The Dublin Internship Program is offered fall and spring semesters. It offers students the opportunity to study and work in one of Europe’s most vibrant and cosmopolitan cities. Based at Dublin City University (DCU), the program combines a professional internship with core coursework on various aspects of Ireland’s dynamic history and contemporary culture. The elective courses cover a range of perspectives on life in Ireland – art, economy, healthcare, human rights, literature, and media. Courses designed specifically for the program are taught by faculty drawn from Dublin-area universities and professional institutes. Internship placements are contingent upon the student’s past experience, professional interests, and the available opportunities, so flexibility is essential. The fall semester also offers a track specifically designed for those students interested in the health sciences. Students are housed on the campus of DCU and have full access to its facilities, services, and student activities. Excursions, fieldtrips, and guest lecturers are included in the program.
BU Abroad: Hands-on in Dublin
BU Abroad: Hands-on in Dublin
Requirements & Considerations
- All students must enroll according to, and remain in compliance with, the Boston University Study Abroad Course Load Policy.
- All students must complete the full 16-credit program, enrolling in three lecture courses and one internship course
- Admissions requirements for all programs
- Non-US citizens are strongly encouraged to apply early in order to allow sufficient time to secure a visa. Obtaining visas may not be possible for applications received within 14 weeks of the program start date. Non-US citizens may contact BU Study Abroad prior to submitting an application to determine if they require a visa for Ireland.
Curriculum
Students take the required core course, one 6-week intensive elective A course and one 13-week elective B course. As part of the program students will also complete the Internship Course from weeks 9-15.
Note: Syllabi are for course approval and reference only. Students will receive up-to-date syllabi when their courses begin.
Required Course
- CAS SO 341 Contemporary Irish Society (4)
- This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas:
- Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
- Individual in Community
- This course aims to introduce students to the salient cultural, political and economic narrative threads that underpin contemporary Irish Society. Within those threads, it will be suggested that there are tensions between contesting modernist and conservative strands. During this course, students will be provided with an introduction to foundational evidence and also to theoretical sociological structures that have a bearing on the construction of this specific national identity. Further, the aim as a consequence, is for students to reflect on their own national identities.
- Syllabus
- This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas:
Elective A Course
Students enroll in one of the following intensive elective courses that take place during weeks 2-7. Some have a limited enrolment and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
Choose One:
- CAS HI 254/PO 231 The History of Ireland (4 credits)
- This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas:
- Historical Consciousness
- Social Inquiry 1
- This course provides an introduction to the major themes and events that have shaped modern Irish history. Each lecture focuses on a seminal moment in the history of modern Ireland - examining its background, and assessing its impact on the country, its people and the often-troubled relationship with Great Britain. The lectures begin with the impact of French and American revolutions on Ireland in the late eighteenth century, and then focus on the seismic events of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries - from the Great Famine to the War of Independence. The course concludes with an evaluation of the on-going peace process in Northern Ireland.
- Syllabus
- This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas:
- CAS EC 372 The Irish Economy (4)
- This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas:
- Historical Consciousness
- Social Inquiry I
- Research and Information Literacy
- The Irish economic experience has been historically characterised by turbulence, excitement, optimism and despair. While world-leading in some aspects of our economic development, we are also severely lacking in other vital areas. We examine the history of Irish economic development from a rural farming-based economy to a leading export-led services economy. We analyse the key drivers of economic success, while critically evaluating the role of government policy and regulation, taxation, spending, and welfare. We also focus on social justice in Ireland from an economic perspective.
- Syllabus
- This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas:
- SAR HS 422 Ethics in Health Care (4)
- This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas:
- Ethical Reasoning
- Critical Thinking
- Offered in the fall only.
- Introductory course developing a critical awareness of issues arising in biomedical ethics. Contemporary issues will be used to examine ethical reasoning, ethical theories, ethical principles, and cases and narratives in ethics. Special attention will be paid to developing skills of critical thinking through an examination of philosophical arguments and practical exercises. Learners are also provided with a theoretical grounding in classical and contemporary schools of ethical reasoning.
- Syllabus
- This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas:
Elective B Course
Students enroll in one of the following elective B courses, that are taught over 13 weeks of the program (weeks 2-15). Some have a limited enrolment and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
Choose One:
- CFA AR 340 The Arts in Ireland (4)
- This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas:
- Aesthetic Exploration
- Historical Consciousness
- Offers students the opportunity to study and experience the most vibrant aspects of visual art and music in Ireland. The music strand provides an introduction to the structure, characteristics, scope, and history of Irish traditional music. The areas of rhythm and melody and the methods by which Irish music is taught will be covered in the practical workshop section of each class. For part two of the course, students study visual arts, which affords students an opportunity to study and experience the most vibrant aspects of the visual arts in Ireland. Padhraic Egan (Music), Caoimhghin O Croidheain (Visual Arts).
- Syllabus
- This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas:
- CAS EN 392 Modern Irish Literature (4)
- This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas:
- Aesthetic Exploration
- Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
- This course will introduce students to key writers in modern Irish Literature concentrating on the cultural, political and historical contexts of each of the works we examine. We will explore prose, poetry, drama and the short story. Students will be introduced to the discipline-specific terms of Literary Studies and will employ analytical and interpretive skills in evaluating the literary and the socio/historical significance of these works.
- Syllabus
- This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas:
- CAS IR 306 International Human Rights Law (4)
- This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas:
- Ethical Reasoning
- Writing-Intensive Course
- Critical Thinking
- An introductory course detailing global, regional, and domestic legal frameworks for the protection of human rights. Learners marshal knowledge and perspectives gleaned from source materials to gain ethical reasoning, discernment, and advocacy skills with reference to contemporary issues.
- Syllabus
- This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas:
- COM FT 415Screening Ireland (4)
- This course provides a developmental and thematic overview of media in Ireland, we will discuss film, television, animation, digital games and Web 2.0. Different theoretical approaches are incorporated, including socio-historical perspectives, industrial contexts, globalization and cultural studies. Students will be actively encouraged to research and develop critical perspectives on areas of particular interest to them, while developing their own media praxis. Whether these perspectives are informed by theories of colonialism, race or gender, students will learn how to utilise these critical models in the creation of media texts that both educate and innovate. The combination of critical theory and media practice will provide not only an introduction to screen media in Ireland but to prepare students to be the next generation of influential media producers that shape public discourse.
- SAR HS 425 Health Care Policy and Practice in Ireland (4)
- This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas:
- Social Inquiry I
- Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
- Offered in the fall only.
- How can healthcare policy and practice in Ireland be described? What are its origins and how has it evolved, specifically related to cultural, political, social and economic developments? How can the current fragmented and two-tiered system be improved? These are key questions, especially following the launch in 2017 of the ten-year Sláintecare healthcare programme. During this course students will discuss these questions, using the six building blocks of the World Health Organisation (WHO) health system framework, comparing the Irish health systems with other health systems.
- Syllabus
- This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas:
- QST FE 445 Investment Analysis and Portfolio Management (4)
- This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas:
- Creativity/Innovation
- Research and Information Literacy
- Teamwork/Collaboration
- Prerequisite: QST FE 323
- This course is designed to provide an introduction to the investment environment - the science and art of combining assets into portfolios with desired risk/return characteristics. The overall objective is to provide an introduction to the framework of modern portfolio theory and investment analysis with which one can critically evaluate alternatives relating to investments in financial securities and to the construction of portfolios with desired risk/return characteristics.
- This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas:
Internship Course
During the final seven weeks, students participate in internships with organizations in the greater Dublin area, and enroll in a four-credit internship seminar. Students work full time, four days per week, while also continuing the Elective B course. Placements are contingent upon the student’s past experiences, professional interest, and available opportunities in any given semester; flexibility is essential.
Health Science Track (Offered Each Fall)
Students in all the health sciences, from pre-med to public health, to PT/OT to nursing, are especially welcome in Dublin each fall. During the core phase, students in this track will take Ethics in Health Care and Contemporary Irish Society, while also starting Health Care Policy and Practice in Ireland, which runs the length of the 15-week program. During the internship phase, students will participate in an internship in the field of health sciences, while also completing the Health Care Policy and Practice in Ireland course.
Required Courses: Health Science Track
Students enroll in the following three courses.
- CAS SO 341 Contemporary Irish Society (4 credits)
- This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas:
- Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
- Individual in Community
- This course aims to introduce students to the salient cultural, political and economic narrative threads that underpin contemporary Irish Society. Within those threads, it will be suggested that there are tensions between contesting modernist and conservative strands. During this course, students will be provided with an introduction to foundational evidence and also to theoretical sociological structures that have a bearing on the construction of this specific national identity. Further, the aim as a consequence, is for students to reflect on their own national identities.
- Syllabus
- This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas:
- SAR HS 422 Ethics in Health Care (4)
- This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas:
- Ethical Reasoning
- Critical Thinking
- Offered in the fall only.
- Introductory course developing a critical awareness of issues arising in biomedical ethics. Contemporary issues will be used to examine ethical reasoning, ethical theories, ethical principles, and cases and narratives in ethics. Special attention will be paid to developing skills of critical thinking through an examination of philosophical arguments and practical exercises. Learners are also provided with a theoretical grounding in classical and contemporary schools of ethical reasoning.
- Syllabus
- This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas:
- SAR HS 425 Health Care Policy and Practice in Ireland (4)
- This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas:
- Social Inquiry I
- Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
- Offered in the fall only.
- How can healthcare policy and practice in Ireland be described? What are its origins and how has it evolved, specifically related to cultural, political, social and economic developments? How can the current fragmented and two-tiered system be improved? These are key questions, especially following the launch in 2017 of the ten-year Sláintecare healthcare programme. During this course students will discuss these questions, using the six building blocks of the World Health Organisation (WHO) health system framework, comparing the Irish health systems with other health systems.
- Syllabus
- This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas:
Internship Course: Health Science Track
Students enroll in a four-credit internship placement. Placements are contingent upon the student’s past experiences, professional interests, and available opportunities in any given semester; flexibility is essential.
- SAR HS 405 Practicum in Health Sciences (4 credits)
- Practical experience in health care setting (health policy, administrative, constituent advocacy) in hospital, clinic, public health setting, government or non-governmental health agency setting. Direct care and contact with patients should not be expected; flexibility is essential.
- Syllabus
Housing & Student Services
University Dormitory
- Students live in student dorms close to the classroom location.
- Board is not included in this program. Students are responsible for budgeting their own cost of meals. There are grocery stores close to student housing.
- Coin- and/or card-operated laundry facilities are available. Cost of laundry is not included in the program fee.
Program Dates
- Fall Semester: early September to mid December
- Spring Semester: mid January to late April
Application Deadlines
- Fall Semester: March 15
- Spring Semester: October 1
This program is rolling admissions; applications are reviewed once all application materials are received, prior to all deadlines. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that all required materials are received by the BU Study Abroad office. Students are encouraged to apply as early as possible as some programs and internship tracks have limited space and may fill up before the deadline. Submitting a complete application prior to the application deadline, does not guarantee acceptance. Students will be emailed an admissions decision within three weeks of a completed application.
Information for BU Students Awaiting an Admissions Decision and exceptions to the standard admission calendar for all students can be found here.
Cost & Financial Considerations
- 2022/2023 Tuition and Fees: $24,838
Cost includes tuition, housing, program related activities, administrative fee, overseas medical insurance, and emergency evacuation coverage. - Estimated program budget, including cost of living expenses.
- Grants and Scholarships available
