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University College Cork (UCC)

University College Cork (UCC) is one of Ireland’s leading universities and a prominent global research institution. Founded in 1845, UCC is part of the prestigious National University of Ireland (NUI) and is known for its mix of traditional academic foundations and modern innovation. Located in the vibrant city of Cork, the university is consistently recognized as one of Europe’s most beautiful and student-friendly campuses.

 

Why Choose University College Cork

  • Global Recognition: UCC is a globally ranked university known for excellence in teaching, research, and innovation.

  • Research and Impact: Ranked among the top universities worldwide for its contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. 

  • International Diversity: Students from over 120 countries study here.

  • Quality of Life: Cork is consistently voted one of Europe’s most affordable, friendly, and culturally rich cities.

 

Campus Locations

UCC’s main campus sprawls around a historic 17th-century quire tower and continues into modern research facilities across five colleges:

  • College of Arts, Celtic Studies & Social Sciences (CACSSS)

  • College of Business & Law (CBL)

  • College of Science, Engineering & Food Science (SEFS)

  • College of Medicine & Health (CMH)

 

Types of Courses (Study Levels)

UCC offers a wide range of programs across most disciplines, including:

  • Undergraduate Degrees: Law, Medicine, Science, Engineering, Business, Arts, and more.

  • Postgraduate Degrees: Master’s, PhD, Postdoctoral, and specialized diplomas.

  • Research Degrees: Opportunities to collaborate with top research institutions and industries.

  • Short Courses: Summer schools and professional development programs.

 

Mode of Learning

  • On-campus: Traditional classroom and lab-based learning with strong faculty interaction.

  • Blended: A mix of online and face-to-face study in response to evolving global education needs.

  • Online: Fully online courses on specific programs (with some planned to expand post-2025).

Scholarship

Quick headline facts

  • UCC awards around 1,000 scholarships and bursaries each year (many are open to international students).

  • Many international scholarships at UCC are automatically awarded at offer stage (i.e., based on the academic record you submitted with your application) — particularly college-level merit awards. Always check your full offer (not a conditional offer) for scholarship wording.

 

Types of scholarships you’ll find at UCC

(major categories — details and eligibility below)

  1. Automatically-awarded college/department merit scholarships (no separate application) — e.g., SEFS and CBL college scholarships. 

  2. Central International Student Scholarships / International Merit scholarships (taught postgraduate focus; merit-based; values vary). (UCC publishes lists and some awards are €4k–€8k in 3rd-party summaries; check your offer for exact figure.)

  3. External government / national scholarships — e.g., Government of Ireland International Education Scholarships (annual competition for non-EU students at NFQ Level 9/10 — UCC participates). 

  4. Research/PhD funding and externally-sponsored PhD scholarships — including structured PhD awards and partnerships (e.g., China Scholarship Council-UCC joint PhD calls).

  5. College/School specific awards & prizes — small to large funds targeted to particular programmes (e.g., Nursing, Languages, Business, Food Science). Many of these are automatic or by departmental application.

 

Representative scholarship offers

  • SEFS (Science, Engineering & Food Science) — International Merit Scholarships

    • Awarded automatically at offer stage to non-EU applicants to SEFS programmes.

    • Typical value: varies (e.g., some are €2,000 p.a. for UG; others are merit-based for PG). No separate application — scholarship appears in your full offer if awarded.

  • College of Business & Law — International Undergraduate Scholarship

    • Value: €2,000 per annum (example UG scholarship automatically awarded at offer). Cannot be combined with other UCC scholarships.

  • College / School postgraduate excellence awards

    • Examples: SLLC Excellence Scholarship (covers EU fees for specific MA programmes), other college-level fee reductions for first class honours holders (20% fee reduction for 1H1, etc., depending on college). Many are automatic on acceptance for non-EU applicants.

  • Government of Ireland International Education Scholarships (GOI)

    • Open competition managed nationally; UCC students may apply/compete for these awards (60 awards nationally each year — for NFQ level 9/10, one year). Check HEA / UCC noticeboard for UCC’s call.

  • China Scholarship Council (CSC) – UCC PhD Partnerships

    • Where active, applicants first apply to UCC and then to CSC by the CSC deadline; UCC evaluates candidates prior to CSC submission. Timelines are strict (UCC application deadlines, then CSC deadline).

 

Who is typically eligible?

  • Be a non-EU (international) fee-paying applicant (many international scholarships are specifically for non-EU students).

  • Hold or be predicted to hold a strong academic record (first class / upper second equivalents for the bigger merit awards). Many awards are merit-based and use previous transcripts / GPA equivalence.

  • Have a full (unconditional) offer in your UCC Application Portal (CRM) — conditional offers usually do not show scholarship awards until conditions are met.

  • For some scholarships (e.g., government schemes, refugee support, country-specific) there are additional residency or documentation requirements.

 

How scholarships are awarded (common patterns)

  • Automatic at offer stage — UCC evaluates your academic documents and enters scholarship text in your full offer letter (no separate application). This is common for college merit awards.

  • Departmental application / interview — smaller departmental prizes or some PhD studentships require a bespoke application and/or interview. 

  • External competition — apply outside UCC (e.g., Government of Ireland awards, CSC) where UCC provides supporting documentation if you are shortlisted.

Programs

Cork, Ireland