University of Galway is inviting prospective students, parents, guidance counsellors and teachers to campus for the upcoming spring undergraduate open day.

The open day, which takes place on Saturday, March 9, from 9am to 3pm, is a perfect opportunity for Leaving Certificate, Fifth Year and Transition Year students to gain valuable insights into the courses to study and the future careers that await them after graduation.

With special interactive events, the open day offers hands-on experiences of some of the most innovative teaching and learning facilities. 

The University offers more than 60 internationally recognised undergraduate degree courses in areas such as Medicine, Nursing, Health Sciences, Arts, Science, Engineering, Business, Law and Hotel Management, and more than nine out of 10 of courses offer students a work placement and/or study abroad opportunity, ensuring graduates are workplace ready, and much sought after by employers at home and abroad. 

The open day is spread across five exhibition zones and the schedule includes a large programme of talks with more than 60 course, subject, career and student support talks on offer. 

A special feature of this open day will be exclusive access to some of the University’s most innovative teaching and learning facilities and hands-on experiences including:

• Future medical students and their parents will not want to miss the interactive tour of new world-class healthcare simulation facilities located in the Clinical Science Institute Building. The tour commences at 9:45am and the meeting point is outside the Red Zone. Registration is required at Stand 2 in the Red Zone in advance.
• The School of Law’s Moot Court will be open to visitors with five tours taking place on the day. The Moot Court is designed to replicate the experience of a real court hearing for our students. Places can be booked at the Law Stand in the Orange Zone on the day.
• The College of Science and Engineering are offering interactive zones for future students to explore pathways and courses from 9am to 3pm in the Green Zone (Engineering) and Purple Zone (Science and Computer Science). Visitors interested in physics can tour the physics laboratory teaching facilities at 12pm or 2pm. Places can be booked from 10am at the Physics Stand in the Purple Zone.
• Visitors are invited to join a Drama Masterclass, a practical drama workshop that gives a taste of the University’s degree in Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies. Places for the masterclass can be booked on the day at the Drama stand in the Orange Zone. There will also be two guided tours of the O’Donoghue Centre at 11:30am and 2pm. The meeting point is in the foyer of the O’Donoghue Centre in the blue zone.
• For a full campus experience, join one of our three guided campus tours. They leave from inside the Quadrangle building. Tours last approximately 1 hour and are hosted by our Student Ambassadors.

The open day schedule includes a series of information that will help students and parents prepare for college life with talks on Student Life, Sport, and Study Abroad. 

The Access Centre will host sessions on alternative pathways, mature student supports and the QQI/FETAC/PLC entry route. 

Parents are invited to attend a Parents’ Talk taking place on at 11:30am with advice and guidance on how parents can support the progression to third level.  

Sarah Geraghty, Director of Student Recruitment and Outreach, highlighted the importance of providing students with opportunities to explore the campus and think about their future studies: “The aim of our open day is to give students a taste of college life and hopefully a sense of great possibility for their future university studies. University of Galway is ranked in the top 2% of universities globally and in the top 100 in Europe, in addition to being ranked 34th in the world and number one university in Ireland by the THE Impact Rankings for its efforts in progressing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Our lecturers, staff and students are looking forward to meeting future students to help them navigate their way through the many diverse and exciting study and career pathways that await them.” 

Advance registration is required, with further information and the full programme available at www.universityofgalway.ie/opendays, or by emailing opendays@universityofgalway.ie. 

Ends