Ireland is a small island country off the coast of Europe. And it is known for its beautiful green countryside, fascinating history, and friendly people. Ireland has one of the best education systems in the world and there are many reasons to study here. So, is it a good idea to study in Ireland? In this post, we will find out if it’s worth studying in Ireland for Indian students. Additionally, we will also find out how are the job prospects, overall study experience, and ROI.
Study in Ireland for Indian Students
Ireland is the only English-speaking country in the European Union after Brexit. According to the Irish Universities Association, over 32,000 international students enrolled in the universities of Ireland, with over 2000 students from India every year.
The Indian community in Ireland has been growing steadily over the past 30 years and currently numbers over 40,000. The majority of Indians in Ireland are well-educated professionals working in the ICT, Pharma, Finance, Healthcare, Education, etc.
Is it Worth Studying in Ireland for Indian Students?
In the last 5 years, I got the opportunity to work with a few students who went to study in Ireland.
Here are my thoughts and tips for the Study in Ireland aspirants:
- Ireland is a great destination to study abroad. However, the job prospects are not the same for all subjects.
- It’s a small country. So, the competition to find a job will be there. You need to be proactive and strategic with your job search process.
- The admission process for Irish universities is pretty straightforward (at least not complex like other countries like the US or Canada – GRE/GMAT or finding a potential supervisor). However, you cannot afford complacency. There are only a few large universities and a few niche courses are extremely competitive to get into.
- Job prospects are excellent for courses like Computer Science, Data Science, Business Analytics, Digital or Interactive Media. However, for non-tech candidates, finding a job could be a grueling process.
- Choosing the right university and the right program are very important in a small country like Ireland.
- Many agents would lure you with the 2-year Post-Study Work Permit and Permanent Residency options. However, you need to be vigilant and do your research yourself.
Advantages of Studying in Ireland for Indian Students
- Great ROI; the overall cost is pretty nominal in comparison to the UK, Canada, and the US.
- Shorter course duration
- 2-year Post-Study Work Permit
- With low corporate taxes, Dublin is the home of EMEA Headquarters of Tech Giants (Google, Amazon, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Accenture, HP, Microsoft, IBM) and many startups.
- Straightforward and flexible Permanent Residency (PR) options
Study in Ireland Cost
Tuition Fee (Per Year)
- Arts and humanities: €10,000 – €16,500 (INR 8 – 14 Lacs)
- Business: €10,000 – €16,000 (INR 8 – 14 Lacs)
- Engineering: €10,000 – €21,600 (INR 8 – 17 Lacs)
- Medicine: €31,000 – €50,000 (INR 25 – 42 Lacs)
- Sciences: €10,000 – €21,600 (INR 8 – 17 Lacs)
Living Expenses (Per Year): INR 7 – 10 Lacs
There are about 200 merit-based scholarships on offer directly from the HEIs, ranging from 10% to 50% fee waivers, across all disciplines.
Best Courses to Study in Ireland for Jobs
Business Analytics
There is a demand for business analysts across industries including IT companies, banks, e-commerce, telecom, etc. as every sector is looking for people who can support and enhance their operations.
For an entry-level business analytics graduate, the average salary in Ireland is €40,000 per annum, while an experienced employee can earn up to € 52,000 per annum. In fact, for three consecutive years, Glassdoor ranked data analyst and data scientist as the best job of the year in Ireland with approx. €50,000 as the salary of Business Analytics graduates.
Investment Banking and Finance
A number of the world’s leading investment banks and asset management companies operate in Dublin, which has increased the demand for people who can work particularly in the risk and compliance department. Given this, there are many opportunities for students to work in the finance and investment banking departments. Barclays and Bank of America Merrill Lynch are some prominent employers are based in Ireland.
The average salary of a finance graduate in Ireland depends upon the profession opted for. For example, the average yearly salary of a Financial Analyst is €42,000, Investment Analyst is €34,000, Fund Accountant is €29,000, Associate – Investment Banking is €44,000, Risk Analyst is €39,000, Credit Risk Analyst is €32,000 and Financial Accountant is €49,000.
Data Science
With many major IT companies being based in Dublin, it has opened doors for all the international tech students who wish to work with such MNCs. This course talks about multiple areas such as statistics, mathematics, intelligent data capture techniques, data cleansing, mining, and programming to prepare and align big data for intelligent analysis to extract insights and information. This structure helps the companies to work on leads and gain more profits.
An entry-level Data Scientist with less than one year of experience can expect an average total compensation of €36,000 per annum approx. (including tips, bonus, and overtime pay).
Pharmaceutical Sciences
Ireland is recognized as a popular pharmaceutical European location. The country’s pharma industry is a balanced mix of international and local companies, wherein 120 are foreign players with manufacturing set up in Ireland. This also includes 9 out of the 10 largest pharma companies in the world.
Pharmaceutical Science degree courses comprise the study of biochemistry, physiology, pharmacology, toxicology, and analytical and medicinal chemistry, which develop the skills required for individual and collaborative research in various pharmaceutical areas such as drug development.
Top companies include Temmler, Kerry Group, Astellas, Metpro, and Southern Scientific, as well as global companies Johnson and Johnson, Roche, Pfizer, and many more.
Pharmacovigilance Officers (graduate level) can expect average salaries that range from €28,000 to €55,000 per annum for drug safety associates. For a senior manager, the average salary is €50000 per annum (i.e., usually, after M.Sc. Pharma in Ireland). If you opt to be a Pharmacist, then the salary ranges from €31,000 to €40,000 yearly on an average.
Other Top Subjects to Study in Ireland
- Medicine
- Digital and Interactive Media
- Construction Management
- Renewable Energy Engineering
Top Universities to Study in Ireland for Indian Students
Ireland has 33 higher education institutions represented by the Education in Ireland brand, There are a significant number of students in the main four cities in Ireland, namely, Dublin, the capital city, as well as Cork, Limerick, and Galway.
There are also a growing number of students choosing to study at higher education institutions in Ireland’s regional cities and towns, such as Waterford, Athlone, Dundalk, and Letterkenny.
Top Universities in Ireland
- Trinity College Dublin
- University College Dublin
- National University of Ireland, Galway
- University College Cork
- Dublin City University
- University of Limerick
- Maynooth University
- TU Dublin
Best Universities and Top Courses to Study in Ireland for Jobs
- Best Universities for Business Analytics in Ireland: National University of Ireland, UCD, UCC, University of Limerick
- Best Universities for Finance in Ireland: UCD, National University of Ireland, University of Maynooth, University of Limerick, DCU
- Top Universities for Data Science in Ireland: UCC, Trinity College Dublin, DCU
- Best Universities for Computer Science in Ireland: Trinity College Dublin, UCD, UCC, Maynooth University
- Best Universities in Ireland for Pharmaceutical Sciences: UCD, National University of Ireland, Trinity College Dublin, TU Dublin
- Top Universities for MBA in Ireland: UCD, Trinity College Dublin, TU Dublin, DCU
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What Do Indian Alumni Say about their Study in Ireland Experience
Susmita Bhowmick [MSc Information Systems, UCD (2018 – 2019) | Technology Analysts at Citi]
It’s been good so far. I definitely would suggest Ireland for studies but I gotta say covid had an impact on the quality of education or lectures they used to provide… People may not feel as engaged or as impressed as earlier.
My friend is here currently studying business management. He didn’t like his course at all plus obviously, Ireland has more technical jobs he feels than non-tech jobs. There are sponsorships but then those are hard to get when it comes to non-technical jobs.
So, yeah there are challenges for some and covid did leave an impact on the way things are done here.
But, overall nothing too bad I would say.. at least Ireland has activities like job fairs universities are opening up so maybe it will get better!
Advice for Study in Ireland Aspirants
- I would suggest Ireland but I would also say they should be open to other Schengen countries to have broader access if they wish.
- The language barrier is one thing that Ireland doesn’t have so in that way its best amongst the rest of Europe
- Plus two years is enough time to find a job if you wish to stick around.
Read Susmita’s application and scholarship story.
Long-term Stay in Ireland for Foreign Graduates
I am currently on PR in Ireland. That is called Stamp 4.
If you work on a critical skill visa for two years you are allowed to apply for PR. Else if you work on a Stamp 1G graduate visa I think you have to wait till 4 years before you apply for PR. Read more about the immigration and visa categories in Ireland.
Praneet Dhingra [MSc Data Science and Analytics, UCC (2019 – 2020) | Data Scientist, Kitman Labs]
Post-masters, honestly speaking I haven’t been able to experience it yet because of the pandemic. However, recently, I got a data scientist position.
I chose Ireland for a specific reason, and for me, it has been fantastic. I was able to get a good job right after completing my studies and in terms of growth, I was also able to make a career switch as well as a job switch recently with a considerable jump in my position and pay scale.
So all in all I would say I’m pretty content with the RoI. Coming to the pov for studies, they could have been way better. What we studied did get me into the field but in the end, a lot depended on what market skills I had.
At present, I’d suggest probably going to the UK. The two things Ireland had better were the stay back couple years visa and the cost. Now the UK offers the same stay back which is really cool, and it is costly but if a student grasps a good scholarship, they might just get in the run.
Advice for Study in Ireland Aspirants
One noting point would be the accommodation crisis one faces here. It doesn’t seem important at the time of applying, but it does play a huge role. You either end up paying insane costs (almost the same as your education fee for a year) for a single room, or you either end up sharing a room, which could hamper your studies.
Universities outside of Dublin aren’t that exciting, and Dublin is massively into a crisis and thus is expensive. These costs tend to add up roughly to the overall costs in the UK. The UK offers much more opportunities and growth which is why that is always a good bet.
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So, it is really doomed for Non-Tech candidates? Let’s find out Arpan’s story!
Arpan Mitra [MSc Interactive Media, University of Limerick (2016 – 2017) | Global CRM Lifecycle Manager, Uber]
Arpan studied Interactive Media at the University of Limerick. Apart from creative skills, Arpan also picked up Tech skills, which helped him landing up multiple internships and job opportunities at Tech companies. Read how Arpan made a career transition by combining tech and creativity.
I have been evangelizing to pick up Tech skills for a long time. Read How AI and Digital Transformation Creating Jobs for Arts & Humanities Graduates and How to Boost Arts & Creative Careers by Leveraging AI.
Featured Image Source: India Education Diary