The University of Limerick (UL), is located on the west coast of Ireland along the picturesque River Shannon and enjoys an unspoiled natural environment blended with state-of-the-art teaching and research facilities.
UL was awarded prestigious 5-star rankings for graduate employability, innovation and knowledge transfer, teaching, engagement, internationalisation and infrastructure by QS Stars independent assessors.
With close to 12,000 students, including more than 2,000 international students each year, UL is a young and enterprising university with a proud record of innovation in education and scholarship. A survey of Irish students recently voted UL Ireland’s most popular university with a satisfaction rating of 85%.
UL offers more than 70 undergraduate programmes across Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; Education and Health Sciences, Science and Engineering and the Kemmy Business School. UL also delivers a strong postgraduate offering with more than 100 taught postgraduate programmes to Doctoral and Post-doctoral level.
UL pioneered the concept of Cooperative Education in Ireland, placing more than 2,000 students in paid and semi-paid work placements annually – 30% of these as international placements. These valuable work experiences make UL graduates more employable, which is why the UL graduate employment rate is 15% higher than the national average.
With strong links to business and industry, UL excels at translational research which aims to accelerate the practical application of academic research to benefit society. UL houses some of the most innovative and successful research centres in Ireland. The Nexus Innovation Centre is a growing community of international researchers and entrepreneurs which supports new businesses and the creation of jobs.
Known as ‘Ireland’s Sporting Campus’, UL boasts Ireland’s first altitude training centre, an Olympic-sized swimming pool and the National Strength and Conditioning Centre. The new 3G pitches are the largest artificial grass development in Europe and the Sports Arena attracts more than 600,000 visitors each year.
Cafes, restaurants, student and faculty accommodation options and a range of on-campus facilities provide an outstanding student experience and a stimulating working environment.
Technological University of Shannon: Midlands Midwest (formerly Limerick Institute of Technology)
Technological University of Shannon: Midlands Midwest (TUS, formerly LIT) is Ireland’s third technological university and home to 14,000 students and a staff complement of approximately 2,000 people, full-time and part-time, across six campuses in Athlone, Limerick, Thurles, Clonmel, and Ennis.
Established on October 1, 2021, TUS has a strong regional focus and will be a key driver of development and investment across the Midlands and Midwest. The new networked university, linked by the River Shannon, borders on almost half of Ireland’s 26 counties and will provide unprecedented levels of access to higher education.
We are committed to developing a contemporary and vibrant technological university – a higher education institute that reflects the educational and economic needs of our region and communities we serve. The new technological university will connect knowledge creation with industry partnerships to grow and support collaboration. The technological university will be the home of academic leaders, knowledge creators and cutting-edge researchers who will positively affect people’s lives now and in the future.
TUS Midwest provides a suite of flexible learning programmes across its Limerick, Clare and Tipperary Campuses. These programmes are provided in part-time, blended and on-line mode and respond to the needs of the region, industry and stakeholders. There are currently over 2,000 student registrations per academic year and over 70 academic staff (internal and external) engaged in programme development and delivery. Working with all other Academic Departments Flexible Learning actively engages with industry and a range of funding programmes (Springboard+, Skillnets etc.) to develop and provide programmes which respond to regional needs and priorities. The Department liaises with relevant local and regional fora (Regional Skills Forums, Explore Engineering, Chambers of Commerce and other industry networks) to respond to skills needs and opportunities in the region.
TUS offers courses at Level 6 (certificate) through Level 10 (PhD) whilst also catering for craft apprentices and adult and continuing education. The former Institute has twice been named as The Sunday Times Institute of Technology of the Year in The Sunday Times University Guide, firstly in 2008 and again in 2013.
Founded in 1898 to train school teachers, Mary Immaculate College has come a long way since the first students stepped through its doors. MIC is now a thoroughly modern institution, delivering a variety of education and liberal arts programmes to close to 5,000 students. It may be the oldest third level college in Limerick but the transformation of the campus, particularly over the last 20 years, shows a drive to offer the best amenities possible.
It maintains a historic charm with period buildings and fixtures but boasts contemporary facilities like the TARA Building, Lime Tree Theatre and Tailteann Sports Complex to complement the vibrant student experience. MIC Limerick is a strong fixture in both the local community and the national educational landscape. Explore the campus in more depth below.