UCD Global Excellence Scholarship
The UCD Global Excellence Scholarship is University College Dublin's flagship merit award for international undergraduate students — Ireland's largest university and consistently QS top 200. Awards are tiered: €2,000, €5,000, or €10,000 per year, applied across the standard duration of the Bachelor's. Selection is automatic during admission review — no separate application required. UCD has a strong English-taught Bachelor's catalogue across Business (Smurfit), Engineering & Architecture, Computer Science, Veterinary Medicine, Law, and Health Sciences. Strong fit for Sri Lankan A/L students with strong results (3As or 3 distinctions in relevant subjects) looking for an English-speaking EU undergraduate route with full post-study work rights.
University College Dublin (UCD)
University-funded
emoji_events Award Overview
Tiers
€2,000 / €5,000 / €10,000 per Year
Duration
3-4 Year Bachelor's
Selection
Automatic at Admission
fact_check Eligibility Criteria
Non-EU/EEA Citizen
Reserved for non-EU/EEA international students paying the full international undergraduate tuition rate. Sri Lankan passport holders qualify automatically.
Admitted to a UCD Bachelor's
You must hold an admission offer to a full-time UCD Bachelor's programme. Most undergraduate programmes participate — exceptions and amounts vary slightly by college (Business, Engineering, Science, Arts & Humanities, Law, Veterinary Medicine, etc.).
Strong Secondary-School Academic Record
Selection ranks applicants on A/L (Cambridge / Edexcel / local) or equivalent secondary qualification grades. The tier of award depends on your grade profile — typically 3As/3 distinctions for the €10,000 tier; 2As/2 distinctions for the lower tiers.
English Proficiency
IELTS 6.5 overall with no band below 6.0 (most programmes). Sri Lankan A/L students who took A/L English (or whose secondary education was English-medium) can typically request a waiver — confirm with UCD admissions.
account_tree Application Process
Apply to UCD
Submit your international undergraduate application via the UCD Online Application System. Include: A/L (or equivalent) results, English certificate, personal statement, and one reference. The application fee is €50 (waived for some applicants).
Automatic scholarship consideration
Every eligible international applicant is automatically considered for the Global Excellence Scholarship at the point of admission decision — no separate form. UCD's international office assesses your academic profile against the tier thresholds.
Offer letter includes scholarship
If awarded, your admission offer letter will explicitly state the scholarship tier (€2,000 / €5,000 / €10,000 per year). Awards are renewable annually contingent on maintaining good academic standing (typically a C+ average / equivalent).
Acceptance + visa
Accept the offer by paying the deposit. The scholarship is applied automatically to your tuition invoice each year. Apply for the Irish Stamp 2 student visa via VFS Ireland (operating from New Delhi for Sri Lankan applicants).
Why UCD?
UCD is Ireland's largest university with the country's most international student body — over 9,500 international students from 144 countries. The university has produced 4 Nobel Laureates and counts current Taoiseach (PM) and multiple presidents among alumni. UCD Smurfit Business School is Ireland's leading business school with a global QS top 100 ranking.
#168
QS World Ranking 2026
9,500+
International Students
2 yrs
EU Stay Back Work Visa (for Master's)
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