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featured programs

Study Abroad with CIEE in Australia Study in Australia
wollongong—arts + sciences

Study Abroad with CIEE in Botswana Study in Botswana
gaborone—arts + sciences

Study Abroad with CIEE in Botswana Study in Botswana
gaborone—summer community public health

Study Abroad with CIEE in the Dominican Republic Study in the DR
santiago—service learning

Study Abroad with CIEE in Ghana Study in Ghana
accra—international business + culture

Study Abroad with CIEE in India Study in India
mumbai—international business + culture

Study Abroad with CIEE in Italy Study in Italy
ferrara—language + culture

Study Abroad with CIEE in Italy Study in Italy
ferrara—liberal arts

Study Abroad with CIEE in Morocco Study in Morocco
rabat—language + culture

Study Abroad with CIEE in Senegal Study in Senegal
dakar—summer senegalese studies

Study Abroad with CIEE in the United Arab Emirates Study in the UAE
sharjah—business, engineering, arts + sciences

Academic Program

The Arts and Sciences program at the CIEE Study Center in Dublin is designed for students who are interested in taking courses in their major while also studying about and living in Ireland, and includes an internship option. The program at Dublin City University opened in fall 2005. DCU is an exciting, modern campus, buzzing with life. With over 100 clubs and societies, a very active student union, a student social events calendar overflowing with activities, and a student social center located in the heart of campus, DCU is a great place to study abroad. It is located close to the Dublin city center which is steeped in history and is renowned for its rich social and cultural life.

Service-Learning
Students interested in engaging the local community through service in that community have the opportunity to enroll in the Service-Learning track. Participants enroll in the Community Partnership: Theory and Engagement course with service integrated, the Independent Research and Capstone Project, History and Culture of Modern Ireland, and two Dublin City University courses. Service-Learning placements are available in a range of community based organizations.

The Service-Learning track provides a framework for students to fulfill their educational and personal goals while bridging relationships in the communities in which their learning takes place. Through the track’s courses, content is analyzed in terms of how it relates to the community.

Students can design and implement a research project that fulfills the Service-Learning core principles of engagement, reflection, reciprocity, and public dissemination. In addition, students have the opportunity to give back to local communities where service is performed, thus allowing those communities to share in the results of the student’s learning.

What You'll Learn

The goal of the Arts and Sciences program is to introduce students to the breadth and depth of Irish culture while enhancing their academic studies through integrated study at Dublin City University. The program offers a core course in Irish culture and society followed by opportunities to study in a variety of disciplines. The program location, combined with the host institution’s expertise, also permits students to intern in a field related to their academic studies.

Academic Culture

At DCU, CIEE students are fully integrated with both Irish and other international students. Learning takes place through a coherent blend of lectures, group seminars, and practical work. Courses, called modules at DCU, are generally offered at the equivalent of three U.S. credits each. The tutorial system ensures academic support for all students, and regular student feedback helps to monitor quality. The Irish educational system requires students take greater responsibility for their own learning and use their initiative in an academic environment less structured than that commonly found in the U.S. Students are provided with a syllabus and a broad reading list, but are not told what books to read for each class. Students are expected to show initiative in terms of research and critical analysis.

CIEE students can enroll at DCU for the fall, spring, or academic year. The fall semester runs from the middle of September to the middle of December and the spring semester runs from late January to late May. In general, fall semester CIEE students must take DCU courses which are graded through continuous assessment in order to complete the semester in mid-December.

Many DCU courses are not continuously assessed and have a final exam which takes place in January. Unless students are able to stay for exams, potentially into late January, they will have more limited course options in the fall semester. Students are given complete course information at the time of acceptance which indicates the courses with continuous assessment. If you take a non-continuous assessment course and need to stay until late January, the cost of your housing in a dormitory on or near the DCU campus is covered. Students living in a homestay need to leave at the official end of the CIEE program, but can then move to the dorm.

Nature of Classes

CIEE courses are with other CIEE students only. DCU courses are shared with Irish, CIEE, and other international students.

CIEE Language Commitment

At all program locations where English is not the primary language, CIEE encourages participants to use the local language whenever possible.

Internship

With the permission of the sending institution, students may take a for-credit internship. This is dependent on the demand for limited places, the availability in the field in which the student requires an internship, and the suitability of the candidate. CIEE places students in a wide range of internships in various volunteer and public service organizations There is an increasing emphasis on placing interns in volunteer and non-governmental organizations.

These are professionally-oriented placements in which the student spends a part-time apprenticeship learning and contributing to the operation of a company or organization. The student is evaluated through an oral presentation, meetings with their supervisor, a journal, and other written assignments.

Grading System

Assessment is based on the individual’s overall performance, including essays and coursework and final examinations or papers.

Program Requirements

All students must take the CIEE core course, History and Culture of Modern Ireland, and four additional electives at DCU, one of which may be an internship. Note that the internship is subject to approval of the student’s sending school, availability of internship, and suitability of the candidate. All Service-Learning Track participants enroll in the Community Partnership: Theory and Engagement course with service integrated, the Independent Research and Capstone Project, History and Culture of Modern Ireland, and two Dublin City University courses.

Credit Description

Total recommended credit for the semester is 15–16 semester/22.5–24 quarter hours, and 30–31 semester/45–46.5 quarter hours for the academic year.

Course contact hours and recommended credit for all DCU courses are 30 contact hours and 3 semester/4.5 quarter hours per course, unless otherwise indicated.

Courses

Required CIEE Core Course

EIRE 3001 IREL
History and Culture of Modern Ireland
The course is divided into two interconnected sections. The first section deals with the political and cultural milieu within which the independence movement emerged. This section also deals with the Northern Ireland conflict from 1968 to the present day. The second section examines the social and cultural aspects of contemporary Irish society. Emphasis is placed on four key themes of Irish life: emigration/immigration, religion and its decline, socio-economic inequality, and immigration and marginal groups.

Students are encouraged to develop skills pertaining to independent research and critical analysis, which help them in their mainstream electives. Contact hours: 45. Recommended credit: 3 semester/4.5 quarter hours. Coordinator and Primary Instructor: Don Niall

 

CIEE Internship

INSH 3001 IREL
Internship
With the permission of the sending institution, students may take a for-credit internship. This is dependent on the demand for limited places, the availability of the field in which the student requires an internship, and the suitability of the candidate. CIEE places students in a wide range of internships in various organizations in the voluntary sector and public service. These are professionally-oriented placements in which students spend a part-time apprenticeship learning and contributing to the operation of a company or organization. They are evaluated at the end of the semester by an on-site supervisor. A faculty supervisor determines the grade based on the on-site evaluation, an oral presentation, meetings with the supervisor, the student’s journal, and other written assignments. Internships are not confirmed until after the orientation program and may have limited availability. Contact hours: 135. Recommended credit: 3 semester/4.5 quarter hours. Coordinator: Don Niall

 

CIEE Service-Learning Courses

CMBL 3001 IREL
Community Partnership: Theory and Engagement
The theoretical portion of this course offers an introduction to different schools of thought regarding leadership in community service. The practical portion of the course provides students the opportunity to work with a community-based organization in an already-existing program or project that the community organization offers in areas of health, education, development, business, and community organization. Combined together, this course offers the students an opportunity to act and reflect about the realities and challenges of community service and to participate alongside the principle social agents in a community environment. Contact hours: 15 hours (class), 90 hours (service). Recommended credit: 3 semester/4.5 quarter hours.

INDE 3001 IREL
Independent Research and Capstone Project
This course is designed to challenge students to bridge and draw upon knowledge they have obtained through coursework and practical experiences as community advocates into a relevant action-based project. While the Community Partnership course places students in existing community-based initiatives for a meaningful service experience, this course requires students to develop, in coordination with the community, a new project or a new extension of an existing project, that is complementary to the student’s service practicum. The Independent Research and Capstone Project requires students to complete an independent research paper that informs the development of a capstone project based on demonstrated community-identified need. Students design and complete a full project proposal and complete the project by the end of the semester. The goals of this course are not only to demonstrate and apply what has been learned throughout the program, but also to reflect on the learning and collaborate with the organization where service was performed. In this way, the project becomes symbolic of the benefits for the constituents: the student, the program, the service organization, and ultimately the communities. The community diagnostic, data collection, and the final project itself is fully integrated into the service experience. CIEE is committed to ensuring that the final product itself would be left as a legacy and/or resource to our community partners, which helps foster a collaborative project history. All the work completed in this course is designed to support the service-learning core principles of engagement, reflection, reciprocity, and public dissemination. Contact hours: 30 hours (class), 120 hours (service). Recommended credit: 4 semester/6 quarter hours.

 

Dublin City University Subject Areas
Below is a list of DCU subject areas from which CIEE students may choose in addition to the required core course and the internship. Please note this list is subject to change. Within the areas below students have course options (modules). Availability is based on course schedule, level of subject, limitations of resources, and all choices are dependent on approval from the sending university.

Accounting
Business
Communications
Computer Science
Education Studies
Electronic Engineering
Finance
Health Sciences
Intercultural Studies
International Relations
Journalism
Languages
Law and Government
Management
Mathematical Sciences
Mechanical Engineering
Media
Science

This course listing is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a contract between CIEE and any applicant, student, institution, or other party. The courses, as described, may be subject to changes as a result ofongoing curricular revisions, assignment of lecturers and teaching staff, and program development. Courses may be cancelled due to insufficient enrollment. Syllabi for the CIEE courses listed above are available upon request.


CIEE Study Center Syllabi
To view the most recent syllabi for courses taught by CIEE at our Study Centers, visit our syllabi site.

Faculty

All courses are taught by faculty from Dublin City University.

Cultural Activities

Cultural Activities and Field Trips
The academic program is supplemented with excursions and cultural activities such as visits to museums, cathedrals, galleries, and historic sites. CIEE offers day and weekend trips in, around, and outside of Dublin, such as visits to the Connemara and the West of Ireland, and Belfast and Derry in Northern Ireland.

The trip to Northern Ireland is an exploration of sectarianism; the relationship between Protestants/British and Nationalist/Irish communities, and how this chasm influences everyday life. Students have a chance to see Catholic and Protestant residential areas and meet with political parties when possible. Visits to The Titanic Quarter and the Northern Ireland Parliament Buildings are also included.

University Life
Available to all CIEE students at DCU are a number of societies and clubs catering to every interest. A sampling includes music, adventure appreciation, drama, and dance. Students can join various student societies which promote travel and other group activities. The Global Links Tandem Society partners local students with visiting students. Students also have the opportunity to join various athletic clubs and use the University’s state-of-the-art swimming complex. The compact campus lends itself to a community-oriented environment.

Immersion

Immersion in the local culture is a priority at CIEE Study Centers around the world.CIEE participants make the most of their program through CIEE-guided excursions, field study and internship programs, volunteering, conversation exchanges, homestays, and special events. The opportunities will vary depending on location. read on to learn more about this program.