Engineering, Technology, and Science

GPA

3.0

Additional Requirements

Please refer to the detailed Program Essential Eligibility Criteria.   

Requirements

Students are required to provide a transcript from their home school as part of the application process.  

Students can choose from two CIEE courses, ASU online classes, and a range of direct enrollment courses at UCD. They will take a U.S. semester load equivalent to 15-18 U.S. credits while studying at UCD, with a minimum of 12 credits being taken at UCD itself. To meet the full U.S. semester credit load requirement, students may opt to take exclusively host institution courses or combine host university courses with CIEE courses and/or ASU online courses and/or a part-time internship. Part time internship placements are subject to timetabling availability with in-person course commitments. 

Program Credit

Total credit: 15-18 U.S. semester/22.5-27 quarter credits

Course Credit

• CIEE Courses: 3 U.S. semester/4.5 quarter credits; 45 contact hours 
• CIEE Internship: 3 U.S. semester/4.5 quarter credits; 15 seminar hours, 100-120 internship placement hours 

 UCD course credits are converted to U.S. credit equivalents as follows:  

• 5 ECTS credits = 3 U.S. semester/4.5 quarter credits, 125 notional hours 
• 7.5 ECTS credits = 4 U.S. semester/6 quarter credits, 200 notional hours 
• 10 ECTS credits = 6 U.S. semester/9 quarter credits, 250 notional hours 

Academic Culture

The Irish educational system requires students to take greater responsibility for learning in a less-structured environment than in the U.S. Students are provided with a syllabus and a broad reading list. They are required to show initiative regarding research and critical analysis. Courses are called “modules” in Ireland and are academically challenging, dynamic, and involve daily reading and homework assignments.

CIEE courses are designed to follow U.S. academic culture and standards. The class environment typically features a combination of traditional lecture and discussion with co-curricular excursions and activities. Heavy emphasis is placed on student participation. Host institution classes tend to be more lecture-based and students are expected to work much more independently than in the U.S., thus more time may be required for studying than students are accustomed to at their home campuses. Similar to classes at U.S. institutions, students should expect to spend an average of two hours of preparation and study for each hour in CIEE classes. To avoid falling behind, students should not plan personal travel out of Dublin when classes are in session and plan trips for the long weekends. 

ASU Courses: You may find yourself in classes with students from ASU, other American universities, and students from around the world. Some are earning their degrees entirely online, while others, like you, are supplementing their education with an online course. You’ll receive direct and individualized support from faculty, 100% online. Most ASU online courses are asynchronous, meaning there are no set log-in times, but make sure to verify this before the add/drop deadline in case you want to make a change.

Class Format

Courses taught at the CIEE study center are typically for CIEE students only. Host institution classes include both local and international students. A typical class schedule includes a combination of CIEE and host institution-administered classes and runs from Monday to Friday. Classes at both CIEE and host institution meet 2-4 times per week, for anywhere from 1-3 hours per class session, depending on the course. It is not typical for professors at Irish universities to be available outside of class times or for office hours. Attendance in CIEE classes is strictly enforced, both for classes and required co-curricular excursions. Instruction is supported and augmented online by CIEE’s learning management system, Canvas and via UCD’s Brightspace LMS.

ASU online courses meet in “sessions” that are 7.5 weeks long in semesters and 6 weeks long in the summer, and all work must be completed within the session dates regardless of when your other CIEE courses begin or end. You’ll need a standard PC or Mac desktop or laptop computer with a download speed higher than 25 Mbps, as well as access to email, productivity software like Microsoft Office and other applications needed to perform a variety of educational functions. Most course materials you will need are available online. Since you are working mostly or entirely asynchronously, you’re given deadlines for your assignments by your instructor or in your syllabus, but you can work at your own pace within these due dates. Most instructors suggest a recommended pace to optimize your learning, but you have the flexibility to complete your ASU courses while pursuing your studies at your CIEE location.

Grading

CIEE reports all final course grades to students’ home institutions using a U.S. letter grade equivalent scale of A-F. For CIEE-administered courses, students’ grades are based on attendance, class participation, homework, project work, presentations, and midterm and final examinations. Learning outcomes assessment is continuous through personal reflections, evaluation feedback, self-assessment, and requirements as set out in course syllabi. Host institution courses are graded using a 100-point numerical scale. Primary course assessments vary on a continuum from continuous assessment with multiple submissions at intervals throughout a course to terminal exams with 100% of course weightings. UCD professors give numerical grades which CIEE converts to U.S. letter grades. CIEE reports final grades for host institution courses using recommended U.S. letter grade equivalencies, following a predetermined grade conversion scale.

ASU grading As a U.S. institution of higher education, the grading practices should be familiar to any CIEE student. “Pass/fail” or “Audit” grading options are not allowed for CIEE students. Please see the CIEE Academic Manual for Students for more information about your grades.

Language of Instruction

English