Have you considered spending a year of study abroad at one of our partner universities in Europe or North America! The study-abroad option offers geography students (Single Honours, Double Honours, Major-Minor) an opportunity to switch from the 3-year BA degree to the 4-year BA International with students spending their third year abroad and returning to NUIM to complete their final year. In addition to North American universities, many universities in continental Europe now teach through English. Geography students might consider, in particular, the University of Amsterdam, the University of Lund, the University of Arizona and the University of Kentucky with which our department has strong links.

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Want to study abroad?

One of the greatest opportunities presented at university is the possibility of spending an academic year in a university overseas. At NUI Maynooth, a wide range of destinations in Europe and North America are available to students through the Erasmus programme and international bilateral exchange agreements. Not only does the study-abroad option provide students with greater diversity in terms of your academic experience but it also exposes students to different cultures and to different administrative, social, economic and political systems, experience which can be a significant advantage when seeking employment after college. For geography students, the study-abroad option is particularly relevant where students can gain practical experience of subjects covered in lecture modules. For more information, visit the International Office website

North American Exchange Programmes

One of our most popular North American exchange programmes for geography students is with the University of Kentucky (Lexington) and we would encourage students to consider availing of this student exchange programme, which, to date, has been a very positive academic and cultural experience for visiting students. We have strong links with their Geography Department with staff engaged in collaborative research into the thoroughbred horse breeding industry in Kildare and Kentucky and in addition to student exchanges, a number of staff recently engaged in teaching exchanges. We have recently built on our links with other North American Universities and in the 2010/11 academic year, our geography students had excellent experiences at the University of Arizona and the University of Toronto.

Find out about studying Geography at the following North American Universities:

University of Kentucky, Department of Geography

University of Arizona, School of Geography and Development

University of Toronto, Department of Geography (Mississauga Campus), Department of Geography (Scarborough Campus), Geography Undergraduate studies

University of Miami, Department of Geography and Regional Studies, Departments and Programs

Erasmus Exchange Programmes

What an Opportunity! An Erasmus exchange in the midst of a recession…

The Erasmus programme aims to promote European cooperation and to improve the quality of education through partnership across national boundaries. While finding the academic experience very valuable, returning students also find the more social and cultural aspects of the exchange very rewarding, such as making new friends, becoming familiar with social norms in another country, improving communication skills and appreciating different cultural and political systems. In these difficult economic times, switching to the International BA/BSc and having an Erasmus exchange experience under your belt (and on your C.V.) may be a very good option. Remember, many European universities now teach through English and there is funding available to go towards subsistence for your semesters abroad.

Find out about studying Geography through an Erasmus exchange with the following universities:

Through English:

University of Amsterdam, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences (includes Geography)

University of Lund (Sweden), Geography & related departments, Lund Application Form

Utrecht University, Geosciences Exchange Programme

Roskilde University (Denmark), Studying Geography

Uppsala University (Sweden), Department of Social and Economic Geography, Courses available

University of Bremen (Germany), Faculty of Social Sciences (includes Geography)

Geography & French

Université Rennes 2, Courses

Université Jean Monnet, Saint-Etienne, Geography

Université Lumière Lyon 2

Université de Provence Aix-Marseille, Geography

Geography & Spanish

Universidad de Valladolid, Faculty of Philosophy and Arts (including Geography)

Universidad de Alcalá (Madrid), Geography

Universidad de Salamanca, Geography

Universidad de Murcia

Procedures

Students applying to spend a year abroad will transfer from the BA/BSc degree to the BA/BSc International Degree with the study-abroad year taking place in year 3 and students return to complete their 4th (final) year in NUI Maynooth. No tuition fees are payable and under the Erasmus programme and there is a student grant available to cover part of the costs of living abroad. Students applying must do so in their second year.

See the full list of possible European and North American study-abroad destinations under Institutional Partners on the International Office website at http://international.nuim.ie. For queries in relation to the Erasmus programme, please contact Wendy Cameron. For queries in relation to North American programmes, please contact Deirdre Carolan.

Students interested in applying should contact the International Office and their Departmental Coordinator, which for Geography is Dr Sinéad Kelly.