UCD School of Medicine and Medical Science. Excellence in Education & Research.

UCD School of Medicine and Medical Science. Excellence in Education & Research.

Why Study With Us?

UCD School of Medicine & Medical Science is proud of its reputation; shaped and built over the last 150 years, as an international leader in the provision of excellence in education and research.

Internationally Recognised

The School is an internationally recognised and accredited provider of healthcare education; with long-established partnerships and affiliations with academic and clinical institutions in the United States, Canada, China and Malaysia.

Our graduates, including the President of University College Dublin, a President of Ireland and the current President of the Medical Council, have reached leadership positions in Ireland and overseas.

Diverse Student Population

Our student population comprises more than 50 nationalities, and international students now account for one-third of the total undergraduate student cohort. This diversity is one of the defining features of life at UCD, and one that enriches the student experience at a truly international campus.

Community, Friendship and Support

Our courses are delivered by national and international experts to more than 1,600 undergraduate and 450 graduate students, but despite the scale of our operations, we place community, friendship and student support at the centre of our educational philosophy.

We are driven not just by the desire to provide our students with the best possible education but also by a belief that the health professionals of tomorrow benefit from a supportive, collegial environment, in which extra-curricular talents and interests can thrive alongside academic excellence.

Educational Quality

Our educational programmes are innovative, student centred and subject to continual best practice review. They are accredited by regulatory bodies such as the Irish Medical Council, Irish Institute of Radiography & Radiation Therapists (IIRRT), Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA), Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG), and Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB).

Modern, Integrated Curricula

Students at UCD experience an integrated curriculum that introduces patient contact and clinical skills at an early stage. Our programmes combine lectures, seminars, case studies, patient education sessions, simulations and clinical-based ‘real-world' learning. Our innovative UCD Horizons programme allows students to tailor their own degree and choose electives from any part of the university.

Nationwide Clinical Campus

Our students train at one or both of Ireland’s largest and busiest acute hospitals: St Vincent’s University Hospital and Mater Misericordiae University Hospital. Similarly, students rotate through Ireland’s leading paediatric, maternity and specialist hospitals. The School also has a primary network of more than 140 GP practices and a nationwide diagnostic imaging clinical training network.

Superb Student Experience

University life is a healthy balance between work and play. Your academic workload will be demanding, but we also want you to experience the full spectrum of life at Ireland’s most diverse, student-friendly university. When you choose UCD, you choose an unrivalled network of more than 100 student societies, 60 sports clubs, and a suite of excellent student facilities that includes a new €50 million sports and fitness complex.

International Study Options

Our students benefit from a range of highly-prized international research and clinical elective opportunities. Our well-developed series of global partnerships and affiliations take students all over the world; including University of Queensland Australia, Penang College Malaysia, Harvard Medical School and the University of California. This experience exposes students to other models of healthcare, develops professional competencies and builds contacts and networks.

Student Research Opportunities

Scientific enquiry is at the core of all of our programmes. We encourage undergraduate students to participate in the annual undergraduate student research programme, an eight-week module that develops, supports and rewards excellence in student research. Participation provides students with invaluable experience in the area of investigative medical science, and is consistent with the School’s ambition to produce not just exceptional healthcare practitioners, but also life-long learners and world-class medical researchers.

International Diversity

Our diverse student body comprises more than 50 nationalities, with international students accounting for one third of our total student cohort. That diversity is one of the defining features of student life at UCD. Our students work, train and socialise in a genuinely multicultural environment; an experience that we believe to be critical in the development of truly world-class doctors and healthcare practitioners.