 2.8 GPA for summer FIELDS OF STUDY:Accounting, Anatomy, Applied Mathematics, Applied Psychology, Archaeology, Art History, Biochemistry, Biology, Celtic Civilization, Chemistry, Chinese Studies, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Computer Science, Drama and Theatre Studies, Earth Science, Ecology, Economics, Education, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, English, Environmental Science and Studies, Epidemiology and Public Health, European Studies, Finance, Folklore/Bealoideas, Food Business and Development, Food Science, Food Science and Technology, French, Gaeilge/ Irish, Genetics, Geography, German, Government, Greek, Greek and Roman Civilization, History, Italian, Literature, Latin, Law, Management, MIS, Marketing, Mathematics, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Music, Nutrition, Pediatrics and Child Health, Pharmacology, Philosophy, Physics, Physiology, Plant Science, Politics, Process Engineering, Religions, Social Policy, Sociology, Spanish, Statistics, Zoology. LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION: English, Irish CREDITS: Undergraduate

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The Iowa Regents’ Semester in Ireland offers undergraduate students an opportunity to study for a semester at an Irish University. Students are fully integrated academically and socially with their Irish counterparts at the University College, Cork (UCC).

With a population exceeding 200,000, Cork City is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and a busy seaport on the south coast. It is home to a large number of industries such as electronics and brewing, but is an important center for culture and the arts, as well. Each year, international film, choral and jazz festivals are held in Cork. Cork city has an Opera House, several theaters, and a city museum. The city center is uniquely situated on an island between two channels of the Lee River. Downtown is a blend of parks, cultural venues, shops, and cozy pubs. Cork people, noted for their friendliness, have a passion for all kinds of sports, which explains the many recreation facilities in the city. Popular day trips from Cork include the Blarney Stone: legend has it that after kissing the stone, you will have the gift of eternal eloquence, Cobh, Kinsdale, and the Jameson Distillery. Dublin is: four to five hours from Cork to the north by bus, or less than 1 hour by plane, and Cork airport, located 6 kilometers from the university has daily flights to Dublin, London, and other European destinations.

University College Cork, in Cork, Ireland, combines history with modernity in a beautiful, vast campus on the edge of Cork city. Originally established as one of the three Queen’s Colleges in 1845, UCC quickly grew into a full-scale university. Today it holds over 16,000 students in eight faculties (colleges) on mature, well-wooded grounds by the riverside. There are over 60 departments on campus, many housed in Gothic-style buildings from the late 19th century. Students have access to an array of services at UCC that include the Devere Hall Hras Na Mae Leìnn Student Center, which offers a Lounge Bar, Coffee Shop, Confectionery and Food Store, TV Rooms, and a Travel Office. In the Boole Library, students will find over 600,000 books and journals, and reading places for over 1,500 people.

The Regent’s Semester in Ireland program is offered both fall and spring semesters. The autumn (fall) semester starts in September with the Early start program and ends in late December. The spring semester runs from January to early May. Students have almost the entire month of April off for the Easter holidays. Exact dates vary each year; contact the study abroad office for specific information. Each semester in Cork begins with three days of orientation, registration, and a reception. Participants in the Regent’s Program will attend these events, as they cater to new students and are designed to tell you about life on campus.

Modules for International students at UCC can be found at: http://www.ucc.ie/international/. You can choose from the “Faculty of Arts,” “Faculty of Commerce,” and “Faculty of Science” listings (all for visiting students). If none of these courses fit your studies you may use the “Book of Modules” however contact Mary Steele at m.steele@ucc.ie or Marita Foster at isoffice@ucc.ie to confirm these courses are available.

While taking academic classes in Cork you also have opportunity to back up your education with internship experience. This is another wonderful opportunity to enhance your resume with a job experience. International Education Office arranges internships for international students in the following departments:

• Internship in the International Education Office
• Internship in the Boole Library
• Internship in the Department of Government
• Internship in the Department of Philosophy
• Internship in the Faculty of Law
• Internship in the International Famine Centre
• Internship in the Irish Centre for Migration Studies
• Internship in the Freshwater Ecology Laboratory
• Internship in the Multimedia Centre for Urban and Regional Ethnology
• Internship in the Faculty of Law
• Information Booklet

Students choosing to go to Ireland during the fall semester will enroll in a month-long course starting in the beginning of September, called “Early Start”. This program offers six options: Archaeology, History and Modern Ireland, Irish Ecosystems, Literatures in Ireland, Irish Folklore and Ethnology, and Management and Marketing in the European Union. Each course is worth 5 credit hours and includes exciting field trips as well as lectures.

Fall Program: Early September – Late December

Spring Program: Early January – Late May

All credit earned at UC Cork may be applied toward your degree. Students will typically earn 12 - 15 credit hours for their semester of study. The Early Start Program is worth 5 UNI credits. The maximum number of UCC credits per semester is 30 (15 UNI). UCC courses are listed as either 5 or 10 credits. Either way they will credit the same back to UNI. Transcripts will be sent to the students’ home university upon completion of the program. Credits earned on the program do not count against residency requirements for graduation.

Housing: Regents participants have a range of housing options available to them. There are on campus apartments such as Castlewhite Apartments of Victoria Lodge. There are also many off campus options such as The Spires apartments and Leeside Apartments. For those who do not wish to stay in apartments, other various houses and home stay options are available.

Please follow the links for more information on available housing options.
On Campus Housing: http://www.ucccampusaccommodation.com/
Off Campus Housing: http://www.ucc.ie/en/international/Accommodation/OffCampusAccommodation/

Information on the Accommodation at UCC: http://www.ucc.ie/en/international/Accommodation/

UCC Application for Accommodation:
http://www.ucc.ie/en/international/VisitingUSNon-EUStudents/ApplicationandAdmission/DocumentFile,24500,en.doc

Meals: The University provides full catering facilities on the campus. Snacks, lunches and evening meals are available from Monday through Friday inclusive throughout the academic year in the main restaurant. In addition, light lunches and snacks are served at other venues on campus. The facilities include a full salad bar and an omelets bar and vegetarian meals are also offered. The University Bar serves snacks until 11 p.m. In fact it is possible to eat on campus from 8.15 a.m. to 11.00 p.m. on weekdays and all meals offered are very competitively priced. A full daily or weekly menu is available in the student restaurant.

With regard to food, international students should know that, while the average Irish diet is very different from that of most international students, familiar foodstuffs can be bought in health food shops, markets and large supermarkets.

The program fee for Spring 2009 is $8,900.  The program fee includes: Tuition, international tuition at UCC, Regents & UCC fees.  The final cost of the program will vary according to classes and housing options selected and the exchange rate at the time of billing.  

Program fee does not include: Housing ($3,000), Meals ($2,700), airfare ($1,000), personal expenses ($2,731), passport ($97), health insurance ($300), ISIC card ($22). 

Students eligible for financial aid should contact the UNI Financial Aid Office. In many cases, students are able to apply most of their financial aid to their study abroad experience. Participants in this program are eligible to apply for the Study Abroad Scholarship and explore a variety of other UNI as well as external funding options. To learn more about financing a study abroad program, follow the “Funding” link on our web site.

Applicants must be full-time students at UNI at the time of application, at least sophomore status during the time abroad, have departmental approval for participation, and an overall G.P.A. of 3.0. Some departments (e.g. English, History) may require higher GPA in the major. For more details, consult the UCC Study Abroad Handbook. 

A complete set of application materials will include one original and one copy of the following:

• UNI Application Packet (PDF link)
• Host university application for admission and request for accommodation

To download and print available forms please refer to our Forms page.

March 1 - for Summer, Fall, and Academic Year Programs

October 1 - for Spring Programs

This program is very popular and likely to fill up before the deadline so please apply early.

Program-related inquiries should be directed to: 
Yana Cornish
Study Abroad Office 
28 Gilchrist Hall
Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0520 
Tel: 319/ 273-7078 Fax: 319/ 273-2921 email: study-abroad@uni.edu 

"I feel so much more independent and confident after living on my own in a different country for eight months. I am also able to look at my own country and way of life in America from a new perspective, and my experience in Ireland will come with me wherever I go in life."(Lindsay Randolph)

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