CAO Courses with a Year Abroad

This varies by university and programme. For many mandatory year abroad courses, the grades earned during the exchange are converted and included in your degree classification. For some programmes (like UCD Law with French Law), marks obtained abroad do not affect your final degree class but satisfactory performance is required to progress to final year. For Erasmus exchanges, credit transfer ensures your modules abroad count toward your degree, but the weighting may differ. Always check the specific policy for your course.

Yes. If your year abroad is an approved part of your Irish degree programme, your SUSI maintenance grant continues during the period abroad. The non-adjacent rate typically applies. You also receive the Erasmus+ grant on top of SUSI — the two are not mutually exclusive. For UL Co-op placements, you are employed and paid a salary, so the financial model is different.

For language degree year abroad placements, yes — that is the whole point, and you will have studied the language for at least two years before going. For Erasmus exchanges in non-language degrees, many host universities offer modules in English, so you can study in countries like the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, or Germany without speaking the local language. That said, learning even basic phrases makes the experience much richer. For UL international Co-op placements, language requirements depend on the employer — English-speaking placements are available in most countries.

Erasmus+ is the EU-funded programme that provides grants for students studying at partner universities within Europe. A bilateral exchange is a direct agreement between your Irish university and a non-EU partner (e.g. in the US, Canada, Australia, or Asia). The key difference is funding: Erasmus+ provides a monthly grant automatically, while bilateral exchange students may need to fund the experience themselves (though SUSI still applies). Both types are available at most Irish universities.