Spend the Summer at UCD
The UCD High School Summer Program will take place July 8th-22nd, 2025.
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The UCD High School Summer Program is an enrichment program designed for North American students especially interested in learning more about Irish history, culture and student life. Through taught lectures and field trips, students will become acquainted with Ireland's rich cultural heritage and the vibrant capital city of Dublin. The program is geared toward students interested in potentially earning their undergraduate degree abroad, and will also highlight UCD's academic colleges, preparing students to explore the exciting and rewarding experience of studying in Ireland on a more long-term basis..
Key features include:
- Taught lectures and field trips around Dublin to learn about and engage with Irish history and culture
- Faculty-led exploratory workshops in the UCD Colleges of Business, Science, Engineering & Architecture, Social Science & Law, and Arts & Humanities to get an overview of UCD’s academic colleges and programmes.
- Application workshop led by UCD North America staff members
- Opportunities to meet one-on-one with UCD degree program representatives to discuss specific courses of study and questions
- Accommodation in UCD’s on-campus student residences
Experience Ireland and UCD!
Spend the summer in Dublin with the UCD 2025 High School Summer Program
Practical information
Irish History and Culture:
Our taught Irish history and culture lecture series takes students chronologically through Ireland’s history up through modern times. Each lecture or discussion will be accompanied by a field-trip around Dublin that directly corresponds to what students are learning in the classroom. Examples of lecture topics include: Archaeology & Mythology, Early Christian and Medieval Ireland, 18th & 19th Century Ireland, the Irish Revival, Irish Revolutionary Period, and Contemporary Ireland. The Irish history and culture portion will conclude with short group presentations over topics of the students’ choosing, related to modern-day Ireland.
Specific activities may be updated each year to best accommodate the group size, current events, etc. Past activities have included, but are not limited to: Irish storytelling, walking tour of Dublin, traditional Irish music and dance, Boyne Valley excursion, fishing town of Howth, hiking, Irish farm visit, cathedral visits, castle visits, learning traditional Irish sports, theater performances, GAA matches, museums and other historically significant sites, etc. Many of our activities will be outdoors, including a couple of beginner to intermediate hiking days.
Life at UCD:
This programme not only aims to introduce students to Irish history and culture, but also what it would mean to study abroad for their full undergraduate degree. Students are introduced to each of UCD’s academic colleges, and will have mornings filled with workshop activities, faculty lectures, and hands-on learning. These workshops will provide students with an overview of the different opportunities and programmes (majors) they may want to explore, the UCD facilities, and work hands-on with particular subject areas within that college through academic activities. After the final workshop concludes, students will have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with an advisor(s) to discuss any particular programmes (majors) that they would like to learn more specifically about.
Throughout this experience, participants learn a bit more about student life in Dublin. Students will learn about and how to use the popular Dublin transportation system, live on-campus in student accommodations in shared apartments with their cohort, and will build relationships with our Programme Assistants - current UCD undergraduate students.
At the end of the programme, UCD Admissions Officers will provide an application workshop, specifically geared toward the North American application process and the differences between education systems.
The itinerary for this programme is full from morning through the evening, each day, with different academic, cultural, and fun activities. Some supervised free-time in the city center is included, as well as free-time on campus to rest and recharge.
To be eligible for admission to the UCD High School Summer Program, students must be resident in North America and aged 16 or 17 during the program dates. Students must also submit the following:
- Completed Google Form application, including short essays detailing interest in studying in Ireland or overseas for your undergraduate degree.
- Report card or transcript showing a cumulative GPA of 3.0/4.0 or above (unweighted)
- Counselor/teacher recommendation (UCD will reach out to your named recommender after you submit your online application)
Applications are now open - the Priority Application Deadline is February 15 and decisions will be released by March 1. Applications will continue to be assessed on a rolling basis after February 15 pending spaces available.
For help or more information on the UCD High School Program, please Contact Us.
“The trip had an amazing impact on me. I was able to re-evaluate what I wanted to do and grow as a person because of it. I met new people and made new long-standing friendships.” -James, TX
“Not only has this experience prepared me for college in general, it painted University College Dublin in such a light that it has become a viable option in my mind as a place to continue my education. I have always loved Ireland, but never truly considered moving there. However, the feeling of home that I felt throughout my stay caused my mind to change, as I am now already starting to fill out my University College Dublin application. I also learned much more about myself than I expected to while on this trip. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I am more independent that I previously considered myself to be, and that reassured me that I will survive living on my own once college comes, because I survived this trial run. I went into this program expecting to learn, but the knowledge I gained is far more meaningful than I thought it would be.” -Molly, WA
“During my time at University College Dublin’s High School Summer Program, I learned how to depend on myself and others, find my scholastic interests, and learn more about Irish culture and history. I was able to expand my knowledge and cultivate an idea of what I want to focus on in life. With this program, I was able to make new, lifelong friendships and create an idea of a life outside of the usual.” -Madeleine, NY