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Colleges & Schools

Six Colleges and their constituent Schools make up the academic structure of UCD. Through this structure, the University delivers excellence in teaching, scholarship and research.

Welcome to the UCD College of Arts and Humanities, a distinguished centre of excellence for Arts and Humanities graduate education in Ireland. We are ranked #41 for English Literature & Language and in the top 100 for History and Performing Arts and #92 for Arts and Humanities (QS World Rankings 2025).

We invite you to discover our portfolio of graduate courses across our seven academic Schools and the Clinton Institute for American Studies. We are home to 2500 students and more than 200 world-class teachers and scholars and an extensive range of unique archival resources and research centres and the UCD Humanities Institute, a hub for graduate engagement with the wider academic community.

We are part of the Creative Futures Academy (CFA), a Higher Education Authority academic collaboration with NCAD and IADT. The CFA offers students the chance to work with and learn from a broad range of leading academics, practising artists, and creative industry professionals. In addition to traditional classroom teaching, students collaborate and produce work in Trapdoor, our new state-of-the- art blackbox theatre and dedicated media lab.

We are number #1 for Employability. Our students develop in-depth subject knowledge and a wide range transferable skills. They become experts in research, critical thinking, analysis and problem solving. Our alumni enjoy successful careers and make their mark on a national and global scale in a wide variety of sectors, including: the media, the arts, culture and business.

We work closely with the UCD Careers Network, our alumni and industry partners to help our students realise their career ambitions. In addition, our students can access the UCD Alumni Career Mentoring Programmes and our globally connected network of alumni in more than 184 countries.

The College of Business has provided business education for over a century, first introducing the Bachelor of Commerce degree in 1908. In 1964, UCD became one of the first universities in Europe to offer the degree of Master of Business Administration (MBA). 

UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School is Ireland's premier business school with an outstanding international reputation, deep corporate connections and an extensive alumni network that spans the globe. 

Endorsed with triple accreditation from AACSB (US), EQUIS (Europe) and AMBA (UK) for more than 20 years, we are the only Irish member of the influential business school alliances CEMS, GNAM and UNICON. With a mission centred around creating transformational change for a better future, ours is the only Irish business school consistently ranked globally over the last ten years. 

The UCD College of Engineering and Architecture, with over 320 staff and 3,000+ students, is the largest and most comprehensive college of its kind in Ireland.

Many of our programmes are recognised and accredited internationally and our graduates are held in high esteem around the world. Students of the College of Engineering and Architecture will be taught by a faculty that is highly research active, responsible for cutting edge research, resulting in publications in leading academic journals, the creation of on campus companies and the commercialisation of research

ENGINEERING
Whether you are continuing your engineering and technical education following a bachelor’s degree or have developed your experience as a professional engineer and now wish to complement that with additional qualifications, you will find a relevant graduate degree programme within UCD Engineering.

Offering you opportunities to follow your interests across the agri-food, business, communications, energy, healthcare, materials, pharmaceuticals, physical infrastructure, sustainability, transport or water sectors, there are options within UCD Engineering that will advance your knowledge, career prospects and stimulate your passion for your chosen field.

ARCHITECTURE, PLANNING & ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
The college’s graduate programmes in this area offer a uniquely rich and varied range of approaches to the design and development of our built and natural environmental, from policy formulation to the detailed design. Our programmes will prepare you for professional careers, will help you build specialised knowledge and skills, and will equip you to deal with the complex challenges in a changing, globalised world.

The UCD College of Health and Agricultural Sciences values the impact of powerful and innovative teaching and guidance structures and offers graduate students the opportunity to exercise their enterprising instincts.

Within the College, a wide range of taught and research programmes are offered in the areas of; Agriculture and Food Science; Medicine; Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems; Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science; Radiography and Diagnostic Imaging: Psychotherapy; and Veterinary Medicine.

Across each of these areas, students at UCD can expect an unparalleled level of expertise, supervision and support from their world- class lecturers. The College of Health and Agricultural Sciences is world-renowned for its hands-on approach to graduate education and for the internationally recognised quality of its postgraduate qualifications.

All students considering accessing the broad range of graduate programmes offered by this College can look forward to a world-class level of teaching and an exciting range of career prospects following graduation.

"UCD fostered a supportive learning environment and encourages critical thinking and collaboration among students", Caroline Dardis, MSc Sustainable Agriculture & Rural Development

The UCD O'Brien Centre for Science provides a vibrant and state-of-the-art centre of learning, welcoming students and staff from all corners of the world. 

Our academic staff are expert teachers and are highly reputed world-class researchers, and our research interests are strengths inform our postgraduate degree courses. 

UCD Science graduates are in great demand in Science and Science-related jobs both in Ireland and overseas, and a postgraduate degree in science lays strong foundations for a wide variety of careers. 

"My journey at UCD has been defined by growth, discovery, and a deepened passion for scientific research. Working on a research project at the Conway Institute has provided me with hands-on- experience and honed my skills in molecular biology and data analysis. Post- graduation, I aim to pursue a PhD in Biomedical Sciences, focusing on cancer biology. My long-term career goals include working as an academic researcher and mentoring future scientists."
Khushboo-Aggarwal Student MSc Biological & Biomolecular Science

UCD College of Social Sciences and Law delivers a comprehensive range of internationally recognised, academically rigorous postgraduate degrees in Law and key Social Science disciplines.

As a leading centre for education and research in the Social Sciences and Law in Ireland, the College is ranked highly in these disciplines globally. Subjects ranked in the top 100 QS World rankings (2025) include Library and Information Management, Social Policy & Administration, Archaeology and Philosophy.

Graduate degrees including taught master’s, research master’s and doctorate degrees are offered in Archaeology, Economics, Education, Geography, Information & Communication Studies, Law, Philosophy, Politics & International Relations, Psychology, Social Justice, Social Policy, Social Work and Sociology. Numerous interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary degrees are available on topics such as Behavioural Economics, European Affairs, Public Policy, Criminology & Criminal Justice, Geopolitics and Human Rights. Additionally, the College offers a range of professional diplomas and certificate programmes.

"On this course there is a good blend of theoretical knowledge with practical application. Modules like informatics, quantitative data analysis and project management were particularly engaging because they allowed me to do research while doing assignments and also involved working collaboratively with other students."
Anuja Mestry, Graduate MSc Information Systems

UCD Graduate Admissions

University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
(If you are an international student please visit UCD Global)
T: +353 1 716 7777