Information for Non-EU Students

To Non-EU students (except for US and Canada)

Students who are drawn from non-EU countries ( except from the US and Canada) who intend to apply for the LLM programme should note the following:

1. Applications should be submitted at the earliest possible time in order to allow for what could be a lengthy visa processing. Where possible, students are encouraged to apply for the first round of application review in March (see general information);
2. Students should be contact, in advance, with the local Irish consulate or embassy to obtain all the necessary forms for applying for a student visa and to insure that all the necessary paperwork is in order;
3. Students should clearly mark on the application form a current email address to which the initial decision by the review committee can be sent. At this time, you should also provide a current and useable mailing address so that the programme can send you all the required material to begin processing your visa. Please note that many times visas are not approved, as the documentation received is not sufficient. Therefore, it is urgent that you provide a mailing address to which written material/documentation can be received. In extraordinary cases, the University may agree to express mail your documents;
4. The Department of Justice, Immigration services division now requires pre payment of tuition fees before Visas will be issued to students wishing to undertake study in Ireland. This is a requirement by the immigration services, not the University, and as such cannot be negotiated. Students should inquire with their local Irish Embassy or Consultate as to whether this condition applies to you. If you must pay fees in advance, please be in touch with fees office at the University who will provide you with details regarding wire transfer for funds. Additionally, the LLM programme coordinator will send out a general email to those students that may be affected by this provision to provide general information on this matter.
5. Students should note that the LLM course is instructed in English. The University requires that students are able to effectively engage in English in order to successfully complete the course (all exams are in the English language). Therefore, prospective students (not being native English speakers) are required to undertake an English language course before undertaking the LLM. The required scores are as follows: IELTS: 6.5; TOEFL (paper-based): 580; TOEFL (computer-based): 240; and TOEFL (internet-based): 92.  
6. Assessment is made on an essay only basis; there are no exams. Therefore students must be prepared to undertake research and writing at a Master's level in English
7. Tuition fees are at a non-EU rate. However, the University does offer a limited number of bursaries that allows students from developing countries to undertake the programme at the EU rate. Students who wish to avail themselves of this possibility should indicate this in a cover letter. Please note that these bursaries are limited, and it may not be possible to approve all requests, therefore students should also endeavour to find alternative funding sources for tuition fees and stipends;
8. There is limited university housing arrangements for postgraduates. However, most of the incoming students arrive in Galway and then look for private flats or rooms upon arrival. A particularly good source for information on available flats is the Galway Advertiser, which can also be accessed on line here.

US and Canadian Students

We have, during the course of our programme, had a number of students from both the United States and Canada who have inquired about, and subsequently attended the LLM programme. The type of information requested by students from North America is similar and this section is designed to answer some queries specifically related to students from this region.

The entry requirements for the programme, as you will note from our general question section, is an overall mark of 2.1 or higher. Whilst this does not translate exactly, this would be approximately a 3.5 GPA or higher. That said, those with a 3.4 GPA or above, are encouraged to apply if they can demonstrate a relation to the subject and some experience with the field.

With regard to tuition fees, the payment for students from the US and Canada is at a non-EU rate. In the past some bursaries were provided for non-EU students. However, last year these bursaries were limited (by sheer numbers applying) to students drawn from developing countries. Therefore, students who apply should look for alternative funding arrangements, outside of these limited NUI Galway University bursaries, to finance their studies.

What should I know about the Visa application process?

Students who are coming from outside the EU and outside of the US or Canada should be very aware that the application process can be lengthy and, at times, frustrating. To try to ease the Visa process the student should note the following:

• when applying, provide a work-able email address and be sure this address is CLEARLY written. The initial notification for acceptance will be sent by email and then will be followed by post.
• provide a postal address to which mail be sent safely and in a timely fashion. Please note that immigration officials WILL NOT accept email notifications of acceptances. You must be able to provide hard copies of the acceptance material;
• be sure to request the appropriate Visa material at the same time as you send in your application form. Be sure that all the information required on the Visa application form is gathered so that if/when the acceptance is provided you can simply add the required University information to your already completed packet and forward to the appropriate Irish Embassy or Consulate;
• you will be required to show that you have the ability to pay the fees for tuition, so be sure to gather this information in anticipation of the University materials;
• keep in mind that processing time for Visas can run up to 3 months. For this reason, we have moved the first round of applications to March 15th, to allow for this long processing time. If you are coming from a country where a Visa is required, apply early and begin the Visa processing early.

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