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BSc Social Sciences Exchange and Erasmus

Find out more about Erasmus and Exchange Programmes for BSc Social Sciences Students - please select your relevant subject combination at the bottom.

Why Study Abroad?

Deciding to study abroad during your time at UCD provides a fantastic opportunity to build on your own life experience to date, giving you fresh perspectives and new directions at leading universities in Europe and beyond. It is not just about seeing and visiting new places, it is about living in that place, forming friendships, experiencing a different university system, learning the local language, and discovering the culture, history and politics of the country. The experience of studying abroad will enhance your understanding of our common differences and similarities. Studying abroad can present challenges, testing your resourcefulness and resilience but in a way that further supports your development and preparation for the next stage of life after your degree. The Erasmus programme has been running successfully for many years across Europe providing a reliable structure for your study abroad. It allows you to experience what 'Europe' really means, and to understand European issues better. UCD also has exchange agreements outside Europe: with North and South America, East Asia, and with Oceania.

The information below is designed to guide you through the important information you need to decide whether and where to apply to study abroad in Stage 3 of your degree.  We encourage you to look through your degree specific information, the FAQs, handbook etc.  The Social Sciences team and your Programme Director are here to discuss any questions you may have.

Who is eligible to apply?

To be eligible for a conditional offer, you will need to have completed 60 credits at Stage 1, including all cores/options, and you must achieve an average of 3.00 GPA in Stage 1 and Stage 2 of your degree by the time of application review. For students going on exchange in stage 3 in 2026/27, the average GPA is calculated as follows: (Stage 1 + Stage 1 + Stage 2 trimester 1) divided by 3.  Students will also need to earn at least 50 credits in Stage 2, to be eligible to take up your exchange or Erasmus place, by the end of the academic year.

N.B Please note, that your progression to stage 4 might be affected if you don’t achieve 60 credits in stage 2.

Note: It is strongly advised that any student who does not pass all stage 2 modules does not take up an opportunity to study abroad for the full year, as it will be very difficult to remediate your outstanding modules and successfully complete stage 4 on your return. If you wish to discuss this further, please contact the Erasmus Exchange Programme Manager ((opens in a new window)outgoing.socialsciences@ucd.ie) to explore this further.

Key Application Information

Students must have either attended the information sessions that were hosted by UCD Global (September-November) or watched the recorded information sessions and completed  Steps 1 and 2 of the DigiPass module on Brightspace before they submit their Exchange Application. For more information, refer to the UCD Global website.

It is important that you research the language requirements for any institution that you wish to apply to. As the exchange program is very competitive and you may not be offered your top preference, you are encouraged to check at least a few options -  which you can then include in your application.

It will be your responsibility to ensure that you check in advance the course catalogue on a host university website to see if there are sufficient subjects/modules offered in English.

Students  on exchange for one trimester that are on a single major or two-subject combination are only expected to focus on one of their subjects while away, while students doing a thematic (PPE, CSS, EMS) are expected to study at least two of their subjects. Students on a two-subject combination (Joint Major, Major with minor) on a year-long exchange are expected to study both their subjects.

You don't have to select modules before you apply, but you must check their suitability in advance, so you are fully aware of subject choices, should you be nominated to that institution. The relevant academic/Erasmus exchange Coordinator  will be able to advise you if you have a specific question on particular subjects offered at the host university.

For general and programme-specific information about exchanges, students can contact (opens in a new window)outgoing.socialsciences@ucd.ie.

Any queries regarding module choices or academic guidance for the exchange should be sent to the relevant academic exchange coordinators:

BSc Social Sciences Thematics:

Science Majors:

For a full list of academic exchange coordinators (if you are studying a humanities/language minor), please see here.

UCD College of Social Sciences and Law

UCD College of Social Sciences and Law University College Dublin Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
T: +353 1 716 7777