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UCD Smurfit Full-Time MBA Regional Excellence Scholarship

UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School is Ireland's leading business school and the only one in the country holding triple accreditation. Its Regional Excellence Scholarship for the Full-Time MBA covers up to 50% of tuition and is open to all successful applicants who meet the admission criteria — there is no restriction by nationality, and no separate regional quota that excludes South Asia. Awards are made on merit, following a holistic review of your full MBA application, and successful candidates are expected to act as ambassadors for the school during and after their studies. For a Sri Lankan mid-career professional, an MBA at Smurfit is a serious financial commitment even with a scholarship, so run the numbers honestly. A 50% award still leaves a substantial tuition balance plus Dublin living costs for a full-time year, and Dublin is one of the most expensive cities in the eurozone for accommodation. What you are buying is Ireland's strongest business network, a one-year format that gets you back into work quickly, and post-study work rights in an economy with a dense concentration of multinational headquarters. The school also runs several other MBA awards you may be considered for in parallel: the Business & Finance Awards MBA Scholarship, which covers 100% of tuition for a single outstanding applicant, and a separate MBA Excellence Scholarship worth up to 50%. You can apply for as many awards as you are eligible for, but typically only one is granted. Applications are made alongside your MBA application, and the earlier you apply in the admissions cycle the more scholarship funding remains unallocated.

Assessed alongside Full-Time MBA admission for the August intake. Related awards such as the Business & Finance MBA Scholarship have run to a mid-May deadline — apply early in the cycle while funds remain

UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School

University-funded

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Value

Up to 50% of tuition

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Programme

Full-Time MBA

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Basis

Academic and professional merit

info How this award actually works

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Who awards it

UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School — not Lanka Scholar. We are not the awarding body and cannot grant, reserve or guarantee this award.

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How you are considered

Through your admission application. Awards like this are usually assessed automatically from the application you already submit — there is typically no separate scholarship form to fill in.

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What it covers

Up to 50% of Full-Time MBA Tuition Fees. This is a reduction in tuition, not a full ride. You still fund the remainder, plus living costs and the balance your visa requires you to show.

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Where we come in

We make the admission application strong enough to be competitive — course choice, documents, references and deadlines. The funder makes the decision.

fact_check Eligibility Criteria

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Open to All Nationalities

The scholarship is open to all successful applicants for the Full-Time MBA who meet the admission criteria. There is no nationality restriction, so Sri Lankan applicants are eligible on the same footing.

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MBA Admission Criteria

You must first be admitted to the Full-Time MBA. Smurfit expects a good primary degree, substantial professional work experience, and normally a GMAT or GRE score alongside references and interview.

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Merit-Based Selection

Successful candidates are selected on merit paired with a holistic review of the full MBA application — career trajectory, leadership, references and interview performance all count, not just academics.

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Ambassador Expectation

Regional scholarship recipients are expected to act as ambassadors for the Smurfit MBA and the school during their studies and after graduation.

account_tree Application Process

Apply early in the admissions cycle

Scholarship funds are allocated as offers are made, so applying in the earlier admission rounds meaningfully improves your chances. Do not wait for the final deadline.

Build a strong MBA application

GMAT or GRE score (check current requirements and any waiver route)
CV showing career progression and leadership responsibility
Essays and references that demonstrate impact, not just job titles
Interview with the admissions team

Submit the scholarship application form

Scholarship applications are made through the Smurfit scholarships pages alongside the MBA application. You can apply for every award you are eligible for, though typically only one will be granted.

Plan the remaining cost honestly

Even at 50%, you must fund the tuition balance plus roughly a year of Dublin living costs. Confirm your figures and your Irish study visa financial evidence before you accept.

Why UCD Smurfit?

Smurfit is Ireland's only triple-accredited business school (AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA) and its MBA sits inside a Dublin economy hosting the European headquarters of a large share of the world's technology and pharmaceutical firms. The full-time format runs about a year, minimising time out of the workforce.

50%

Maximum Tuition Covered

Triple

Accredited Business School

1 yr

Full-Time MBA Format

Looking for a scholarship because of the cost?

Then start here instead. Scholarships are competitive, usually partial, and decided by someone else — they are the least reliable way to make studying abroad affordable. Your destination and course choice move the number far more, and both are entirely within your control.

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