Welcome to American College Dublin’s Admissions Office

The Admissions Office is open from Monday to Friday, from 9 am until 5 pm. The admissions team welcomes any prospective student who wishes to discuss a course, take a guided tour of the College, or talk generally about higher education choices; the admissions counsellors have an open door policy and are happy to meet interested students at any time. The College’s admissions counsellors are well aware of the great importance of making an informed decision on a future course of higher education; accordingly, applicants can be assured of the institution’s care, sensitivity and responsibility in providing advice and help on choosing the best educational path possible.

At any stage in the process of considering or submitting an application for an educational programme at ACD or elsewhere, please contact the Admissions Office directly for expert and straightforward guidance and support – or even a friendly conversation about the range of exciting possibilities that are available in the world of postsecondary study and learning.

Telephone: +353 1 676 8939

Email: info@iamu.edu

Admissions information

Applications

Applicants for all the institution’s programs should complete an application form (online through the ‘Apply’ tab in the ‘Admissions’ dropdown menu) and upload the necessary documentation to the application. Irish and EU national students applying for QQI degree programs may apply directly or through the Central Applications Office (CAO), Tower House, Eglinton Street, Galway (www.cao.ie).

Entry Requirements

Undergraduate degree requirements

Applicants are required to have graduated from high school at a standard that satisfies the institution that they have a strong likelihood of being able to complete the program of study for which they have applied. Applicants still in high school must provide evidence from high school transcripts and/or report cards that suggest a likelihood to graduate from high school; conditional acceptance is granted pending the completion of the applicant’s senior high school year.

Applicants for the programs in Musical Theatre or Performing Arts are required to audition for a place in the program. Once applicants complete an online application, the Admissions Office will provide information about the audition process.

QQI undergraduate programs

For students with an Irish Leaving Certificate, the minimum requirements are:

Two higher level subjects with grades of C3 or higher and four passes at either higher or ordinary level. Students must pass mathematics and a language, (English, Irish or a European language).

For non-Irish students, secondary school results will be assessed for their equivalency to the Irish Leaving Certificate.

Mature Students

Mature students are defined as those who have reached the age of 23 by 1 January of the year of application. Mature students who wish to apply for admission to QQI programs do not need to fulfil minimum academic requirements but do need to provide a CV and two references and make an appointment to be interviewed by an admissions counselor. Mature students should demonstrate through their work, academic experience, and/or personal ambition their suitability for their chosen program.

Graduate degree requirements

MB in International Business

An honors bachelor degree in a cognate discipline is required. If the applicant has an honors bachelor degree in a non-cognate discipline, it will be necessary for the applicant to complete such bridging modules as the Admissions Office deems necessary in order to achieve the prerequisite intended learning outcomes for participation in the program. The length of this bridging program depends on the amount of prerequisite learning outcomes achieved by the applicant, but normally will not exceed a duration of one year.

MBA in International Business / Oil and Gas Management

For the MBA program, there are the following entry requirements: an honors undergraduate degree in business; or an undergraduate honors degree with three years of relevant managerial experience; or significant, documented relevant executive managerial experience

MFA in Creative Writing

The MFA in Creative Writing has an open admissions policy. Applicants will usually have an undergraduate degree, but it is not an essential requirement for this program. The principal entry requirements are the submission of a satisfactory 3,000-word creative writing sample, the submission of a satisfactory 500-word personal statement, and the completion of a satisfactory interview.

Language requirements

For our English language policy, see our Language requirements page,

Transfer of credit

Transfer students are those who come from another accredited institution of higher education and seek exemptions for previously completed subjects at that institution. Subject transfers for such students are decided in consultation between the Admissions Office and the Academic Office (these offices may also seek further advice as appropriate from subject-area experts regarding course content and intended learning outcomes). A final decision on the granting or denial of transfer credit rests with the academic dean or registrar. Students seeking transfers for previously completed higher education study should send original copies of their transcripts and copies of the relevant course descriptions from the institution’s catalog to the Admissions Office when making an application.

American College Dublin may grant transfers from subjects completed at other higher education institutions under the following conditions:

Transfers may be granted only for those subjects in which a ‘C’ grade or higher was awarded.

The intended learning outcomes achieved in the completed subject must be substantially the same as those achieved in the subject for which the transfer is sought. If this is not possible satisfactorily to determine from the catalogue course description, it may be necessary for the applicant to provide a full course syllabus before the transfer can be accepted.

Transfers are accepted on the basis of completion of a notional minimum of approximately 40 classroom-contact hours and 80 hours of self-directed study per 3-credit subject.

ACD only delivers 3-credit or (multiples of 3-credit) courses; thus, it awards transfer credit only for 3-credit (or multiples of 3-credit) courses. Fractions of credits from other institutions may not be accumulated or rounded up for transfer purposes; however, fractions of suitable courses may be rounded down (for example a 4-credit Microeconomics course from another institution that matches ACD’s 3-credit Microeconomics course in all other respects may be accepted for transfer credit, but only 3 credits, not 4, will be granted for transfer).

Students must complete the last 25% of their degree at ACD in order to earn a degree from the institution; credit transfer cannot be awarded for the final 25% of studies at ACD.

As ACD does not presently provide distance or correspondence education, transfer credit for subjects delivered by these modes is not presently awarded.

Capstone courses, theses and research projects are not available for transfer credit.
Pre-requisite subjects at lower levels on a chosen program must be completed before higher-level transfers can be approved.

Transfers are awarded on a subject by subject basis, not on a year by year basis. For example, if the student is entitled to 10 subject exemptions, this may not necessarily mean that the student is exempt from a full academic year as the subjects may not all be first year subjects, but could include some second year subjects. Should this be the case, then the student is required to complete the outstanding subjects in first year in order to progress fully to second year.

Exemptions from subjects taken at institutions not accredited by agencies recognized by ACD will be evaluated only after a student has submitted a complete institutional catalog and a course syllabus for each subject under consideration.

Only credits transfer, not grades. Transfers are indicated on the institution’s transcript by an ‘X’, which has a neutral grade point value; grades for subjects for which transfer credit is accepted have no influence on the student’s grade point average or on the calculation of the final degree award level at American College Dublin.

Transfer students are required to submit the same documentation as other applicants: an application form, high school / secondary school results, higher education transcripts and, if applicable, proof of English language competency.

Applicants with disabilities / special requirements

Disabled students should apply directly through the College. Documentation from appropriately qualified professionals relating to the disability should accompany the application and the student will be requested to attend an interview to determine the level of assistance needed. Every effort will be made by the Admissions Office, Student Affairs, and the faculty to facilitate students’ special requirements as recommended in medical reports.

Disabled students who have attended Irish secondary schools may apply through open competition with the CAO, without seeking special assistance; those who do so must meet the minimum Leaving Certificate entry requirements, but are exempted from meeting point requirements.

Equal opportunities

American College Dublin admits students of every race, color, religion, creed, sexual orientation, physical limitation, national and ethnic origin, in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship, athletic, and other official programs.

American College Dublin is committed to implementing policies governing equal access and equal opportunity in the area of admissions, recruitment, course offerings, extra-curricular programs and activities, facilities, counseling, advising, health-referral services, athletics, and employment.