Dublin

A Breath of Fresh Air!

Steeped in History and Culture

You'll study at the Dublin Business School Campus (DBS) located in the heart of the city, near St. Stephen’s Green and the Grafton Street shopping district. Here, you'll immerse yourself in Irish life and culture spending your days amidst historic churches and castles, all within easy reach of the emerald-green Irish countryside.

When you arrive in Dublin, you'll participate in a comprehensive, on-site orientation program during which staff from the Foundation for International Education (FIE) and DBS will help you acclimate to your new environment.

HOUSING

iCharleston participants will live in fully furnished apartments in Binary Hub, which is near Dublin city center. This is a fully secure location with FIE residence life staff members available 24/7. FIE's main offices are also located here.

Each apartment has multiple bedrooms and includes a fully equipped, fully supplied kitchen and common space. (Dublin does not offer a meal plan.) As a resident, you'll have access to and the support of live-in residence life supervisors. Your dedicated iCharleston site director will live close by as well. The staff will organize group activities such as outings to the theatre and sporting and cultural events, and your site director will also plan programs and events that bring all participants together throughout the semester.

ACADEMICS

Participants will take classes at Dublin Business School. It is a 20-minute walk from Binary Hub to the campus, and there is public transportation as well. A 10-minute bus ride takes you into the city center and the DBS campus.

DBS faculty will lead all classes (see Sample Class Schedule below), providing additional support and interaction outside of the classroom through co-curricular learning experiences.

All iCharleston participants will enroll in a key course – Irish Culture and Society. Students will embark on two study tours that will provide context for the topics covered in the classroom – one to Northern Ireland (Belfast and Derry) and the other to Western Ireland (Galway, Connemara and the Aran Islands).

The Dublin iCharleston site director will be with you every step of the way, learning the material at the same pace you do.

You'll also take Writing for College, which fulfills your CofC ENGL 110 freshman writing requirement.

iCharleston students will also be required to complete FIE’s “First Year Forward,” a multidisciplinary program that contextualizes the Irish experience abroad. On top of that, you'll select three additional classes and all courses will transfer into the College of Charleston, so long as you complete each of them with a grade of C or better.

If you're interested in a closer look at the FIE program in Dublin, watch this video.

EXPENSES

$19,995* includes:
• 15 transferable academic credits upon successful completion of the iCharleston program.
• Shared apartment-style living with 24-hour security.
• Orientation program.
• iCharleston site director supporting academic and social transition to Dublin.
• iCharleston-specific programming.
• Associated tours for Irish Life and Cultures course.

* NOTE: All costs are subject to change. No financial aid is available for this location.

TOP 10 THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN DUBLIN:

1. EPIC Museum - learn about Irish history and emigration
2. National Gallery
3. National Museum of Ireland
4. Irish Museum of Modern Art
5. The Science Gallery
6. St. Stephen’s Green
7. South Wall Walk
8. Trinity College and Library
9. Phoenix Park
10. Samuel Beckett Bridge

“I strongly suggest to my fellow CofC students to study abroad because it is a chance of a lifetime. I will tell amazing stories about my time here in Dublin, the people I have met, and the places I have seen.”
— former iCharleston student

Program Dates 2023

Depart JFK International Airport: September 5
Arrive Dublin International Airport: September 6
Orientation: September 6 – 10
Pre-Teaching: September 11 – 15
Classes begin: September 18
Fall Break: October 30- November 4
Housing Check: December 15
Departure from Dublin: December 16

Sample Class Schedule

Monday
Event Planning and Operations: 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
War and Peace in the 20th Century: 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Tuesday
Passport to CofC: 9:15 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.
Irish Life and Cultures, Part 1: 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Ireland’s Media: 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Irish Life and Cultures, Part 2: 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Wednesday
Ireland’s Media: 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
College Writing: 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Thursday
Irish Life and Cultures, Part 3: 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
War and Peace in the 20th Century: 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Friday
Event Planning and Operations: 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
College Writing: 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Note: FIE and iCharleston policy do not tolerate absences from class and participants can lose their study visa if they are not present for class.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I file for a visa?

No visas are required for U.S. citizens. However, once you're in Dublin, you must register with the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) as advised by FIE. Please note that registration for GNIB costs €300 (or roughly $356.00).

What facilities will be made available to iCharleston participants while in Dublin?

Study lounges are also available and all Dublin Business School (DBS) buildings and residences have wireless Internet. The library provides access to academic journal titles, case studies, news coverage, market research reports and specialist reports through a wide range of electronic databases. It is open late on weekdays and open Saturday throughout the year.

What housing services are available to iCharleston participants?

You will live in shared three-five room apartments at Binary Hub Residence – a 20-minute walk to the Dublin Business School campus. Duvet and pillow is included in residence halls. Students must purchase sheets and towels once they arrive in Dublin. Binary Hub includes full gym facilities, common space, and laundry center. There are several dedicated FIE live-in staff members and the iCharleston Site Director is close by as well. FIE main offices and their administrative team are also located at Binary Hub. This office is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. There is a 24/7 security presence in all residence halls, and security patrols take place throughout the evening and night.
Each student will have their own room and bathroom within the apartment and will share a common area and kitchen. iCharleston students live with each other and there are other US college first year students living at Binary Hub in the fall as well.

Will iCharleston participants have access to a meal plan?

There will be no meal plan options in Dublin, though full kitchen services are provided for each participant. Within close walking distance students will find grocers, coffee shops, and restaurants.

What kitchen appliances will be available?

There will be one shared kitchen per apartment. Each is equipped with stove tops, a full oven, a microwave oven, and cooking utensils such as pots, pans, plates, bowls, silverware, etc.

Are there common rooms? Laundry facilities?

There is one common room – furnished with sofas and easy chairs – in each apartment. Binary Hub has full laundry facilities which cost around €4 for each use.

What travel and insurance options are there for iCharleston participants?

Program fees cover Endsleigh travel insurance for all participants. Endsleigh covers travel for up to 21 days throughout the duration of the program. You will be emailed policy documents a few weeks after you are enrolled with FIE.

Will there be co-curricular trips made available for iCharleston participants?

FIE requires that you complete all DBS co-curricular activities and two FIE mobile seminars as part of the assessment components of each course. These will involve cultural, state-agencies, NGOs, and business-focused and social-awareness activities. Typically these activities would include company visits, attendance at volunteer events, rejuvenation project assessment and travel to other towns and cities in Ireland.
There will also be two, mandatory weekend-long study tours to Northern Ireland and Western Ireland. The cost is included in the fee for the Irish Life and Cultures course.
In addition, iCharleston site directors complete programs throughout the semester specifically for the participants in this program. College of Charleston faculty and/or staff may be involved in these programs.