Trinity College Dublin Partnership

To view Trinity Visiting Student Module Directory, click here. Students are accepted to specific academic departments; please note that applications are judged on a case by case basis by departments and some may have higher departmental GPA requirements, above the minimum GPA of 3.1. Whenever possible, we will publish higher GPA requirements as communicated to us by Trinity College Dublin.

• Department of Economics: 3.5 GPA requirement
• Department of Philosophy: 3.5 GPA requirement
• Department of Political Science: 3.3 GPA requirement

You can apply to up to four departments at Trinity, and you must apply to a minimum of two. If you list a department, you should plan on taking at least one class in that department. The class preference form is not a registration form; while you will be provisionally accepted to departments, you will not officially register for classes until after you arrive at Trinity College Dublin. You should discuss your class selections with your academic advisor at your home institution and have several backup choices in mind.

In addition to departmental offerings, Trinity visiting students have the option to take one “Trinity Elective.” These Trinity Electives do not require departmental approval and are open to all students based on availability.

CHART Your Course
Find the classes you need fast with CHART. Our easy-to-use tool shows you classes recently taken by IFSA students.

Credit Conversions
The typical class load at Trinity College Dublin, is 25-30 ECTS credits, which is equivalent to 12.5-15 U.S. semester credit hours. Individual departments at Trinity reserve the right to designate full class loads that are greater than the standard ECTS level. In addition, students participating the fall semester Early Start program often earn up to a total of 17.5 U.S. semester credit hours.

1 ECTS credit = 0.5 US semester credit hours.

It is your responsibility to confirm your home institution’s requirements regarding class load during your study abroad experience.

EARLY START OPTION
An early start optional class is available for fall and academic year students only.

Understanding Ireland: An Interdisciplinary Module in History, Archaeology, Art, Architecture, and Literature
Starting approximately three weeks before the regular start of term, this class is split into three compulsory strands: Irish history, archaeology art, and architecture, and literature in a historical context. Morning lecture and small group tutorials are supplemented with afternoon field trips focusing on detailed assessment of key events, personalities, debates, influences, and texts. Past field trips have included the Abbey Theatre and Croke Park with day trips to the Boyne Valley and Kilkenny. (2.5 U.S. semester credit hours)

Lab & Field Trip Fees
Please review syllabi and class materials when registering for direct-enroll classes. Certain classes may have a one-off lab or field trip fee disclosed in the syllabus or during the first meeting of the class. These fees are not included in your IFSA program fee. You will be responsible for these fees, whether they are billed and paid by IFSA or billed to you.

As of Spring 2025, Trinity College Dublin will limit the number of study abroad students admitted to each department. As Trinity has rolling admissions, you are encouraged to complete your application as soon as possible for the greatest chance of acceptance. You should also complete a back-up application to this program.

TRINITY ELECTIVE
This is not a department and does not count as one of your departmental choices. If interested, students may apply for one Trinity Elective after they arrive on campus. Visiting students can take a maximum of one. Admission is granted when space is available.

BUSINESS
Students with either a major or a minor in business can apply. Students with no previous business classes may only be considered for introductory (Senior Fresh) level modules, unless they have prior learning in a relevant subject area such as economics.

CHEMISTRY
Students studying for the fall (Michaelmas) term only will not be permitted to enroll in chemistry (CH) modules. These modules are available to academic year and spring (Hilary) term students only because final exams for all CH modules will occur in the spring.

COMPUTER SCIENCE
Computer science classes are reserved for students majoring or minoring in computer science. Limited capacity for visiting students. Strongly recommended to apply early in admissions process.

CREATIVE WRITING
Classes are not available to study abroad students.

DRAMA AND FILM
Classes are not available to study abroad students.

EDUCATION
Education modules are not available to visiting students at the undergraduate level.

ENGLISH
Entry-level modules may be available to visiting students based on availability. Upper-level English modules are reserved for English majors only. English majors can typically take a maximum of two Sophister—level (3000/4000) English modules, but additional modules at the lower level may be available.

ECONOMICS
Students who wish to take Senior Fresh, Junior Sophister, or Senior Sophister modules must be majoring or minoring in economics.

FILM STUDIES
Classes are not available to study abroad students.

FRENCH
Classes are not available to study abroad students.

GENETICS
Students must have successfully completed classes in cell biology, molecular biology, biochemistry, and genetics.

GEOLOGY
Only 3rd and 4th year modules available to study abroad students.

IRISH
Classes in Modern Irish are taught in Irish and are not normally suitable for study abroad students. However, there are a few classes specifically designed for non-Irish speakers. Modern Irish Language and Literature is specifically designed for visiting students, while some classes in Early Irish are taught in English.

LAW
Open to study abroad students, although not applicable to law in the U.S.

MATHEMATICS
Mathematics classes are reserved for students majoring in mathematics.

MICROBIOLOGY
Microbiology classes are only available only to full-year students.

MUSIC
Limited modules available.

NURSING & MIDWIFERY
Classes in the Nursing & Midwifery department are not conducive for visiting students, as these classes begin approximately two weeks prior to the traditional semester start date.

POLITICAL SCIENCE
Political science modules are reserved for students majoring or minoring in political science. A 3.3 GPA minimum is required.

PHILOSOPHY
Philosophy classes are reserved for students majoring or minoring in philosophy. A 3.5 GPA minimum is required.

PSYCHOLOGY
A prerequisite for this department is an Introduction to Psychology class at your home institution. Trinity will not recognize AP credit as a sufficient prerequisite.

SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
Students may take classes within these departments as long as they are either 5 or 10 ECTS, equaling 2.5 or 5 U.S. semester credit hours. Trinity College Dublin charges higher fees for enrollment in the Faculty of Engineering and Faculty of Science, which can range into several thousand dollars.

New country, new way of learning!

Here’s what to expect at Trinity College Dublin:

• More emphasis on independent learning. The university recommends completing ten hours of independent study for each academic credit you seek.
• Less personal access to professors. Instead, it’s common to connect with more junior faculty members. Other resources include course designers (who line up lectures) and module coordinators.
• Grades are often based only on a single final paper or on a midterm exam and final paper.
• Academics reflect a similar level of difficulty as in the U.S., but follow a different grading scale. In Ireland, scores of 70% and above are considered “As.” (We’ll review this and give you a chart to refer to during IFSA orientation.)
• Full access to the university’s robust academic support system and resources, including assignment to an advisor. IFSA local staff are also available for individual help

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Eligibility

• You must be at least 18 years of age. Students under 18 may be accepted on a case-by-case basis.
• You must be currently attending or recently graduated from a U.S. or Canadian community college, technical college, two-year college, four-year college, or four-year university.
• You must have completed at least two (2) full-time years of study at your home institution before the beginning of the term.
• Eligibility requirements can vary among host institutions. Please ask your IFSA Enrollment Counselor for specific information.

Recommendation Letter
Your application to this program will require one (1) academic letter of recommendation.

TRANSCRIPT
Upon completion of your program, IFSA will send an official Butler University transcript to your home university with your coursework converted to the U.S. semester credit hour system. You will also have access to an unofficial transcript in your IFSA Student Portal. The transcript reflects classes taken, credits attempted, and grades earned during your term abroad. This service is included in your study abroad program at no additional cost. See our Transcripts page for more information.