International & Erasmus
Applications from residents of other member states of the European Union (EU) are considered on the same basis as those from Irish residents. The College also welcomes applications from qualified applicants from outside the European Union and each application will be considered on an individual basis.
Applicants will find additional useful information on the Irish Council for International Students website.
Students from outside Ireland who wish to apply to degree courses at NCAD must have an equivalent second-level educational standard to that required from applicants who obtained their second-level education in Ireland. Please find Agreed entry requirements criteria for EU/EFTA Applicants for 2017 Entry on the CAO website here.
Applicants to Year 1 will be required to submit certified transcripts of their second-level examinations (with an official translation to English if necessary) if they are successful at the portfolio examination stage of the selection procedure.
Students from outside Ireland applying to Years 2, 3 or 4 of courses must also submit certified transcripts of their third-level college examinations, together with two letters of recommendation from their college: one from either the Director of their college or their Head of Department and one from their course tutor.
In the case of applicants to Years 2, 3 or 4 these documents should be enclosed with the completed application form.
English Language Requirement
Programmes are taught through English in the National College of Art and Design, therefore all applicants are required to demonstrate a high level of competence in English language. Applicants who have not passed English as a subject in the Irish Leaving Certificate Examination must provide evidence of equivalent competence in English language through their school leaving examination or matriculation examination or by achieving the minimum standard in a recognised English language test. Full details of acceptable tests and the standard required can be found at the following link English Language Requirement.
For EU applicants to First Year the procedures are the same as applicants from Ireland. For further information on closing dates and application procedures go to the Undergraduate Year 1.
For international (non-EU) applicants to First Year there is a rolling closing date throughout the academic year and they are not required to apply through the CAO by 1 February. Applicants should submit a completed application form and a portfolio of work on memory device/cd/dvd/website or dropbox link) no later than the end of July each year.
International applicants may choose to respond to the NCAD Portfolio Submission Brief or submit their own portfolio of work.
