Programas internacionales para estudiar en Irlanda

The various study abroad programs offered in Ireland provide international students with the unique opportunity to live and study for a time in a country that will not only give them a fresh academic experience but also a deeper perspective of the world around them.  Nicknamed the Emerald Isle, Ireland is home to some of the greenest landscapes and friendliest people in the world—people who are always more than happy to share a bit about their long history and culture with foreign students.

Types of International Study Abroad Programs in Ireland

International study abroad programs give students the opportunity to earn valuable and transferable credits while studying and living in a foreign land.  Programs are taught in the student’s native language by qualified instructors who specialize in working with international students and programs.  In Ireland, there are variety of study abroad programs offered at the high school (usually 11th and 12th graders), undergraduate and graduate level.  These programs can span anywhere from a semester to a full academic year, and there are even summer-session enrichment programs offered in study areas such as language, composition and technology.  Some cities in Ireland, including Dublin, Galway and Limerick, have been known to offer internship programs that combine classroom study with hands-on-training in a number of professional and vocational fields.

There are a vast number of subjects in which students studying in Ireland can pursue credits.  Some of the more popular programs include:

• Environmental Studies.  Originally formed by a volcanic eruption, the country of Ireland is a superb and very interesting locale for pursuing an education in environmental studies.
• Technology.  Nearly a quarter of all the computers and much of the software in Europe are manufactured in Ireland, a major exporter of computers and computer accessories.  The country plays host to the European headquarters of many technology-based companies, including Google, IBM, Motorola and Dell, making it one of the leading centers of technology in Western Europe.  Because of this, the country’s universities have an inordinate number of program offerings in a vast number of technological fields, including computer science, computer programming, and information management.
• History.  Ireland has a long and storied history and is home to many famous and very interesting historical sites to visit.  In Limerick, for example, students can check out a real Viking fortress; and the Dublin National Museum features some of Europe’s best archaeology and history exhibits.  There is also the Neolithic Passage Tomb, a structure in Newgrange that’s even older then the pyramids of Egypt.
• Literature.  The universities in Ireland boast some great literature programs, including programs in which students can study the great works of Irish writers and poets.  What better place in which to study literature than the country that gave us the likes of James Joyce, Yeats, Edmund Burke and Oscar Wilde?

Other popular study abroad programs in Ireland include those offered in communications, Irish studies, Irish and Gaelic languages, English, business and performing arts.

Most developed countries, including the United States, offer study abroad and student exchange programs for those wishing to study in Ireland.  Juniors and seniors in high school can usually find out about these programs by checking with their guidance counselor, while those currently studying in college should check with their specific student services office.  There are also a number of study abroad and student exchange agencies, which in addition to offering various academic programs in countries throughout the world, also provide cultural excursions and often arrange for accommodations with host families.