Embrace the Poetry of Life at The University of Limerick
- Originally published
- Last updated on July 24th, 2023 at 01:10 am
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At first blush, it’s hard to differentiate between the University of Limerick and its cousin to the south, University College Cork. After all, both are large research facilities in small-ish college towns, dominated by students, with a similar number of international students among them. And these two college towns indeed offer a lot of the same perks. So what is the University of Limerick like? You have to hunt a little to find how Limerick sets itself apart (spoiler: it’s an Americanized campus that’s less walkable, less urban, and more academically relaxed, though it’s no academic slouch).
With a population of just under 100,000, this college town can be deceivingly small. But spend the time, and you’ll find LImerick has its own unique charms, from its campus on the River Shannon, to its oversized sports facilities, and its location in the heart of western Ireland. Limerick is both energetic and enterprising if you know where to look. We’re digging deeper to find out what kinds of students really thrive at the University of Limerick (UL).
Basics for Studying at the University of Limerick
Degrees: BA (Hons), BSc (Hons)
Majors: Education, law, social sciences, arts, exercise science, science, engineering, and graduate-entry medicine programs. Unique programs at Limerick are full bachelor’s degrees in Irish dance or Irish music, equine science, world music, product design, and immersive software engineering. Education and educational research rank in the top 100 globally.
Location: Far eastern suburb of Castletroy, 3.5 km east of the city of Limerick, County Limerick, Munster Province
Cost for out-of-EU: €15,360 for full-time bachelor’s programs in arts and humanities, and business (with a focus in a European language or Japanese). The exception is in performance studies — Irish music, dance, performing arts, and voice courses run €20,640 annually for non-EU students. Clinical and applied science programs cost €25,216, like midwifery, psychology, or nursing. Sciences, architecture, and engineering undergraduate programs cost €20,640.
On-campus housing cost: 5 residences, with rooms assigned by lottery. Costs range from €4,952 annually to €7,454
FAFSA Funds: Yes
Abroad from abroad: Yes, and 7 programs even have a compulsory Erasmus year (that’s the program governing inter-European study abroad). Limerick often wins “Best Erasmus programme” awards for its commitment to study abroad, its organized student programs, and the sheer. number of students who leave Limerick each year for other points in Europe. The International Exchange Program helps students looking to spend their study abroad outside Europe. From Brazil to Canada, Thailand, and Turkey, you’ll have access to choices depending on your program and aspirations.
Student body: 17,000, with 3,000 international students. At Internationally minded UL, 30% of students participate in an academic exchange abroad.
Five adjectives: Chill, sustainable, secluded, contained, affordable (in fact, UL is our #1 cheapest university in Ireland)
Castletroy and the City of Limerick
Limerick is Ireland’s 3rd most populous city, but you wouldn’t know it from its contained, small-town feel. Located on the western edge of the Shannon River, where it becomes an estuary and flows into the Atlantic Ocean, Limerick has long represented the outer edges of Ireland. Settlements here are often dated to Viking habitation in the 800s, but in 150, Ptolemy noted a settlement on today’s King’s Island (the Northeast chunk of today’s Limerick, distinct from the mainland by a small channel called the River Abbey).
Perhaps a throwback to its history of takeovers, “Stab City” wound up with a bad reputation in the 1990s, a place where Ireland’s growing prosperity didn’t reach. The reputation for being a rough Irish city remains. Limerick’s suicide rate is more than double that of other Irish cities, for example, and the reverberations of economic hardship might impact students who are looking to Limerick for the “Celtic Dragon” effect — a rising economic prominence that could help them land internships and find job opportunities easily.
But Limerick’s students say they hardly feel the pressure. With 120 international companies with operations here, and a sprawling suburban campus, students say they feel safe here and that Irish prosperity, and a welcoming attitude, prevail in Limerick today.
In fact, common complaints center around how “boring” Limerick can be, rather than how terrifying. One woman who did mention safety talked about the area being a target for bike thieves, but did not feel violent crime was a problem.
Get a bus pass. It’s the best way to get around and explore. Getting out and seeing things is worth the time you put into it. Weekend trips are also a great way to see the area, like the Aran Islands and Galway.
Castletroy and Life in the Burbs of Limerick
Castletroy, on the other hand, has always had some breathing room away from Limerick itself. It was a quiet enclave until the University of Limerick moved in, and is now a safe, growing suburb. There’s a 24-hour supermarket, a movie theater, and a handful of bars, restaurants, and businesses catering to students along Dublin Rd. Still, the sleepy thoroughfare doesn’t play host to big student droves on weekend nights. Students go to Limerick to dance and catch live music.
The on-campus pub culture is bigger than the scene in sleepy Castletroy, though buses run regularly past campus to all the biggest locations in the city center.
Take note: the future Limerick 2030 plan imagines more overlap between Limerick and the university, with facilities in the city center.
Campus Life at UL
Students also spend their time at multiple campus bars. Start by hanging out at Stables, the center of student life where you can grab a beer and some good food. You can also sit at glossy wooden tables in a long hall with stone walls and meet up with student societies (Friday is international night). The student life center is a similar refuge for weary students: it’s another space where you can sit down, relax, and admire the beautiful wooden beams and homey facilities while having a laugh between classes.
That self-contained campus feeling can resemble an American university, where students rarely venture off campus to socialize. The difference? The university here builds bars right on campus where students congregate.
Limerick is unique in how international it is. About half the people I know are from Ireland, and the other half are from all around the world. That has pros and cons. It’s easy to socialize with only international students. That’s also how many international students wind up only socializing with international students, and the Irish with the Irish. It’s also common for Irish students to go home over the weekend, leaving international students to socialize with each other.
While the university is fairly new (it was inaugurated in the 1970s), the charms of UL are many. It’s scenic, with bike and walking paths that crisscross wooded areas and take you along the river, as if the hustle of class were miles away. The size of the campus can feel both familiar and overwhelming to Americans, who say they liked that student life happened near classes and student accommodation, but that campus was also very spread out.
International students in general may be prone to cabin fever on a campus where walking to Limerick’s city center is an hour-long commitment and where they may not have a car to explore more of the region and city on their own.
The campus is very similar to an American campus because of how big it is. The difference is how welcoming everyone is. I think it’s easier to find your place here.
Living in Student Accommodation at the University of Limerick
Student accommodation in Limerick was a mixed bag for students. That housing exists, and that it’s cheaper and more accessible than elsewhere in Ireland, are huge bonuses. First-years are also prioritized for campus housing, which means many will get to spend their first year close to class and without having to navigate the private market, find roommates, and pay utility bills.
And in general, students like the housing they get here. Many mentioned the large size of rooms and the modern facilities. The design of housing complexes is also a little more inspired than most institutional offerings, especially in newer housing for senior students. Further, multiple student housing complexes means that each comes with a slightly different reputation, from party central Plassy to studious Cappavilla.
Second and third-year students have plenty of time to find student party houses off campus, and though it varies, they’re usually much less expensive and much more relaxed than campus housing.
The downsides? Housing here comes with some strict surveillance, from periodic room inspections to make sure you don’t (gasp!) hang a poster, to nighttime guest lockouts at night that can feel a little, um, police-y, to Americans. One woman liked the added security, but did mention that strict rules would be better applied to noise. Others felt getting off campus was a great way to get around restrictions they were happy to ditch their second year. Even security-minded students said housing was “better” off campus and chose not to stay too long in university accommodation.
Getting off campus can also save upperclassmen serious cash, as housing is typically more affordable. Many student-centered complexes do come with security and close-by bus service, which is especially important on this campus compared to other urban Irish universities.
Studying at University of Limerick: Academic Life
UL is making its move as an academic dynamo. This year, the university jumped over 100 places in the QS world rankings, landing at #426 and cementing its place in the global top 2%. That’s an impressive addition to its already well-known commitments to stand-out sports facilities and a unique program in Irish dance that stands to put more UL programs on the map.
Right now, the university is known for extracurricular programs, not in-class ones. For instance, a massive 30% of the university’s undergrads spend some time abroad during the course of their degree. When they get home, Limerick benefits from a diverse student body dedicated to solving real-world problems across Europe and the globe.
Within Limerick, the university also excels at getting its students out into the community. A practicum is a popular way to embrace the local scene and the university is particularly adept at getting students placements. In fact, its cooperative education program for work placement boasts the largest program of any university in Ireland.
Economic woes of Limerick aside, students have a longstanding and robust university advocate for job placement on their side. It must be working, since job placement and employment rate after graduation is sky-high (the highest in Ireland, by the way).
I have no regrets about choosing the University of Limerick at all. Everyone was so nice and helpful, and there were student services that are there to help you out. You must learn to be assertive and approach teachers, but when you do, they’re happy to answer your questions.
And while a large, public institution doesn’t exactly scream “pedagogical innovation” (I mean, and really, what does?), UL does work to shake up the status quo in the classroom. For one, they’re instituting a new approach to their brand-new Immersive Software Engineering program. “Standard modules” are out the door in an approach that heavily relies on team teaching and partnerships with software giants.
Overall, Limerick works hard not just to be ‘Ireland’s Sporting Campus’ with Ireland’s tallest climbing wall, but the best student campus, with the best student outcomes in Ireland.
Undergraduate Applications
As is the norm in Ireland, non-EU students will apply directly to UL through the university’s online web portal. You’ll bypass the national application portal. Upload your documents and transcripts and pay the €50 fee. You’ll need an SAT or ACT score, too. UL reports this year’s averages were 1240 and 25, but your mileage will depend on program.
Many admitted students get modest scholarships to help support their international study. The program is large, but awards typically run about €1,500, so you’ll want to investigate other funding, too. After you apply, you’ll automatically be considered.
Likely part of its extensive, supportive international student programs, recipients are required to serve the university on student and internationalization tasks 1 to 2 hours per week for the duration of the award.
Established in 1972, Limerick is Still the New Kid on the Block
The University of Limerick’s youthful energy reflects its place as a fledgling regional upstart. If you’re looking for an incubator, choose Limerick. It’s a campus where students stay and are nurtured, party, and socialize in one place as they grow and learn in a hyper-supportive environment. If you’re looking for solid student services, plenty of societies, and a nurturing campus, Limerick is for you. And if you’re looking for the only indoor rowing pool in Ireland, Limerick is really for you.
Before deciding, check out the ins and outs of getting a degree in Ireland, as well as other well-regarded schools like Maynooth or Galway.
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Jessica Share
Jessica is the writer, Ph.D., and mom-of-an-abroad-student-in-the-UK at the helm of College Abroad Guides. When she's not asking college students where the coolest place to hang out in their city is, she's figuring out how she can make $60 imported Greek oregano potato chips and £50 British bacon potato chips appear on her doorstep for the cost of a local bag of Lay's.
