Study abroad in Ireland with IFSA
Ballyvaughan
, Ireland

Burren College of Art Partnership

Program Overview

See painting, photography, drawing, or sculpture with a new perspective on the beautiful west coast of Ireland. Make a restored 16th-century castle your home as you learn from international faculty through one-on-one mentoring and a mix of courses in studio art, interdisciplinary studio art, and liberal arts, with an independent studio option.

Details at a Glance

Application deadline

Fall: April 1
Academic Year: April 1
Spring: Oct. 15

Minimum GPA

3.00

Credit load

15

Housing

Apartment/Flat

Instruction language

English

Prerequisites

None

gallery-imagegallery-image

Academics

Looking for specific classes? Explore CHART, our exclusive class database—if the Burren College of Art Program is preapproved at your institution, you’ll find classes recently taken by other IFSA students.

Look at the up-to-date list of courses on the Burren College of Art's online course brochure.

You will select a combination of five courses from the following:

  • One or two studio courses in a core discipline (drawing, painting, sculpture, photography)
  • One or two interdisciplinary studio courses (such as Mixed Media, Art in Context, Art and Ecology, Performance and Time Arts)
  • At least one liberal arts course (Irish Studies, Art History and Creative Writing).

Credit Conversion
1 module = 3 U.S. semester credit hours

Lab and Field Trip Fees
Please review syllabi and course 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.

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 one (1) year of study at your home institution before the beginning of the term.

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

Visa and Resident Permit Requirements

  • A visa is not required for U.S. or Canadian citizens.
  • A visa may be required if you are a citizen of another country.
  • A resident permit is required for all students.

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 courses 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 for more information.

Excursions

Activities and excursions are designed to pull you into the communities you visit and encourage cultural connections of every kind. There’s no extra fee to participate in these optional outings—everything is included in your program fee.

Below are examples from previous terms; outings may be different for your program. We’ll make every effort to run them all, but sometimes things we can’t our control, such as local regulations and health protocols, get in the way. As result, we cannot guarantee activities and excursions.

Activities

  • Local rugby matches
  • Theater performances
  • Comedy gigs
  • Castle tours

Excursions

  • Weekend trip to rural Connemara in County Galway.
  • Trip to Belfast and the Antrim Coast include visits to Dunluce Castle, Carrick a Rede Rope Bridge, and Giant’s Causeway.

Housing and Meals

Housing

Apartment/Flat

Meals

Self-Catering

Details

Housing at BCA is self-catered, and have fully equipped kitchens with oven, microwave, dishwasher, and laundry facilities. There is a cafeteria on campus where lunches can be purchased, or there is an optional meal plan.

Dates and Fees

Term

Term begins

Term ends

Program costs

Application deadline

Fall 2023

August 28, 2023

December 16, 2023

$20,575

April 1

Academic Year 2023-2024

August 28, 2023

Late April 2024

Contact IFSA

April 1

Spring 2024

Early Jan. 2024

Late April 2024

$20,575 (estimated)

Oct. 15

Fall 2024

Late Aug. 2024

Mid-Dec. 2024

$20,575 (estimated)

April 1

Academic Year 2024-2025

Late Aug. 2024

Late April 2025

Contact IFSA

April 1

Term

Fall 2023

Term begins

August 28, 2023

Term ends

December 16, 2023

Program costs

$20,575

Application deadline

April 1

Term

Academic Year 2023-2024

Term begins

August 28, 2023

Term ends

Late April 2024

Program costs

Contact IFSA

Application deadline

April 1

Term

Spring 2024

Term begins

Early Jan. 2024

Term ends

Late April 2024

Program costs

$20,575 (estimated)

Application deadline

Oct. 15

Term

Fall 2024

Term begins

Late Aug. 2024

Term ends

Mid-Dec. 2024

Program costs

$20,575 (estimated)

Application deadline

April 1

Term

Academic Year 2024-2025

Term begins

Late Aug. 2024

Term ends

Late April 2025

Program costs

Contact IFSA

Application deadline

April 1

Get Started

Vineeta Chauhan

Vineeta Chauhan

Admissions Counselor

Zipporah Gaines

Zipporah Gaines

Prearrival Counselor

IFSA Student Stories