What Students Say
Likes
- Strong Curriculum relevant to the industry expectations
- Highly skilled, resourceful, helpful and polite professors
- Excellent Location wrt to ease of commute
Dislikes
- The on campus facilities like Gym, Swimming pools could've been free or at least provided at a discounted rates
- An internship option should've been introduced in the last semester instead of the dissertation to help new grads to gain relevant experience
- More number of paid RA and TA opportunities must open up
Course Curriculum
- I would say that the curriculum was not that difficult. However, it was very structured and the professors had high expectations with the assignments. It was a good balance between theoretical and practical experience
- The positive aspects would be - Excellent professors, mind boggling assignments, Easy to understand and very well structured, Timed curriculum
- The negative aspects would be - I would've enjoyed an internship more than a dissertation to gain some more industrial experience
Admission Experience
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I applied to four universities in Dublin for my higher education: Dublin City University (DCU), University College Dublin (UCD), Dublin Business School (DBS), and the National College of Ireland (NCI). I’m happy to share that I was admitted to all four! I received confirmed offer letters from each one—DCU, UCD, DBS, and NCI. I didn’t receive any rejections from any of the universities I applied to, and I feel incredibly grateful to have been accepted by every college on my list.
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I chose this college over others because:
1. This college was easy to commute to
2. It was an university and 2 out of the 4 I applied to were colleges with limit exposure
3. The tuition fees was not that low but low as compared to UCD and TCD
4. This college focused on more industry relevant curriculum as compared to research -
The admission process was quite hassle free:
1. 50 EUR application free
2. Need to fill in the application and attached the supporting documents like Resume, Statement of Purpose, References from Professors or Colleagues
3. There is a waiting time of about 5 to 10 days
4. You will receive a temporary offer letter stating your scholarship
5. After you complete your English language exam you receive the final offer letter -
Following was the eligibility criteria:
1. Any English language exam - 7.5 in IELTS, 120 in Duolingo
2. Bachelors degree in Computer or STEM
3. And supporting documents -
I do not believe there were any challenges in the admission process for me. Every stage was hassle free
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I applied to September 2022 intake. There were many factors that I had taken into consideration:
1. Work permit - Ireland provides a work permit of 2 years after completing the masters
2. English speaking country. No need to learn another language
3. Better visa sponsorships than UK and easy to get Irish Citizenship
4. Easy access to other European Markets
5. Many Tech Companies have their EMEA headquarters in Ireland -
I applied in March 2022 and I received my temporary offer letter by end of March 2022.
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I then gave my English Duolingo exam in mid April 2022 and received the final offer letter within a week.
Class Schedule
- There would be 2 or 3 classes a day. usually between 8 am to 5 pm.
- Our class had around 220 students - it was a big batch
- 90% of the students were Indian. So I will say around 200
Faculty
- One to 220. And I do not think so that if affected the ratio as the professors were kind enough to answer all questions during the lecture and also take some time to answer them later. Also, they had RA and TAs assisting them to help with assignments.
- Yes, the teaching methods are very modern and the curriculum is updated and structured in a way that will help both industry and research students
- If professors have any availability of RA or TA or internship jobs affiliated to their research work then they sure do offer students with part time / full time jobs
- My personal favourite was Prof. Andrew. He was strict but very thorough and resourceful.
Campus Life
- My college has 3 campuses - DCU Glasnevin in Glasnevin, DCU St Patricks and DCU All Hallows both in Drumcondra
- There is a huge library in the Glasnevin campus of DCU which is accessible to all and also printing and photocopy services available at discounted rates.
- DCU hosted many annual events - like Halloween party, The annual prom, Diwali Party and Holi hosted by the DCU Indian society
- There was a dedicated sports building having a gym, swimming, spa, sauna, indoor game courts like badminton, volley ball, basketball, trampoline, etc. Also, there were football and rugby courts
Part Time Jobs
- Not many Master Students are able to get the RA and TA positions as they are already filled by the PHD students on campus. SO I was would say around 2 or 3 from a class of 200 students.
- It is around 30 - 50 EUR per hour
- Other on campus part time jobs include working as a Waitress in On Campus restaurants. The minimum wage is 13 EUR
- During the semester students are allowed to work 20 hours a week and during the holidays they are allowed to work around 40 hours a week
- I would say if you're living on campus then it is pretty easy
- The basic pay rate that is 13 EUR per hour. It is not that difficult to find a part time job in Dublin. But if you're in smaller towns in Ireland then it can get a little difficult. There are many ways you can look for part time jobs online on job portals like Irish jobs or Indeed. But the best way is to look for job opening by visiting stores. Usually if there is any requirement then it is displayed in front of the store. You also drop resumes or meet the managers and check if there is any availability.
Placement
- Since 2022 the market has been in a slack as IT had hit recession and there have been many layoffs since then. There are many students who had to go back to India due to lack of opportunities. However, the market is getting better now. There are a lot of opportunities for SDE roles as compared to Data Roles in Ireland.
- The average salary range for grads is around 35000 to 50000 EUR and for experienced individuals from 60000 to 120000 EUR
- People can find jobs through individual company websites, LinkedIn or Career Fairs. Also, there are private recruitment agencies here
- Most of my batchmates are placed within local Irish COmpanies or big Techs
- EY, Deloitte, PWC, Stripe, Citi, AIB, BOI, Amazon, Microsoft, Google hire grads
Accommodation
- I opted for off campus accommodation - yes I used online platforms like Facebook groups, Daft, Referrals through friends to look for accommodation
- The monthly rent for a double bed room was 1500 EUR. There was only a parking included. All the utilities like electricity, trash and Wi-Fi were separate.
- The accommodations in Dublin are very expensive. So it is difficult to get a good apartment in and around the city centre. Also, there is a shortage of Apartments so people end up living in the suburbs which makes it difficult to commute
Exams
- Any English Exam - IELTS, Duolingo, PTE. No GRE or GMAT Needed
- Documents Necessary - Statement of Purpose, Academic and Work references, Resume, University Marksheets (Transcripts), Confirmation and Receipt of Fees paid in Full
- No interview was not a part of the application process. The application process was completely online and did not include any interview round
Fees
- I received a scholarship of 2000 EUR and hence my fees after scholarship was 15000 EUR. This included only the tuition fees. I was not living on campus and hence there was an additional expense of 1000 EUR per month (12000 EUR yearly) on rent, utilities and food.
- I paid the fees in full before the start of the curriculum. But you could pay it in two parts. 50% upfront and the remaining after the first semester.
- ALl of monthly expenses including rent, utilities, transportation, stationary amounted to about 1000 EUR a month
Scholarship
- Yes, I received a €2000 Early Applicant Scholarship for my course. It was awarded to students who applied early in the admission cycle. The actual fees for the course was 17000 EUR and I got a scholarship of 2000 EUR.
- Hence my tuition fees was 15000 EUR. Most students that year were eligible, and around 500 people received the scholarship. It was a great opportunity for early applicants.
