Masters Study in Ireland – 2025

Ireland is home to over 24,000 international students and prides itself on being the land of ‘Céad Míle Fáilte' (one hundred thousand welcomes). If you decide to study a Masters in Ireland, you’ll be benefitting from Ireland’s investment in academic enterprise and the celebrated partnerships between universities and industry.

With well-known companies making Ireland the hub of their EMEA operations (Google, HP, Apple, IBM, Facebook, Pfizer, GSK and Genzyme to name a few), there are ample opportunities for graduate employment, and you can take advantage of the generous two-year work visa.

Ireland also has a rich cultural heritage, so if you're an aspiring humanities Masters student, you will find yourself in the homeland of figures like James Joyce, Oscar Wilde and Jonathan Swift.

• Quality of education – Ireland is renowned for the quality of its education and is home to some of the top 200 universities in the world. Ireland’s oldest University is Trinity College Dublin, while TU (Technological University) Dublin was the first of Ireland’s exciting new technological universities.
• Career opportunities – Ireland has a busy job market that offers post-study work opportunities for graduates in almost all fields. International students can take advantage of a two-year work visa following graduation.
• History and Culture – Ireland is steeped in culture with beautiful historical buildings, stunning scenery and dramatic landscapes as well as a thriving social scene.
• Research opportunities – Universities in Ireland are some of the top research institutes in the world. Masters students get to be part of world- renowned research programmes which prepare them for a PhD, if they choose to do one.
• Close to Europe – Ireland’s proximity to the rest of Europe makes it a popular study destination. Ireland is within an hour or two travel from most of the major European cities.

Masters course in Ireland

A typical Masters course in Ireland is one year of full-time study. However, some research-focused programmes can last for up to two years. Some universities also offer work placements which can also make the study period longer.

The academic year in Ireland is similar to that in the UK. It is divided into two teaching semesters from September to December and then from January to June. You, then, begin work on your independent research project or your dissertation in the third semester. Students usually use the long summer break in July and August to write their dissertation.

If you’re studying a Masters in Ireland, you might also be planning to pursue a PhD in the future. Some students opt for a Masters by Research (MRes) in the first instance, and either continue onto a subsequent doctoral programme in the same field or upgrade their status after reaching a certain point in their Masters.

MRes degrees are more focused on a long research project but some taught units may take place in the opening stage.

Ireland is part of the European Higher Education Area and follows the Bologna system. This means that Irish Masters degrees are recognised and accepted internationally. It also means that a Masters course in Ireland is a ‘second-cycle’ course and requires you to have a Bachelors (first-cycle) degree.

If Masters study in Ireland sounds like the right fit for you, we have more information on applications, fees, funding and visas below.