Visiting Students

Visiting Student Information

 Welcome to University of Galway!‌‌

Dear Visiting Student,

Welcome to University of Galway!  We hope you enjoy your time in Galway.

Please come along to our Subject Orientation Session taking place in the Bailey Allen Hall on Friday morning, 5th January 2024 at 11.10am. There you will find all information you need about taking English modules.  

For English modules, please note the following dates for Semester 2, 2023-24:

• English lecture modules will begin on Monday, 8th January 2024
• English seminar modules will begin on Monday, 15th January 2024 (You must complete a separate registration process if you wish to register for a seminar - details below) 

For a timetable and a full list of modules available to all Visitin Students, download the  Visiting Student Course Handbook 2023-24

P‌lease see here for an Updated Visiting Student Course Handbook, Sem 2 2023-24

To keep updated on all further information please go to the Alerts Page. Note there the FAQ and Key Updates pages, especially ‘Important information about Academic Year 2023/24’.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Please read the following information carefully. 

• Visiting Students may take two types of modules - either lecture or seminar modules.  Each Lecture and Seminar Course is worth 5 ECTS.

• Visiting Students may take as many Lecture Courses from the options available in 2^nd Year and 3^rd Year English as their timetable allows.  *Please note there are CAPS on all modules*

How to Register for an English Lecture module:

1. Once you have registered with the university, log on to your student portal.  Log into your student portal when online registration opens for your programme (8^th January).  Note this link is only live on or after your opening date.
2. You can then choose as many lecture modules as your timetable will allow from the list of modules in the handbook.
3. Lecture classes begin on Monday, 8^th January

How to Register for an English Seminar Module:

1. If you wish to take a seminar, each student must fill out a seminar registration form.  Please fill out BOTH pages of the form.  The form is available here Visiting Student Seminar Registration Form, Semester 2 2023-24
   
2. Completed forms must be sent to semca@universityofgalway.ie by Wednesday, 10^th January by 12 noon.  No late forms will be accepted.
3. All forms will be processed on a first come, first serve basis. 
4. Students will be allocated to one seminar by 4pm on Friday, 12^th January.  Allocations will be made available here on this page on Friday 12th January.  ‌Visiting Student Seminar Allocation List, Semester 2 2023-24
   
5. Upon receiving your allocated seminar, the Discipline of English will liaise with the Registration Office and your registration will be updated.  You do not need to register online afterwards for your seminar.  
6. Seminar classes will begin on Monday, 15th January
7. All visiting students can choose ONE English seminar module in Semester 2, 2023-24.  (It is NOT compulsory however, to take a seminar module)‌

• I‌f you submitted a seminar registration form by 10th January, please see above for a list of allocated seminars (available on Friday, 12th January).   If you still wish to register for a seminar, or remove yourself from your allocated seminar, you MUST call to Room 511, 3rd Floor, Tower 1 during office hours only (written on the door).  

  __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Each semester the Department of English welcomes over two hundred visiting students, mainly from the United States and Europe. The following guidelines explain some of the special procedures and conditions which apply to Visiting Students. 

• The Academic Co-ordinator for visiting students for 2023-24 is Ms Kirry O'Brien, Room 308, 1st Floor, Tower 1 kirry.obrien@universityofgalway.ie 
• The Administrative Coordinator for visiting student matters is Ms Irene O'Malley, Room 511, 3rd Floor, Tower 1 irene.omalley@universityofgalway.ie
• Courses may be selected from both Second Year and Third Year programmes offered by the Department, subject to course availability.  Visiting students will find the selection of courses in our discipline listed in the Visiting Student Handbook. Please note that it is not safe to select courses from the International Office website, which displays courses from various programmes.  
• All English modules available to visiting students for the full academic year 2023-24 will be made available in the Visiting Student Handbook  (posted above).
• If selecting courses from both Second and Third Year, please ensure that classes are not scheduled to take place at the same time.
• Students may select as many lecture courses as they wish. Lecture courses have a 5 ECTS (University of Galway) / 2 UNIT weighting.  
• When selecting courses, students are advised to pay careful attention to the weighting of each course to ensure that the combined weighting of the courses they study at University of Galway meets the criteria of their home university.
• A full course load for students at University of Galway consists of courses having a combined weighting of 12 units / 30 ECTS per semester. Visiting students may, depending on their needs, take fewer or more units but should carefully consider the implications, from the point of view of obtaining credit, of taking less than 12 units. Most courses in the Discipline of English are worth 2 units, or 5 ECTS credits.

Assessment for Visiting Students:

• All visiting students are assessed by continuous assessment in the Discipline of English.
• Students should ensure that they will be able to meet the deadlines for their essays prior to booking their return flight home at the end of the semester.
• About mid-way through the term, students will be supplied with a list of essay titles in each course. The deadline for the submission of essays is non-negotiable. Only in the case of illness (a medical certificate must be presented) or some other serious personal problem, will an essay be accepted late.
• Essays for Lecture Courses will be submitted online via Turnitin on Blackboard.
• Final essay assignments for visiting students in the English Department expect that students will write between 2000 and 2500 words.    
• Please note that if a student discontinues a course for which s/he has registered, it is essential that the Department is notified in writing; otherwise the university transcripts will record an absence.
• Students should adopt the MLA Style of citation. Copies of the latest guidelines are in the Library. Students may purchase Tory Young’s Studying English Literature which contains examples of the MLA style.
• Students should check the Visiting Student Departmental Notice Board (near Room 515, English Department) from time to time during term also. 

‌