Frequently Asked Questions

1. RESEARCH YOUR UNIVERSITY AND DESTINATION THOROUGHLY

before you even apply, via their websites and talking to students who have been there previously, so that you know what to expect before arriving. Ensure that you are aware of their deadlines for application, registration and housing, along with your visa, insurance and vaccination requirements.

2. TAKE A FULL COURSE LOAD

Equivalent to 60 ECTS for Full-Year and 30 ECTS for second semester exchange *

3. TRY TO SATISFY ANY PRE-REQUISITES FOR YOUR INTENDED 5th YEAR MODULES

(It is important to do a general check of module availability in your stream BEFORE choosing your university. For details of MAI modules, please see: www.tcd.ie/engineering/. (Pre-requisites are listed in the module descriptors).

4. PASS YOUR EXAMS!

(Any student who does not pass their exams will be required to sit supplemental exams at the exchange university and if you don’t achieve sufficient credits (at least 45 ECTS), you will have to repeat the year in Trinity).

5. ACHIEVE AN OVERALL GRADE OF AT LEAST A 2.1

(A Mandatory Grade of a 2.1 is required by the Engineering School to progress to your MAI year).

*NOTE: For full-year exchange students, the best appropriate 45 ECTS will count towards your overall results, and 22.5 ECTS for single semester students.

 

1. In what year can I go on exchange?

Engineering and Engineering with Management students can study abroad in the Senior Sophister year 
only (It is only available to those on the full five year programme).

2. Do I have to return to complete the fifth year at Trinity?

Yes, the exchange year for Engineering is only recognised as part of a five year programme. You 
must commit to completing the 5th year at Trinity College Dublin. Failure to complete the final 
year at TCD will mean you are ineligible for a (hons) BAI degree.

3. Are exchanges available to Senior Freshman or Junior Sophister Students?

No. Senior Freshman students are required to attend Trinity College during their second year as 
this is when students foundation engineering skills are consolidated and Junior Sophister year is 
when the core building blocks of your chosen discipline are learnt.

4. Are part year exchanges possible?

Yes. Students may go abroad for the full academic year or for the second semester only. (It is not 
possible to go abroad for the first semester only). If you intend to go abroad for the second 
semester, please check term dates carefully to ensure that term starts after your 4th year Semester 
1 exams finish (mid-January).

5. Will my year abroad count towards my degree?

Yes, the year you spend abroad will count as an integral part of your Trinity degree. For your BAI 
mark, 3rd year counts for 20% and 4th year counts for 80%. Your MAI is a separate stand-alone mark.

6. How do I apply for an exchange?

The Global Officer for Engineering will organise information sessions in Michaelmas Term for all 
interested Junior Sophister students on the relevant exchange options, including guidance on the 
application processes for each. (dates to be confirmed at start of Academic Year). Please see the 
relevant section of our website to get full information. Students should also consult with their 
stream coordinator prior to any application.

• For Non-EU college-wide exchanges - students may apply directly to the non-EU exchange team in Academic Registry (the application form requires approval signature from their stream coordinator).
• For Erasmus and Cluster – students apply to the Engineering School for nomination. Nominated 
  students then apply for the Erasmus office.
• For Unitech applications – students must apply directly to the Unitech International Office 
  (www.unitech-international.org).

7. What are the closing dates for application?

The exact dates vary annually, but the closing date for Non-EU College-wide is usually at the end 
of October. The closing date for all other exchanges will be in late January/early February.

8. How are Applications Evaluated?

Suitability, motivation and academic ability; the minimum requirement for Erasmus exchanges is 
being on track to achieve a 2.1 in Junior Sophister year, although for the more popular exchanges, 
competition may mean that higher grades are needed. Applications will be assessed with reference to 
Junior Freshman and Senior Freshman results at the time of application.

For UNITECH exchanges:

Suitability, motivation and academic ability are also key. If your written application is 
successful, you’ll be nominated to attend an assessment centre. For non-EU exchanges: applications 
are currently assessed solely on the basis of Senior Freshman results (2.1 minimum requirement).

9. Is the Offer Conditional?

Nominations for all exchanges are conditional on maintaining a 2.1 in your Junior Sophister exams.

10. Once offered an exchange space, what happens next?

Decide whether to accept or reject the Offer. If you accept, then there are a number of steps 
required including the signing of the Erasmus Mobility Grant Form. You will then need to apply 
directly to the host university.

11. What do I do once I receive an offer?

A briefing session will be organized to outline the next steps (around the end of Hilary Term). It 
is the students’ responsibility to secure admission to modules at their chosen Exchange University 
and to find accommodation. This process is not organised by Trinity College. Many Exchange 
Universities now have online application processes. If hard copy documentation is required, the 
responsibility is with the student to send it by post within the required deadline. The receiving Exchange University  will typically email students directly with instructions on what to do next.

12. How do I know which exchange programme and university would suit me?

 Attend all relevant information sessions and talk to students who have been abroad previously. Ask 
your stream coordinator to advise you on the most suitable options.

13. Can I go away to a university that is not part of an organised exchange?

No, students may only go away through existing exchange agreements. Between the Engineering School 
Erasmus agreements and the College-Wide Agreements there is plenty of scope for choice. If a 
student wishes to go elsewhere, they would need to apply to take a year off-books to go 
independently, so none of the credit will be counted towards your degree, they would not receive 
any support from college and they would be required to pay any necessary fees at the host 
university.

14. Do I have to pay fees? 

Students partaking in an exchange programme pay their usual fees to Trinity College while the 
tuition fees at the host university are waived.

15. What Funding is Available?

There is an Erasmus Mobility Grant is available for both study and internships in Europe (outside 
of Ireland). The application deadline for the Grant is shortly after the Exchange Offers are made, 
and usually towards the end of February. Funding is in the range of €1,200 – €1,800 per year, 
depending on where students attend.

For UNITECH there is an additional travel grant, to cover costs associated with the international training weeks, which is usually €1000. For non-EU exchanges, there is generally no funding available (although the Provost has previously provided a travel grant for Asian universities, where students can be reimbursed for their travel costs (<€1,000), but this is not reviewed annually and is not guaranteed).

16. How do I organise Accommodation etc.?

The Student is responsible for organising Accommodation, however the Exchange University will 
normally assist. The Student should contact the Exchange University directly if this is not already 
part of the online application process.

17. How do I choose my modules at the host university?

Investigate the options available at your host university, consult your exchange coordinator in 
Trinity for advice and then get approval from both your exchange coordinator and host university. 
If there are any pre-requisites for your preferred 5th year modules, choose equivalent modules to 
those studied at Trinity College, wherever possible. It is also a good opportunity to try modules 
not available in Trinity.

Before you travel, you should meet with your School Exchange Co-ordinator to get formal approval 
for your module choices and get your Learning Agreement signed. You must then submit your Learning 
Agreement to your Exchange Co-ordinator and the Academic Registry.

18. How many Modules should I Choose?

Students must take a full courses load, as taken by local students.

• Full-Year Exchange students should register for 60 ECTS (or equivalent).
• Half -Year Exchange students should register for 30 ECTS (or equivalent).
• Students should also ensure that they meet all pre-requisites for their intended MAI year module 
  choices. For example, if you plan to take 5MEMS2 Advanced Manufacturing, then you should try to take a module equivalent to the 4B5 Manufacturing Technology module while on your Senior Sophister Exchange.

19. As a Half-Year Exchange Student, how do I decide on Module Choices for the Term at Trinity College?

As it only possible to go abroad for the second half of your SS year (Hilary Term) you chose the 
options exactly as though you were not going away. Please note, you must be available to sit your 
exams in Trinity in January.

20. What Universities have Exchange Agreements with Trinity Engineering School?

For a list of Exchange University Partners with Trinity Engineering School, and their websites, 
please see the various boxes in the website. For non-EU exchanges, consult the non-EU exchange 
website.

21. How will my Exam Grades be Converted?

A guide on grade translation is available here. Your top 45 credits for the year will be converted.

22. Who can I contact for more information?

Please see the contact section of the website to find your relevant exchange coordinator.