University College Cork - Overview

About University of College Cork 

The University College Cork, commonly known as the UCC, was established in 1845. It is one of Ireland's leading research institutes. UCC owes its iconic status to the fact that it is the first university globally that was conferred with the international green flag for environmental consciousness. University College Cork began as one of the three Queen's colleges in Belfast, Cork, and Galway for the advancement of Education in Ireland, focusing on the disciplines of medicine, arts, and law. Subsequently, the college came under the Queen's University of Ireland. University College Cork is an award-winning institution with an unparalleled history of independent thinking and innovation dating back to over 170 years. UCC is ranked in the top 2% of universities in the world, having a student population of over 22,500.

University of College Cork Campus

University of College Cork’s Campus was initially set on 42 acres of wooded ground, only a 10-minute walk from Cork City Centre as a higher education institution in Munster. Over the years, the expansion of the campus took place by the acquisition of adjacent buildings and property. This expansion and  continued with the opening of the Alfred O'Rahilly building in the 1990s, the Cavanagh Pharmacy building, the Brookfield Health Sciences centre, the extended DeVere Hall, the Lewis Glucksman Gallery in 2004, Experience UCC (Visitors' Centre), etc.

University of College Cork Rankings

• The Academic Ranking of World Universities, also called the Shanghai Ranking, has constantly placed UCC at 401-500 in its universities ranking. 
• QS (Top universities Ranking) has improved UCC's position to 286th rank for 2021 in its world university ranking.
•  THE (Times Higher Education) has kept UCC consistently at 301-350 since 2019 in its best university ranking.

University of College Cork Students

University of College Cork has around 19,000 students taking their undergraduate and postgraduate programs currently. Every Year, UCC has an annual intake of over 20,000 students coming from more than 104 countries though the college originally started in 1849 with 23 professors and 181 students; Medicine, Arts, and Law were the three founding faculties.

University of College Cork Faculty

University of College Cork has an esteemed and experienced panel of Faculty that contribute to its rising ranks and educational advancement. The faculty is chosen after a competitive evaluation of Qualification and Skill Tests. The Irish Minister for Further and Higher Education, Simon Harris TD, has announced the appointment of Professor Claire Connolly of UCC to the Irish Research Council for a period of three years.

University of College Cork Achievements and Rewards

University of College Cork has been continuously named the Irish University of the Year by The Sunday Times since 2017. UCC was also named as top-performing university by the European Commission-funded U-Multirank system, based on obtaining the highest number among a field of 1200 universities also became the first university to achieve the ISO 50001 standard for clean electricity and energy management in 2011. University College Cork (UCC) is an internationally competitive, research-led university that plays an important role in Ireland’s financial growth of the knowledge-based economy. It is in accordance with the revolutionary  Government strategies including the Strategy for Higher Education to 2030 (Hunt Report), and Strategy for Research and Development, Science and Technology, Innovation 2020.

University of College Cork Scholarships

University College Cork offers numerous scholarships for international students. UCC awards 1,000 scholarships annually to domestic and international students across all fields of study.

• The Government of Ireland and the College of Business and Law work in collaboration, UCC offers scholarships for Indian students for the one-year Masters integrated Research Course. Apart from the Irish Government funding the scholarships, there are several private institutions that offer academic and financial support to students studying at the university.
• Merit-based scholarships are available for students applying to the Departments of Science, Engineering, Food Science and other research-based courses. Applicants can get a 20% fee concession in tuition fee if they succeed to have a First-Class Honours or equivalent,  a flat EUR 1,000 off the tuition fee for UCC Second Class Honours, Lower Division or equivalent. Most UCC colleges offer this scholarship, but the amount and courses might differ accordingly. 

University of College Cork Highlights

How to Apply to the University of College Cork?

Step 1: As a new user applying to the university, create an account at the UG/PG Portal of University College Cork.

Step 2: Fill in the necessary details accurately to set up your account, store your login details carefully.

Step 3: Now, click confirm to ‘Create Application’.

 Step 4: Students can create an application by providing the necessary details about their program by following the instructions on-screen. They will have to submit certain course-specific documents. The time taken by the university to revert with an update on an application is three to five weeks from the submission of an application.

University College Cork offers 130 undergraduate and 220 corresponding postgraduate courses. UCC’s School of Applied Sciences offers four doctoral degrees, namely MPhil/PhD, PhD (Doctorate in Social Science) and PhD in Social Work. The university offers PhD programs in 25 specialist areas of research. International applicants can apply directly to the UCC International Office using the UCC Online Application System. However, for Medicine and Dentistry courses, applicants need to submit their applications through designated UCC agents only. For more information on this, applicants can contact the university directly or its agents

Eligibility for University of College Cork

 Indian applicants need to fulfill academic and language-proficiency eligibility. Aspirants must have completed Grade 12 from the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Council for Indian School Certificate Examination (CISCE), or any other recognized state board. The minimum percentage of marks required programs depend on the Band or category of courses, such as:

• For Band 1 programs, the minimum score requirement is 90% or above.
• For Band 2 programs, the minimum aggregate must be 80-89%.
• For Band 3 programs, 75-79% is required.
• In programs where Maths is specifically required, the minimum aggregate in Maths should not be less than 85%.
• UG applicants must present any English proficiency scores (IELTS 6.5, TOEFL 90). 

Admission Requirements for University of College Cork

International applicants need to submit their academic transcripts from previously attended academic institutions, citing qualifications and areas of study. These transcripts should in English, then these need to be translated into English by certified institutions. English score reports need to be directly sent to the university via credible resources.

At the time of application, these substantial documents will be required apart from course-specific supplements:

• Birth certificate published by a Country-specific government organisation or the photo page of the passport
• Two academic references from credible sources
• Statement of Purpose (SOP)
• Up to Date Resume 
• Financial documents/ Loan Approval

Masters at University of College Cork

University of College Cork offers Masters programs in Medicine, Environmental Research and Humanities, among others. Indian aspirants must hold a Bachelor’s degree equivalent to an Irish Degree from a recognized university or institution. The university has divided entry requirements for all programs into categories called 2H2, 2H1, and 1H. Aspirants are advised to check the University website for minimum marks requirement as per program or course.

Bachelors at University of College Cork

University of College Cork offers Undergraduate programs in all streams and specializations in research.  Students need to have academic excellence and English proficiency to secure a seat at UCC. Applicants are offered Bachelors in Arts, Commerce, Science, and Medicine. The University of College Cork’s most popular courses includes BSc in Agriculture, Biotechnology, Biochemistry, etc. 

MBA in University of College Cork

The Masters in Business Administration course is unique to the University of College Cork, incorporating both taught courses and action research, and using corporate theory and analysis explicitly applied to business. Through the focused taught courses and conducting research, learn how to explain and apply theories, empirical methods, and analytical tools that are applicable and transferable to a range of fundamental business issues. In this course, applicants will develop proficiencies that are required to support business analysis, human resource management and managerial decision-making. These skills include communication skills (written and oral), analytical and evaluation skills and team-working skills. Market research has indicated that such skills are very highly rated by employers.

Life at University of College Cork

University College Cork is a globally acclaimed university and the oldest running institution in Ireland. The beautiful campus and the inviting Irish friendliness draw over 3000 domestic & International students from 104 countries. Cork is the second-largest and southernmost country of Ireland, located near the south coast of Ireland, which has pleasant weather throughout the year. The city is vibrant and loaded with activities. The city provides a lot of utilities for the youth as it has a lot of parks, galleries, shops, restaurants, theatres and historic buildings. Students are never short of leisure options. It provides endless recreation & entertainment like plays, concerts, exhibitions, shopping and festivals.

The city has a wide range of pubs, clubs, and music cafes. Live music and classic tunes can be found in places like The Bowery, The Cork Opera House, to name a few. Cork is also popularly known as the Food Capital of Ireland, the English Market is worth visiting as you get to taste the local Irish food along with some international flavours that international students keep searching for. Apart from the English market being an attraction for tourists, there is the Cork City Gaol, the last port call for the infamous Titanic or Blarney Castle that draws the attention of the tourists.

Accommodation at University of College Cork

UCC’s main campus is just a kilometer’s drive from the City Centre, which is a lively city with a lot of student homes. On-Campus Accommodation is a great option too as UCC has the first campus in the world to be awarded the Green Campus Flag by the Foundation of Environmental Education. The university is made up of various academic schools and departments that offer degree-granting programs and have different hostels. 

University of College Cork On-Campus Accommodation 

Accommodation is available on-campus in all 5 residential villages, with Wi-Fi facility. The complexes have a large kitchen and lounging area in each apartment. Daily cleaning and self-catering service options are available, paid. 

The 5 residential villages are University hall and Victoria Lodge (10 minutes from the main campus). The Castle White apartments are in line with the university’s main campus; the complex accommodates 298 students, and there are no suite bedrooms. The Mardyke Hall has over 14 apartments with a total of 48 bedrooms. The apartments are located in an attractive courtyard which is a minutes’ walk from the main campus and Cork city center. Aras Ui Thuama village is situated close to the Lee parks. This block contains nine apartments with two, three, and four bedrooms. All communities have facilities for students with disabilities and special needs. 

UCC campus accommodation is for students who live more than 45 km from the campus. A mail is sent to successful applicants regarding the information about their dorm rooms. Successful applicants should confirm their apartment within a week and pay a security deposit of €300 for booking. You can pay the fees in two installments.

University of College Cork Off-Campus Accommodation

Off-campus accommodations are available for international and domestic students. These apartments are situated close to the university and cater perfectly to the needs of the students.  

• The residence type comprises a studio style apartment which consists of 3, 4, 5-bed apartments
• Apartments are safe and soundproof for students.
• Each unit offers self-service laundry, Wi-Fi, 24-hr warden service for the students.
• The apartments are well-maintained with a living room and a fully furnished kitchen.

The rent off-campus is a minimum of € 200 and a maximum of € 800

Placement at University of College Cork 

University of College Cork conducts campus placements which result in successful recruitments for their graduate students in major companies like Xerox, Apple, IBM, Dell, Intel, Accenture, Ernst and Young, Credit Suisse, Deloitte, McKinsey & Company, Amazon to name a few. 

University of College Cork Notable Alumni 

Irish mathematician Des MacHale is a renowned researcher on George Boole and is a proud alumnus of UCC.