Dublin City University

HISTORY

Dublin City University (abbreviated as DCU) (Irish: Ollscoil Chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath) is a university situated on the Northside of Dublin in Ireland. Created as the National Institute for Higher Education, Dublin, it enrolled its first students in 1980 and was elevated to university status in 1989 by statute. In September 2016, DCU completed the process resulting in the incorporation of three Dublin institutions: Church of Ireland College of Education; Mater Dei Institute of Education and St Patrick’s College.

The university currently has around 6,000 undergraduate students, over 600 research postgraduates, 1,800 taught postgraduate students and over 50,000 alumni. In addition the university has around 1,200 online distance education students studying through DCU Connected.

The University has been designated as a Changemaker Campus by Ashoka for its work in social innovation in higher education.

COURSES

Faculties and Schools:

DCU Business School

Faculty of Engineering & Computing

• School of Computing
• School of Electronic Engineering
• School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering

Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences

• School of Applied Language & Intercultural Studies
• School of Communications
• School of Law & Government
• School of English
• School of History and Geography
• School of Theology, Philosophy, and Music

DCU Connected – Online Education

DCU Institute of Education

• School of Arts Education & Movement
• School of Human Development
• School of Inclusive & Special Education
• School of Language, Literacy & Early Childhood Education
• School of Policy & Practice
• School of STEM Education, Innovation & Global Studies

Faculty of Science & Health

• School of Biotechnology
• School of Chemical Sciences
• School of Health & Human Performance
• School of Mathematical Sciences
• School of Nursing & Human Sciences
• School of Physical Sciences

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Applicants must meet the university’s ‘General Entry Requirements’ as well as the more specific ‘Course Entry Requirements’.

The ‘General Entry Requirements’ stipulate that applicants must have a high school qualification equivalent to the Irish Leaving Certificate. UK applicants must have at least 2 A Levels at Grade C and 4 GCSEs at grade C which must include Mathematics and English. This is the bare minimum for entry to Dublin City University; please consult course pages on the DCU website for more specific entry requirements.

All courses are taught in English, non-native English speakers must provide evidence of English Language ability in order to be admitted to DCU. DCU accepts a number of qualifications as evidence of English Language ability for non-native speakers including: Irish Leaving Certificate English – Ordinary Level Grade D3 or above; A Level English – Grade D or above; IELTS score of 6.5 or above; minimum TOEFL score of 287 (computer based test) or 580 (paper based test); and more.

ACADEMIC STRENGTHS

The university is ranked 353rd in the world according to the QS World University Rankings 2015-16. It is ranked 46th in the QS Top 50 universities under 50 years old rankings 2015.

DCU started life as a technical institute but now offers over 80 undergraduate courses across the following 7 departments: DCU Business School; Faculty of Engineering and Computing; Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; Faculty of Science and Health; Institute of Education; Royal Irish Academy of Music; Open Education.

Publishing new ideas and findings in top tier international journals.  Leading the development of collaborative and interdisciplinary research within the School and wider university.  Providing research mentorship to early career academics.  Leading the dissemination of research via the hosting of research conferences, seminars etc.  Enhancing the reputation of the School in the international research community via conference presentations, journal editorships, external examining, etc.  Developing and leveraging international research networks to enrich the research activity of the School.  Enriching the research culture and environment in the School.

TEACHING STANDARDS

To lead teaching and learning activity in DCU Business School by delivering teaching in a manner consistent with the highest academic standards.  Using a wide range of teaching and assessment methodologies which foster a deep approach to learning and which equip students with the skills and attributes needed to be lifelong learners.  Leading the design and development of new programmes and modules that align with the School’s strategy.  Enriching the scholarship of teaching within the School.  Fostering a culture of teaching innovation within the School.  Contributing to the activities of the School’s Centre for Executive and International Education.  Supervising PhD students and contributing to the School’s PhD supervisory process

CAREERS GUIDANCE

The Careers Service is available to all undergraduate and postgraduate DCU students. The team is committed in providing a wide variety of professional services to support the students in making career decisions that is best suited to their qualifications, interests, abilities and aspirations.   The Careers Advisors work with students who have specific career goals and also with those who don’t.  The ultimate aim is to increase their competiveness in the job market. They do so by offering the following initiatives:

• Presentations on how to write a great CV
• CV Clinics
• Training on Interview Skills, Assessment Centres and Mock Interviews
• Workshops on SMART job search strategies and Branding
• Integrated classroom work on such topics as Career Planning and Decision Making
• A live vacancy system
• One-to-one career guidance, career planning and psychometric assessments
• Online Careers Supports
• Mentoring for second year students
• Careers Fairs (including Accountancy, Finance & Law; Teaching Fair and Nursing Fair)
• Employer Networking Events
• Frequent career feeds on Facebook and Twitter