Admission Procedures

• Application Process
• Closing Date for Applications
• Confirmation of Acceptance
• Orientation Programme
• Knowledge of English
• Immigration Procedures

APPLICATION PROCESS

Incoming Erasmus students for 2013/14 (and their coordinators) are requested to read carefully the information given here in relation to applying to NUI Galway.

Our 2013/14 Erasmus Application Form is now available to download.  Please note that from 2013/14, there will not be a separate Information Brochure; all the information normally contained in the brochure is now available via the various links on the left-hand menu.

The Erasmus Coordinator in your own university will select students to come to NUI Galway.  The nomination of students is based on bilateral exchange agreements in specific subject areas.

Erasmus coordinators at our partner universities should advise us as soon as possible of their 2013/14 student nominations; we have also provided a page specifically for them, Information for Coordinators, which they are kindly requested to read carefully.  

Once you have been nominated, you must complete the NUI Galway Erasmus Application Form for 2013/14 (which will be available here in due course).  It is a paper form; there is no online application.  You should print out the form and fill it in carefully, noting the following:

PLEASE ENSURE THAT YOU WRITE LEGIBLY ON THE FORM, USING BLOCK LETTERS!
There will be a fee for the reissue of I.D. cards where illegible handwriting has resulted in the incorrect entry of student names or personal details in our records system.
Acceptance letters will be sent to the "PERMANENT HOME ADDRESS" you give on your form: please ensure that this address is complete, and that it includes your  city and postcode.
The E-MAIL ADDRESS you provide will be used to contact you in relation to your application, and to let you know if you have been accepted by NUI Galway as an Erasmus student: please ensure that you have written it correctly and in full!

PROPOSED STUDY PLANS: You do not need to specify on the application form (at question 14) the exact modules that you wish to take at NUI Galway - it will suffice to list the subject areas. 

One passport photograph must accompany your application form: please be sure to write your name on the back of the photograph and attach it securely (e.g. staple it) to your form. 

You must have the form signed and stamped by your Erasmus coordinator, and return it to us by the relevant deadline.  Application forms which do not bear the SIGNATURE AND STAMP of the home institution coordinator will be rejected.  Please note that we can only accept applications from students who have been nominated by the Erasmus coordinator in the home institution, and where there is a valid Erasmus Bilateral Agreeement between that institution and NUI Galway in the relevant subject area. 

Please return your application form to:

Gisèle Farrell, International Affairs Office, National University of Ireland, Galway

and please be sure to observe our deadlines: 31st May for Semester 1 or Full Year applicants, and 31st October for Semester 2 applicants.  We regret that forms that arrive after the deadline cannot be considered.

We can only accept hard copies (i.e. paper copies) of this application form bearing original signatures and stamp.  Applications sent by e-mail or fax will not be considered, nor will forms which do not have the signature and stamp of the home institution Erasmus Coordinator, or forms that arrive after the deadline.  Please do not send us faxed or e-mailed copies of the form you send us in the post: this wastes a lot of paper and, with such a large volume of incoming applications to process, it simply creates confusion!

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Closing Date for Applications

Erasmus Application Forms must be returned to NUI Galway no later than:

• May 31st for Full Year/Semester 1 students
• October 31st for Semester 2 students.

We regret that applications received after the deadline cannot be processed.

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Confirmation of Acceptance

We regret that, due to the volume of applications we must process, it will not be possible to acknowledge receipt of individual applications.  Provided your application is approved, you will receive a confirmation of acceptance from the International Affairs Officer, NUI Galway - probably in late June. You should bring this letter with you when you come to Galway to commence your studies. If, for some reason, you are unable to avail of your study place at this University please advise the International Affairs Office in writing as soon as possible. 

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Orientation Programme

In September and January each year, orientation programmes are organised to provide newly-arrived international students with practical information and advice about living in Galway, to inform them about the services and facilities of the University, and to introduce them to Student Services personnel as well as relevant academic and administrative staff.  Within the main Orientation Programme, there will be a special session for Erasmus students, where various procedures and paperwork (in relation to the Erasmus programme and to registration of subjects, etc, at NUI Galway) will be explained in detail.

Here are the provisional dates for Orientation in the 2013/14 academic session:

Year Long and Semester 1 students:  Thursday, 29th August and Friday, 30th August, 2013
Semester 2 students:  date in January, 2014 to be confirmed.

The orientation sessions are designed to help the student to settle into university life and the new environment as quickly and easily as possible.  The programme also includes guided tours of the campus, and a historical walking tour of Galway city usually takes place on the Saturday following the main orientation session.

All students are strongly advised to attend the Orientation Programme.  On Day 2, some of the larger academic departments provide introductory talks which cover academic matters of relevance to overseas students.   You can find details of the most recent Orientation Programme by clicking here. 

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Knowledge of English

Most lectures are conducted through the medium of English. A small number of courses are offered through the Irish language only. A good knowledge of English is therefore essential.

At NUI Galway, we do not have a specific exam-based requirement in relation to Erasmus students’ level of English, but, in the interests of a meaningful and useful study abroad experience here, we do ask that incoming students have a good command of the English language, both written and spoken, so that they will be able to follow lectures, work with English-language textbooks, participate in small-group coursework, and write their assignments and exams without undue difficulty.  We would suggest that students have attained Level B2 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. 

This is a guideline only; you are not required to provide any particular certificate of language competence when you make your application, but you should bear in mind that students with limited ability in English are likely to encounter difficulty in reading and discussing academic texts with specialised vocabulary and abstract concepts.  Experience has shown that such students do not do well in exams or written assessments, and often struggle throughout their study visit to keep up with the rest of the class.  In large group teaching, lecturers will often not take account of or make allowances for students whose level of English is insufficient to allow them follow the course. 

While a good command of English is thus an important element, we naturally recognise that one of the main purposes of the study period is to improve language performance. English-language classes (at various ability levels) are offered free of charge for a five-week period at the beginning of each semester. More details will be provided at Orientation.

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Immigration Procedures

Students who are citizens of EU countries do not need visas to enter Ireland. Students from non-EU countries should note that they may need visas to enter Ireland and that they will be asked to produce proof of their acceptance at NUI Galway upon their arrival in Ireland, i.e. at the airport/seaport. You can find out more about visa requirements on the following website: http://www.inis.gov.ie/ (click on “Visas”).  If you do need a visa, you should apply for this as soon as you receive an acceptance letter from the International Affairs Office (acceptance letters are usually issued approximately one month after the application deadline), and allow 6 – 8 weeks for your visa application to be processed.  Visa applications should be made to the Irish Embassy or Consulate in the country in which you reside. If there is no embassy or consulate, you can make the application to your nearest Irish Embassy or Consulate, or directly to the Visa Office, Dept of Foreign Affairs, 13-14 Burgh Quay, Dublin 2.

Non-EU students should advise the International Affairs Office in NUI Galway of their exact time and date of arrival at least one week in advance.

Non-EU visiting students who remain longer than three months in Ireland will be required to register with the immigration authorities within one month of arrival. At the orientation session you will be advised of the exact procedures involved in registering with the immigration authorities.

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