On the Road Again! University of Galway
You know that the university tour will be a fun one when you are greeted with Irish coffee made just for you by a student from Galway’s Shannon College of Hotel Management. The university is home to 20,000 students. Its tenets are openness, respect, collaboration, and sustainability. The university definitely “walks the walk” when it comes to sustainability. For example, rainwater is collected to flush the toilets. One can study just about anything here ranging from arts to business, law, science and engineering, medicine, nursing and health sciences and, of course, Celtic studies. Teaching is research led so students have the opportunity to delve deeply into their subject of study. Here are some highlights of the city and the university:
– The city: Galway is the home to many arts festivals and is considered the cultural capital of Ireland. It is a diverse city. About 20% of the residents were not born in Ireland and the goal is for the university to reflect this diversity. The beautiful city of Galway sits on the west of Ireland very close to the seaside. Industry is vibrant in the city including many med-tech companies. Galway is a bio-medical hub. Some say that it is the friendliest city in Europe.
– Hotel Management: The Shannon College of Hotel Management gives its students a unique experience since all students earn a full business degree while learning practical skills relating to restaurant service, accommodation, front office and food science. In their second year, students work in a hotel for a year and it is a fully paid internship. Graduates have 100% job placement.
– Science and Engineering: Students in the sciences choose a specialty by their final year and there are at least twenty options. The Ryan Institute of science and zoology houses a large museum of taxidermy animals that serve as a classroom for students interested in animal sciences. Marine science includes a three week stint working on a marine vessel and zoology offers a three weeks of field work in Morocco. When it comes to engineering, the university offers civil, mechanical, bio-medical, electrical, and computer engineering. Students take advantage of the heavy industry presence in the city.
– Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies: In the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies no audition or portfolio is required for admission to any degree. English, in particular, is a highly ranked subject. About 80% of the subjects have a work placement built into the program.
– Business, Public Policy and Law: In the College of Business, Public Policy and Law, BComm (business/commerce) students can take advantage of a global experience, interning or studying abroad for a full year. In law, there is a particular emphasis on public law and human rights with a guaranteed placement or study abroad. An interesting major in Business Information Systems combines business and tech management.
– Application and cost: The application process if very straightforward and students can expect to receive a decision in one to four weeks once the application is complete. Applicants should note that some courses in business, psychology and computer science are very popular and numbers are capped so students should apply early. With an all in cost of $31,000-$35,000/year, the university is quite a bargain compared to US universities.
