Program Reviews

Global-Minds is an Erasmus Mundus master's program meaning that it's a master's funded by Erasmus+ and hosted by different European universities. The University of Limerick is one of them. As part of the program, you move between the semesters and study at different universities. The program created many great opportunities for me. I got to focus on social and cultural psychology - there's only a few master programs in Europe that focus on those topics. I got to learn about psychological concepts like social identity, intersectionality, coping, resilience, sense of belonging and about societal structures like xenophobia, racism and sexism. Overall, I gained understanding in societal processes, barriers to social justice, possible interventions and social-justice-oriented psychological research. With its staff, alumni/ae and students, the program has created a great network of passionate psychologists. Students have the opportunity to connect with diverse researchers which can create future career opportunities. Especially in the second year of the program, students have a lot of freedom and individual responsibilities to create learning opportunities. So I would say the program requires individual responsibility and self-initiative as well as the ability to cope with stress because moving across countries, applying for visas, joining new universities, interacting with more or less open-minded professors, organising an internship by yourself and writing a master's thesis in a foreign language can be very challenging. On the other hand, it also means that the program creates a lot of space to learn about yourself, test your boundaries, try out new hobbies, meet new people, gain new perspectives, make friends and develop new coping strategies. Therefore, despite the challenges within the program, it can be a great experience, like it was for me. I've learnt a lot and I've grown a lot throughout the program which is why I would recommend it to many people. However, students should be aware of the challenges they might encounter cause the program isn't for everyone.

The study abroad team at the University of Limerick will make sure you are set up for success during your time on their campus through the first week's orientation sessions. On-campus student accommodation is fully furnished, satisfactory, and centrally located. UL has numerous student clubs and societies to get involved in, and a very lively on-campus pub scene. The campus also offers scenic walks along the River Shannon and several on-campus cafes for studying or meeting with friends. Courses are medium sized and professors make themselves available for questions and support.

I have fantastic experiences during I study at University of Limerick, Ireland. At that time, I joined IISMA (Indonesian International Student Mobility Awards) programme that is held by the Ministry of Education of Indonesia. I chose University of Limerick as the host university. When I arrived there for the first time, I felt very glad. I could see the environment, campus life, destination place, and campus society were very interesting. The environment is super good. The citizen are so much friendly. Although we do not know each other, but on the street when we met people, they gave smile! The destination places to visit are also interesting. I sent the picture here. The last one is the campus society. It is also so much interesting because we can share our experiences each other and improve our communication skill because we met many international students that come from different countries. I suggest student to do study abroad programme at University of Limerick, Ireland. You will get unforgettable moment there!

Studying at the University of Limerick (or UL for short) is an unforgettable experience. The campus buildings, layout, and facilities are top-notch. Lots of greeneries and open spaces, conducive for studying. The classes are structured & organized, and the lecturers were accommodating of their students.

UL provides a diverse environment for learning and socializing, especially with lots of international students arriving each semester and the wide array of clubs & societies that you can join.

One thing I really like is the International Office Team! My student's cohort was managed by the Study Abroad Team, and they are the ultimate reasons why my study in UL was so smooth. They are so kind, helpful, fast response, and go to great lengths to help the students. They:
• helped us prepare our study visa
• answered each of our queries in a timely manner
• helped us secure student accommodations
• set up administration appointments for us when we need it
• arranged free trips for us
• helped us set up a local bank account
• organized dinners/lunch, helping us meet and socialize with fellow international students
• provided virtual reception for us to drop in and ask questions we might have
• set up virtual meetings to answer our queries or brief us on important information
• reminded us of events going on in Limerick and Ireland
• arranged bus transport to pick us up from and to Dublin Airport
• and many, many more!

In short, they provided assistance from the beginning of our pre-departure until our last minute in Ireland. As an international student, it’s important to have people you can go to for questions, especially if you’re from a faraway country and have lots to acclimatize to. The Study Abroad/International Office Team has been a great help during my stay in Ireland. They went to a great length to help the students, and I can’t thank them enough for that. No wonder UL was voted for the Best Student Experience; they really live up to the title!

All in all, studying at UL as an international student was highly satisfying. Before this, I’d always had doubts about continuing to a master's degree, but after finishing my student exchange in UL, it cemented my decision to take a master's degree someday.

I can confidently say that doing a student exchange at UL does change my life for the better. The four months I spent in UL have easily been the best time of my life. If you’re looking for an authentic study abroad experience, I really recommend this university! 😊

I spend the fall term 2021 at UL and it was the best term I ever had.
UL has so much to offer: a huge campus (my advice: take a walk from UL along the river Shannon), sports facilities (track and field, tennis, swimming pool...), several restaurants/bars on campus, a huge variety of courses to choose from (one can even try modules such as irish traditional music & dance and aerial dance! - I loved these two modules), a modern library with loads of books and a cool roboter and many statues everywhere on campus.
There are also many clubs and societies. I tried cheerleading, the trampoline club, the outdoor persuits club and the arts & crafts society - I'm sure everybody will find something and it's a great way to meet irish and other international students. I met students from Spain, France, Indonesia, the USA, Germany, Hungary...... - from all around the world :)
Apart from that, there are daytrips to various places that take place almost every weekend and only cost 30 € (which is a great price for what you get). UL studentlife also organized a christmas market, a christmas ball, a halloween mistery game and many more fun activities throughout the semester.
From the beginning on, the study abroad team was incredibly nice and made sure that everybody was doing fine. They also organized various events: a study abroad dinner, a trip to bunratty castle and they offered us tickets to some concerts and movies at the university concert hall. They really cared about the wellbeing of the international students and were fun to talk to. It's small details such as these that make UL the best place to study at and really set it apart from other universities. I had the time of my life at UL and would recommend it to all other students who want to study abroad!

It was wonderful and it allowed me to socialize a lot. The UL membership to UL sport arena was really nice and I discovered a new passion ! Classes and exams were well organized, even if it was pretty hard to make my own timetable, I had to do some choices in order to have 5 modules per week, and then the teachers can change the timetable of each module, and it’s even more complicated. However, it was a nice semester and I really liked the campus and all it’s facilities. Also, Thomond village employees were really nice, especially at the reception, thank you !

The University of Limerick is a fantastic place to study abroad. The campus is very scenic and peaceful. The on-campus accommodation is very nice! I had a private bedroom and bathroom with a shared living room and kitchen. The pictures on the website do not do the spaces justice. They look quite small online but are actually spacious in person. Coming from an American university a few things surprised me:

1. The multiple bars on campus - This is something I never experienced back home and is a shame. The on-campus bars are a great time and place to meet new people. Expect a big drinking culture in Ireland.
2. The Irish students mostly go home on the weekends - Truthfully, the campus is a bit dead on the weekends. However, the study abroad office does its best to make your time at UL meaningful. Every weekend they organized day trips around Ireland to keep you busy.
3. The student clubs are a big deal - The student clubs here are amazing! I personally joined Outdoor Pursuits where I went hiking and rock climbing. I met some of my best friends through the club and highly recommend it to anyone who wants to explore Ireland's nature and stay active.

The MA Songwriting was exactly the program I was looking for when I found it. I was given the tools I needed to develop my skills as a songwriter and the space I needed to develop my voice as an artist. Carl Corcoran was an amazing supervisor who was always available to offer assistance or support. I had the opportunity to perform, to record, and to collaborate across multiple artistic disciplines. The people in my program became close friends who I still talk to and collaborate with, even years after the program has ended.

I went to UL from 2015-2016 on a study abroad from Texas State University to explore Ireland and see the rest of the EU and I genuinely credit the experience to shaping what my world view is today.

I played rugby, surfed, hiked the peaks of multiple counties, and drank and laughed at the largest and smallest pubs in the country while getting to learn and work with one of the most diverse cohorts in all of Ireland. I plan to go back once every few years just to hike and have fun with old friends.

I enjoyed my time there so much, I went back to get my MSc from 2019-2020! My second experience had me living in the city, away from campus for a year and to this day I get remarks on how it has made my resume/CV stand out amongst the crowd.

I studied abroad in Limerick,, Ireland, in Spring 2019 and Fall 2019. Study abroad is undoubtedly a fun experience but what we sometimes forget is that it is also a journey towards becoming a global citizen. This hard-fought journey exposes us to the lights and shadows of this world. My study abroad university, the University of Limerick, Ireland, ranks number 2 for international student happiness. Immersing myself in the diversity of the University, I was able to form a global network spanning from the west to the east.

One of my absolute favorite things was the mixture of roommates I had in the house included in the package price. I had roommates from Sweden, Australia, Nigeria, Dubai, and different parts of the US and India. Small moments of awkwardness were the biggest learning opportunities. This has given me the privilege to travel like a local with friends I made worldwide.

On a less deep note, the myriad of courses available makes it very easy to select courses and stay on track for graduation. Moreover, a lot of Americans were shocked by the minimal pressure of work. Most of the grades are focused on one or two big projects or exams instead of a cumulative approach.

Lastly, the weather in Ireland is always a bittersweet debate with my friends. As a fan of rainy weather, Ireland is my haven. However, I agree that it does make walking to classes and traveling a bit hectic at times but still eventful. Overall, this was indeed a life-changing experience.