School of Education

Contact Us Room 3087
Arts Building
Trinity College Dublin
Dublin 2
Ireland

View the contact page for more contact and location information

adminedu@tcd.ie Gaeilge

Welcome to International Students

The School of Education is very keen to welcome applications from international postgraduate researchers, and following advice from many of our existing postgraduate research students, we have gathered together the information that we think will be most helpful to applicants.

In the School of Education, our continually developing research is of first rate importance to us. The School has many members of its staff engaged in research and four designated research groups – Arts Education Research Group (AERG), Centre for Academic Values and Education (CAVE), Inclusion in Education and Society (IES) (which incorporates the Psychology of Education Research Grouping) and Research in School Education (RISE). You can read about the Research Degrees (M.Litt., Ph.D.) that we offer here, along with details of the work we currently supervise. Our international postgraduate researchers have made considerable contributions to our research, and you can read what some of them have had to say about their experiences with us under the heading Testimonials on this page.

In considering applying to be a postgraduate student, many things are important. The first thing of all is to begin working towards the development of a written research proposal, and the first stage within this is to find a potential research supervisor. This you can do by checking our academic staff members' individual staff pages – the staff index may be found on the People's web page - in which academic members list their research interests, past and present research projects, and past publications, or by referring to our designated research staff. We have also provided guidelines for writing a Research Proposal. We acknowledge that finance is a very important consideration, information on fees can be found on the Trinity EU and non-EU fees webpage. There is also helpful information on the Research Awards and Scholarships webpages including information on entry requirements, English language requirements, application forms, closing dates and registration. The International Admissions & Study Abroad office, amongst much else, provides information about travel and visa requirements for living and studying in Ireland.

See more details for prospective students

 

Testimonials

I've really valued my year abroad studying at Trinity College Dublin. Since arriving here I've gained many new experiences, made new friends and have learnt skills that I wouldn't have been able to gain anywhere else. Trinity College is a beautiful campus with welcoming people and numerous opportunities and activities. There is always something going on - I've been particularly inspired by the Trinity Arts Group who have arranged a number of events that have promoted the value of arts education.

The city of Dublin is full of life with a vibrant music scene and I've really enjoyed experiencing the county's strong cultural values. Choosing to do my Erasmus year here has definitely helped me to develop my artistic abilities and has influenced my future studies.

Christine Edwards

Scotland

My experience in Trinity has overall been very positive: I wanted to be taught by professors knowledgeable and enthusiastic about their subject, as well as accessible to students. I was delighted to find such professors in Trinity's School of Education Masters programme, and especially in the Cooperative Learning Strand!

A pleasant surprise was that, despite this being a Masters programme, its content and teaching methods were very practical and relevant to classroom practice, while still being scientific and academic.

Maria Effrosyni

Greece

After completing my undergraduate degree in France and my M.Phil. in England, choosing Trinity and Ireland could seem like a big change. However, the School of Education provides a collegial environment unique in Ireland with accessible and leading academics in their respective fields. Studying at Ireland's first university is an unparalleled experience you won't forget. Both its location at the heart of a city that is ranked one of the top ten student cities in the world to study in and the school's high position in international university rankings make it a destination of choice for high calibre students (QS, 2012).

The School has an inclusive and supportive policy for its postgraduate research students, including office space, prestigious studentships, structured research methods sessions in first year, as well as monthly coffee mornings and seminars which Ph.D. students are strongly encouraged to attend. There is also a profusion of student development courses offered at College level to support you in your research. While pursuing a Ph.D. is sometimes described as a lonely experience, you can be sure of one thing here, you are not alone, in fact you are very much part of a community of scholars.

Ludovic Highman

France

Why Trinity College Dublin?

My connection with TCD dates back to 2007 when I was accepted to do my M. Ed. course in Leadership and Management. The specification of courses offered in TCD appeal to a large spectrum of interests. I recall searching Maynooth, UCD and Mater Dei Institute of Education websites but in TCD's course lists that I finally got what I wanted. Other reasons which make TCD preferable for me are:

Location: It is one of the greatest English speaking universities in Europe, particularly situated in Ireland, and not UK was appealing. Coming from a country, Uganda that has adopted English as its official language, it is easier to connect and there is hope of even improving on the language in an environment of English speakers as their mother tongue. The same could apply to universities in the UK, however, its colonial legacy in Africa and elsewhere in the world tends to undermine my confidence [this is personal].

History: Because of its long establishment, since 1592, TCD's programmes seem to have evolved and polished over time. For instance, the models within a particular course are well taught and assessed, which gives students a tight focus for concentration and subsequent performance.

Good Reputation and Influence: TCD has good reputation outside for excellence among the world's Universities, especially in the School of Education. Hence, in 2008, the Minister of Education and Sports from Uganda together with the Education Permanent Secretary, then, Mr Francis Nsubuga (my country) visited TCD in connection to information about teacher training. I personally attended part of the presentations delivered in her presence. This shows TCD's international influence in the field of academics and training.

Internationality: TCD has good international presence; as an international student, you don't feel alone even if you are not particularly connected with anyone from outside of Ireland.

Sr. Alice Drajea Jurugo SHS

Uganda

My experience as a postgraduate student in Trinity College Dublin - This year I made the big decision to move into another country and live without my parents for the first time, in order to have the opportunity to study in Trinity College Dublin. It has been the most exciting year of my life.

My studies in Trinity and my life in Ireland have made me communicant of an international environment and have fulfilled me with strength and confidence. As a university, Trinity College exceeded my expectations, since its facilities and the organisation of student life cannot be compared to my undergraduate experience in the Greek university, where my opportunities were limited.

My course has satisfied my needs and desires, although it has been extremely challenging for me. The way of independent and creative research was completely new for me and it took me some time to grasp the essence of this mode of study.

Angeliki Maria Malandrenia

Greece