Dickinson Launches New Study-Abroad Program in Limerick, Ireland
College partners with world-renowned University of Limerick
by MaryAlice Bitts-Jackson
Dickinson’s newest study-abroad program brings students a chance to shine bright on the Emerald Isle. Beginning in spring 2026, Dickinson students will study at the world-renowned University of Limerick through the new Dickinson-in-Ireland program, offered in partnership with the American Institute for Foreign Study (AIFS). The addition reflects a long tradition of adaptation, expansion and innovation in global education at Dickinson. It’s also a direct response to emerging trends in the field.
Why Limerick?
According to Samantha Brandauer ’95, associate provost and executive director of Dickinson’s Center for Global Study & Engagement (CGSE), the college found the perfect fit in a collaboration with AIFS, a longtime leader in global education, and with the University of Limerick, one of most prestigious public universities in Europe.
The University of Limerick ranks in the top 2% globally on the QS Stars Rating system—the highest possible score. Its wide array of academic programs are complemented by state-of-the-art facilities. And because those programs overlap well with Dickinson’s curriculum, Dickinson students in nearly every major will find a full complement of relevant courses there. (That’s in addition to the Dickinson classes taught by a Dickinson professor who spends a semester onsite—one of the distinctive aspects of the “Dickinson-in” study-abroad programs.)
Like Dickinson, the University of Limerick is noted for its strength in global education. The university is globally acclaimed for the welcoming environment it creates for international students. Limerick and Dickinson also share a commitment to sustainability; the university most recently landed at No. 17 of 900 on the Green Metric World ranking.
And then there’s the university’s quintessentially Irish hometown. Founded by Vikings in 922 A.D. along the River Shannon, Limerick is steeped in history and charm. It’s home to castles and Georgian buildings, and as the third-largest city in Ireland, it’s big enough to host a thriving culinary scene and intimate enough to maintain a friendly, college-town vibe. What’s not to love?
Why now?
More than six decades since Dickinson first made world-expanding study-abroad opportunities available to students, the college’s global programs are always adapting. New Mosaics and Globally Integrated Courses are introduced each year. The college’s second-newest “Dickinson-in” program, taking students to the Czech Republic, launched in 2023, and two Dickinson faculty members have already spent a semester teaching courses there.
The Dickinson-in-Ireland program arose from the CGSE’s response to national study-abroad trends, which are also reflected here at Dickinson: For example, more students than ever are applying to study-abroad opportunities in Europe. At Dickinson, this is well illustrated in recent, exponential growth of the Dickinson-in-Italy program.
“Adding a European program helps meet that demand and will also help keep quickly growing programs right-sized to their locations,” says Brandauer. “That allows us to provide maximum support and experiential learning.”
Limerick is also an attractive destination for talented Dickinson faculty, seeking ways to innovate and grow. “That’s important, because our faculty members will travel there with students to teach and make professional contacts. Then they’ll bring their own global experiences back to campus and into their classrooms,” says Brandauer. “So everyone benefits.”
Feeling the call of Ireland’s rolling green hills, warm welcomes, far-reaching academic opportunities and fascinating cultural heritage? Applications are now open for the spring 2026 study-abroad semester.
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Published August 5, 2025