Trinity College, Dublin

This 420-year-old college is Ireland’s most famous and oldest higher education institution included among the seven ancient universities of Britain and Ireland

Founded in 1592, Trinity College, Dublin (TCD) is Ireland’s oldest and most prestigious higher education institution. The 420-year-old college is top-ranked in Ireland and 65th globally in the QS World University Rankings 2011 while the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2011 ranks it 117. Its three faculties — arts, humanities and social sciences; engineering, mathematics and sciences; health sciences — comprise 24 schools which offer a wide range of degree and diploma programmes at both under-graduate and postgrad levels to 16,837 students from 122 countries worldwide. A distinctive feature of a TCD undergraduate degree is its four years duration, making the undergrad programme at Trinity closer to the US model than to universities in England and Ireland.

“Trinity College has a number of important priorities for its students. Each incoming student is assigned a tutor, a member of the academic staff, who is there to advise and help if any personal problem arises. This tutorial system is unique in Ireland. In addition, a student-to-student mentoring programme for first-year students has been initiated. Students benefit from a scholar-teacher model where they have the opportunity of being taught by world-leading experts in their fields. Offering a unique educational experience across a range of disciplines in the arts, humanities, engineering, science, human, social and health sciences, TCD’s curriculum is aimed not just at acquiring knowledge but at developing critical thinking and facilitating research at every stage of the undergraduate programme,” says Patrick Prendergast, provost of TCD.

Uniquely, TCD is the sole constituent college of the University of Dublin, unlike Oxford and Cambridge — after which it was modelled — who affiliate several constituent colleges. Thus Trinity College, Dublin and University of Dublin are  synonymous for all practical purposes. One of the seven ancient universities of Britain and Ireland, TCD boasts several famous alumni including writers Oscar Wilde and Samuel Beckett; scientists William Rowan Hamilton and E.T.S. Walton, who won the Nobel Prize for his work on the atom, as well as two Irish presidents and numerous industry leaders.

The most productive internationally-recognised research institution in Ireland, TCD also hosts several research centres and an Innovation Centre which encourages pedagogic innov-ations, offers consultancy services, patenting advice and research infor-mation, and facilitates the establish-ment and operation of industrial laboratories and promotion of campus companies.

Dublin. With its numerous parks, museums and historical sites, Dublin (pop. 1.2 million) — the capital of the Republic of Ireland — has much to offer students. Among the historic landmarks in the city are Dublin Castle (1230 AD), Spire of Dublin, Anna Liva monument and Christ Church Cathedral. Moreover, Dublin has more green spaces per sq. km than any other European capital, with 97 percent of its residents within 300 metres of a park area. Popular parks include the Phoenix, Herbert and St. Stephen’s Green. The city hosts an eclectic mix of museums, art galleries, theatres and musical venues, offering a rich selection of cultural events, and is dotted with pubs, restaurants and shops.

Ireland is infamous for rain. And it does rain copiously in Dublin. Umbrellas are vital for survival as are jumpers, jackets and woolens. In winter, temperatures fluctuate between freezing, cold and bearable — ranging between -5-15°C. In summer, temperatures rise to 15-25°C.

Campus facilities. The TCD campus is situated in the heart of Dublin. The 47-acre campus of cobbled squares, historic buildings and green playing fields, offers state-of-the-art academic and sports facilities. Among them, the Science Gallery, Nanoscience Research Centre, Long Room Hub, the new Biomedical Sciences Institute, Samuel Beckett Centre and the Douglas Hyde Gallery.

Yet perhaps the greatest attraction of TCD is its awe-inspiring library — the largest research library in Ireland, with collections built up since the university’s foundation in the 16th century and supplemented by the Legal Deposit of UK and Irish publications for over 200 years. The collection includes 4.5 million printed volumes, almost 300,000 electronic books and journals and extensive compendiums of literary, historical and political manuscripts, including the Book of Kells (illuminated gospel in Latin written by Celtic monks in 800 AD) and the country’s largest collection of maps and printed music. The library’s reading rooms sprawl across several buildings, many of which are architecturally splendid in their own right. For instance, TCD’s Old Library (estb.1732) is one of Ireland’s most famous tourist attractions.

TCD boasts a state-of-the-art Sports Centre on campus with a number of outdoor sports sites. The Sports Centre houses a swimming pool, sauna and steam rooms, fitness theatre, holistic treatment rooms and two large sports halls featuring basketball, badminton, and volleyball courts. Also on campus are squash and tennis courts, a futsal pitch, rugby, soccer and cricket pitches and a grass athletics track in summer. Off campus, there are extensive playing fields at Santry and the Trinity Boat Club has its boathouse on the River Liffey at Islandbridge.

Moreover, students can expect an eventful social and cultural life with 100 student societies organising a host of activities through the year.

Admission. The minimum eligibility requirement for admission into an undergraduate programme at Trinity is successful completion of Plus Two. Overseas students must also submit proof of proficiency in English language — TOEFL score of 570;  Cambridge Proficiency Grade C; Cambridge Advanced Grade A; IELTS score of 6.5 and a Pearson Test of English (Academic) score of 63 are acceptable. In addition some undergraduate study programmes mandate specific entry requirements. Students who don’t meet the minimum admission criteria have the option to apply for the International Foundation Year before progressing to selected study programmes. All applications for undergraduate degree programmes, excluding medicine, dental science (deadline February 1), should be sent to the International Office no later than June 1.

For further information, contact The International Office, East Theatre, Trinity College, Dublin 2. Tel: +353 1 896 3150, Fax: +353 1 677 1698. E-mail: international@tcd.ie; website: www.tcd.ie/international.

Accommodation. University accommodation is provided at Trinity Hall, a short walk from the campus. There are over 1,000 residential rooms at Trinity Hall with a significant number reserved for new undergrads. Rooms are arranged into self-catering apartments, with each typically accommodating six individuals, and comprise a mix of single and twin en-suite bedrooms with large kitchens and living room. All rooms are centrally heated. Residents of Trinity Hall also become members of the Junior Common Room which organises a range of extra-curricular activities. Limited housing is available on the Trinity College campus with rooms reserved for final year students and Trinity scholars. Private accommodation is also an option for students wanting to live off campus.

Degree programmes. TCD’s three faculties — arts, humanities and social sciences; engineering, mathe-matics and sciences; health sciences — offer over 400 undergrad and a wide range of postgrad and doctoral progra-mmes (see box). Moreover, the college offers the option to pursue ‘broad curriculum’ courses in 17 subjects (e.g literature, film studies, art and society, etc), and optional language courses.

Summiya Yasmeen