Scholarships to Study in Ireland

Updated on Aug 31, 2018 - 4:11 p.m. IST by Team Careers360

Scholarships to Study in Ireland – Ireland is the leading nation in education in a number of domains including nursing, English language and literature, natural sciences and engineering. With the immense standard of education and research that Ireland has to offer, along with other reasons why Ireland is a popular country for international students, an increasing number of students have been seeking tertiary education courses in Ireland over the past years.

With the influx of students seeking admission in various top universities for undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Ireland, an increasing number of scholarships options have been introduced by the top universities in Ireland. These scholarships to study in Ireland are available at both the undergraduate and postgraduate level and are of utmost importance to prospective students seeking education in Ireland.

Top Universities in Ireland

Ireland is home to some of the top universites in the world leading in educational programs in architecture, nursing, engineering, veterinary sciences and a number of other domains. Universities like Trinity College Dublin and National University of Ireland, Galway are some of the internationally recognised universities which offer the best programs at the undergraduate and postgraduate level and are leading institutions in global research.

The top universities in Ireland are:

Top Universities in Ireland

Irish University	QS World Ranking
Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin	104
University College Dublin	193
National University of Ireland, Galway	260
University College Cork	338
Dublin City University	422
University of Limerick	511 – 520
Maynooth University	701 – 750
Dublin Institute of Technology	751 – 800

Scholarships in Ireland for International Students

Nearly each one of the top universities in Ireland offers a number of scholarships for all levels of study in Ireland. These include both scholarships which are course-specific as well as course independent scholarships and are generally merit based Irish scholarships. Apart from these, there are some centrally funded Irish scholarships which are applicable to all the top universities in Ireland. Using this basis for segregation, scholarships in Ireland can be classified into two broad categories:

Nation-wide
University specific

Nation-wide Scholarships to Study in Ireland

The nation-wide scholarships in Ireland are offered by centralized organisations of the government of Ireland and are applicable for students seeking admission to any of the top universities in Ireland. Some of the most prominent and popular nation-wide scholarships to study in Ireland are:

1. Government of Ireland Scholarships

The Goverment of Ireland Scholarships are open to international students who want to study in Ireland at the undergraduate and the postgraduate level. These Irish scholarships are awarded to students from the USA, India, Brazil and China. The Government of Ireland scholarship for education in Ireland is awarded to 60 candidates annually and are valid for the duration of year.

Eligibility: These Irish scholarships are awarded to students who are citizens of the mentioned countries and are:

In the final year of an undergraduate program
Enrolled in a taught masters program in Ireland
Enrolled in a research program in Ireland

Duration: 1 year (renewable)

Scholarship Benefits: The Government of Ireland scholarships cover the full tuition fee of the prospective program of study in Ireland. Additionally, students are provided with a yearly stipend of €10,000 to meet living expenses in Ireland.

2. The Walsh Fellowships

The Walsh Fellowships are sponsored by the Agriculture and Food Development Authority or Teagasc and are for prospective postgraduate students seeking education in Ireland. These Irish scholarships are specifically for students who want to study in Ireland in research-oriented programs related to food, agriculture, agri-food economics, horticulture, rural environment and rural development at top universities. Annually, 30 scholarships are awarded to students who want to study in Ireland.

Eligibility: The candidate must be enrolled in a full-time master’s by research program or PhD program in any of the specific areas of interest for Teagasc at a recognised Irish university. The application must be made through collegiate staff members associated with Teagasc and cannot be made by independent candidates.

Duration: 2 years for Masters students and up to 4 years for PhD students.

Scholarship Benefits: €22,000 per annum

3. Irish Research Council Scholarships

The scholarships for international students offered by the Irish Research Council are awarded to students at the postgraduate level of study as well as the postdoctoral level. These Irish scholarships are open to international as well as local students and are spread across a variety of domains for research and study in Ireland. Some of the notable scholarships in Ireland offered by the Irish Research Council are:

Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting Awards
Enterprise Partnership Scheme
Ulysses
European Space Agency Traineeship Scheme
Employment-based Postgraduate Program
New Foundations

University Specific Scholarships to Study in Ireland

University specific scholarships in Ireland are offered by the top universities in Ireland and are specific to the prospective university of study in Ireland. Each university offers a number of different scholarship options for enrolled students depending upon the program of study. Some of the university specific scholarships to study in Ireland are:

1. Trinity College Dublin Scholarships

Trinity College Dublin (TCD) is one of the top universities for education in Ireland and offers a number of scholarships in Ireland for international students. Most of these scholarships are program specific and can be annually renewed dependent upon the student’s academic record.

Some of the top scholarships in Ireland for international students at TCD are:

Top Scholarships in Ireland at Trinity College Dublin

Irish Scholarship	Scholarship Amount	Level of Study	Eligibility Requirements
Global Business Scholarship	€5,000	Undergraduate level	Must be admitted to the Bachelor in Business Studies program at TCD
Global Excellence Scholarships	€5,000	All levels of study	Must be enrolled in a full-time program at TCD
India Undergraduate Scholarship	€5,000	Undergraduate level	Must be an Indian student enrolled in a full time UG program (except medicine, acting and dental science)
School of Business Scholarships	€5,000	Master’s level	Must be accepted to any MSc program at TCD’s School of Business
Scholarship for Irish Studies	€35,000	Master’s level	Must be enrolled in either: MFA Playwriting M. Phil. Literary Translation M. Phil. Irish Writing M. Phil. Creative Writing
The Grattan Scholars	Full tuition + annual stipend	Doctoral level	Must be enrolled in the PhD program in Social Sciences or Philosophy
The Hamilton Scholars	Full tuition + annual stipend	Doctoral level	Must be enrolled in the PhD program in Mathematics
School of Law Scholarships	Varies with the specific program/scholarship	Postgraduate level	Must be enrolled in a postgraduate program at TCD’s School of Law
Ussher Fellowship	Full tuition + annual stipend of €13,000	Doctoral level	Must be enrolled in a PhD program at TCD

2. Maynooth University Scholarships

Maynooth University in Ireland offers a number of scholarships at the undergraduate and postgraduate level of study. These Irish scholarships are open to international students and are awarded annually to students enrolled in educational programs at Maynooth University. There are a number of undergraduate scholarship options specific to the prospective area of study in Ireland.

Some of the top scholarship options for postgraduate scholarships in Ireland at Maynooth University are:

Top Scholarships in Ireland at Maynooth University

Irish Scholarship	Scholarship Amount	Number of Awardees	Eligibility Requirements
Taught Master’s Scholarship	€2,000	60	Must have an undergraduate degree of 2.1 level or higher
Maynooth University Doctoral Scholarship	Full tuition fees + €18,000	30	Must be enrolled in a doctoral program at Maynooth University
	Full tuition fees + €10,000
	Full tuition fees
Maynooth University Teaching Studentships	Full annual tuition support (approx. €6,200 per annum) + Stipend of €9,007 per annum	Not specified	Must be enrolled in a PhD program at Maynooth University

3. University College Dublin Scholarships

University College Dublin (UCD) offers a wide range of Irish scholarships for the undergraduate and postgraduate level of study. The these merit-based scholarships in Ireland are open to students who are enrolled in a full time program of study at UCD and differ with the area of prospective study. Many of the UCD scholarships are annually renewable depending upon the student’s academic record.

Some of the best scholarships in Ireland for international applicants at UCD are:

Top Scholarships in Ireland at University College Dublin

Irish Scholarship	Scholarship Amount	Eligibility Requirements
Global Excellence Scholarship 100%	Full tuition fees	Must be enrolled in a UG program (except medicine)
Global Excellence Scholarship 50%	50% of the published tuition fees	Must be enrolled in a UG program (except medicine)
V.V. Giri Scholarship	Tuition fee remission	Must be an Indian student enrolled at a full-time program at UCD
Smurfit Business School Scholarships	Varies with the specific program/scholarship	Must be enrolled in a full-time program at Smurfit Business School at UCD
Sutherland School of Law Scholarships	Varies with the specific program/scholarship	Must be enrolled in a full-time program at Sutherland School of Law at UCD

4. DIT Centenary Scholarship Programme

The DIT Centenary Scholarhsip Programme offers a number of scholarships for prospective masters students seeking posgraduate education in Ireland at Dublin Institute of Technology. These scholarships are open to international students who want to study in Ireland in any of the four Colleges of DIT namely Business, Engineering and Build Environment, Arts and Tourism and Sciences and Health.

Eligibility: In order to be eligible for the DIT Centenary scholarships, participating candidates must satisfy the following:

The candidate must have accepted his or her DIT offer in a full-time taught master’s program.
The candidate must have a first class honors degree from undergradaute education.
The candidate’s IELTS score must be at least 0.5 band greater than the minimum required score for his or her prospective masters program of study in Ireland.

Duration: 1 year

Scholarship Benefits: The scholarship covers 50% of the published tuition fees for the prospective master’s program of study in Ireland.

5. Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology Scholarship

The Galway Mayo Institute of Technology or GMIT scholarships for international students to study in Ireland are open to both prospective undergraduate and postgraduate students. These Irish scholarships are valued up to 30% of the tuition fees for the program of study in Ireland.

Eligibility: In order to be eligible for the GMIT non-EU scholarships for international students, candidates must be enrolled in a postgraduate or undergraduate program at GMIT.

Duration: 1 year

Scholarship Benefits: The GMIT non-EU scholarship is valued up to 30% of the tuition fees of the candidate’s prospective program of study. The percentage of scholarship available is dependent upon the candidate’s IELTS score as well as the candidate’s country of origin as per the following criteria:

GMIT Scholarships for Study in Ireland

Course of Study in Ireland	IELTS Score of Applicant	Bursary Value of Scholarship
Undergraduate	6.5 or above	15%
Postgraduate	6.5 or above	15%
Country of Origin of Applicant		Bursary Value of Scholarship
Countries with GDP of USD $5,000 or less per year		15%
Countries with GDP in the range of USD $5,000 -- $20,000 per year		10%
Countries with GDP greater than USD $20,000 per year		5%

6. National College of Ireland Scholarships

The Irish scholarships offered by the National College of Ireland (NCI) are primarily in the form of merit-based scholarships and bursaries. These scholarships are dependent upon the course of study in Ireland and are awarded on a first come first serve basis to candidates with exceptional academic records and are valid for one year of education.

Top Scholarships in Ireland at National College of Ireland

Irish Scholarship	Scholarship Amount	Level of Study	Eligibility Requirements
Academic Merit Scholarship	€4,000	Master’s level	At least a higher second class (2.1) honors degree.
Achievement Scholarship	€3,000	Not specified	Exceptional achievements in extra-curricular activities such as sports and charitable work.
MSc in FinTech	€5,000	Master’s level	Must be admitted to the MSc in FinTech program.
MSc in Entrepreneurship	€5,000	Master’s level	Must be admitted to the specified program in any of the topics: Enterprise Management Marketing Management International Business Management of Innovation and Technology Strategy for Decision Making
School of Computing Bursaries, UG	€6,000	Undergraduate level	Must be admitted to any of the 4 year UG programs offered by the School of Computing.
School of Business Bursaries, UG	€4,500	Undergraduate level	Must be admitted to any of the 3 year UG programs offered by the School of Business.
Community and Church Scholarship	€5,000	Master’s level	Must be admitted to the MA in Leadership and Pastoral Care

7. National University Ireland (NUI) Galway International Student Scholarhsips

The wide variety of NUI Galway scholarships available for international students who want to study in Ireland vary with the level of study as well as the country of origin of the candidate. These Irish scholarships are merit-based and applicable for students enrolled in a full time program at NUI Galway.

Some of the NUI Galway scholarships for study in Ireland are:

Top Scholarships in Ireland at NUI Galway

Irish Scholarship	Scholarship Amount	Number of Awardees	Eligibility Requirements
UG Merit Scholarships	€2,000	10	Must be enrolled in a full time UG program at NUI Galway (except for medicine)
PG Merit Scholarship	€2,000	20	Must be enrolled in a taught Master’s program at NUI Galway
Max Arthur Macauliffe Special Merit Scholarship	Full tuition fees	2	Must be an Indian national enrolled in a Master’s program at NUI Galway
Sir Peter Freyer Special Merit Scholarship	Full tuition fees	2	Must be an Indian national enrolled in a Master’s program at NUI Galway
NUI Galway Hardiman Scholarships (PhD)	Full tuition fees + Annual stipend of €16,000	Not specified	Must be a prospective research student at NUI Galway