Academic Overview

There are a wide variety of courses from which to choose, and you can take courses for credit in your major, providing your department chair approves. There are offerings in Liberal Arts and Sciences, Business, Nursing, and Engineering. You can read more about courses and descriptions online. Courses carry varying amount of credits, and six 5-credit (ECTS) courses are considered a full load. The workload at NUIG is very similar to Fairfield's. Students should take a minimum of 30 credits at NUIG per semester, which equals 15 credits at Fairfield. You will receive Fairfield credit and grades for all coursework.

You will find some differences at NUIG. Classes tend to be larger, and very large lectures of 200 students are not uncommon, particularly in lower-division courses. With so many students, class participation may be less feasible. However, faculty members are pleased to talk with students outside of class. So if you have a question or wish to discuss a point, you should make an effort to get to know your professors. Further, you will find that there may be fewer assignments and quizzes, and that more weight will be placed on fewer exams. This is traditional in European schools, so you will need to plan carefully to stay abreast of reading and studying. To apply to the NUIG program, you must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 (cumulative) and at least junior standing.

The Handbook for North American Students contains complete information on NUIG.

Aerial view, National University of Ireland, Galway