Chapter 4: Other Academic Matters

Course Selection and Approval

Follow the directions for course selection and pre-approval. In addition to the Fairfield University application form, there is a special NUIG application form (both available online). On this form, you should list the courses you wish to take dudring your stay in Galway. If you have not decided on specific courses, it is fine simply to list the departments... e.g., History, English, Philosophy. At NUIG, the admissions people must obtain permission from each department for you to take courses. When you receive your acceptance letter from NUIG, it will list the departments where you have authorization to take courses.

Students from schools other than Fairfield should obtain a signature (required) from the person who is authorized to approve transfer credit at your home institution. Remember that a normal courseload is 30 ECTS (15 U.S. credits). Keep in mind that you must take at least 12 credits while in Galway. If you take fewer than 12 U.S. credits or 24 ECTS, you will lose your full-time status, meaning you will not be eligible for financial aid; you also endanger your status as a continuing student.

The Academic Culture Abroad

You may find that Irish and Europeans in general have a different approach to education. Probably the biggest difference is the expectation the institution will have of you as a student. It will be assumed that you are a serious student and that you take responsibility for your education. Don't expect that faculty members will check to see that you are completing assignments, or remind you of upcoming exams or papers. It will be up to you to ask when and how work should be done. If you have questions, professors are pleased to interact with students who seek them out.

You will be expected to complete assignments on time, and to come to class prepared and on time.

You will probably find there are fewer assignments than you are used to, and more weight will be placed on fewer assignments and/or exams. Often, the full weight of your course grade will rest on just the final exam. So you should direct your energies to keeping pace with the course material and familiarizing yourself with source materials and suggested readings.

While NUIG has its own library, if you need to access other resources, you can use the Fairfield University library. Each student attending the Fairfield program will be given a Stagweb account, which provides access to the Fairfield University library holdings and services. You will find this a tremendous help in research for your courses.

Interruption of Studies

In the case of an emergency, such as illness of a family member, you will work with Ann Monahan to plan your absence (no more than one week) and return to NUIG to complete your studies.

If you withdraw from the program for any reason before completing the semester, you must remember that it is impossible to complete your semester here in the U.S. Before finalizing your decision, you should consider carefully whether you can afford to lose a semester's work.