Dublin City University sits in Glasnevin, about 5 km north of the city centre and roughly 15 minutes from Dublin Airport by car. It started as the National Institute for Higher Education in 1975, gained full university status in 1989, and has since expanded its footprint by absorbing St Patrick's College Drumcondra and All Hallows College into a multi-campus setup. The main Glasnevin campus covers 34 hectares and houses five faculties serving around 17,000 students.
DCU ranks 5th among Irish universities in US News & World Report. It's not chasing the same territory as TCD or UCD on global league tables — its identity has always been closer to the applied end: programmes designed with industry input, partnerships with employers, and a deliberate focus on getting graduates into work. That positioning has proven more useful in some fields than it might appear on paper.
The computing, engineering, and business faculties in particular have cultivated close ties with the technology and pharmaceutical companies concentrated along the north Dublin corridor — Swords, Blanchardstown, the airport business parks. For students whose goal is Irish employment after graduation, that geographic alignment is worth noting.
Why students choose DCU
North Dublin location with airport access
The Glasnevin campus is 5 km from the city centre and about 15 minutes from Dublin Airport. It's quieter than a city-centre campus, with reasonable transport links into town. For students arriving internationally, the proximity to the airport is a practical convenience from day one.
Computing and engineering strength
DCU's Faculty of Engineering and Computing is one of the stronger in Ireland. Programmes in software, data science, electronic engineering, and computer technology are well-resourced and built with direct input from industry partners. Graduate employment rates in these fields reflect that.
AACSB-accredited business school
DCU Business School holds AACSB accreditation — a standard fewer than 6% of business schools worldwide meet. Postgraduate programmes in accounting, finance, HRM, digital marketing, and management are well-regarded, and the school has active links with employers in the Dublin financial and professional services sectors.
Media and communications depth
DCU has a well-established journalism programme and offers a broader range of communications and media master's than most Irish universities. If journalism, PR, political communication, or science communication is your field, the options here are worth comparing directly against other institutions.
Practical, employment-focused programmes
Many postgraduate programmes at DCU include industry projects, work placements, or applied research components. The university has formal partnerships with companies across the tech and pharma sectors north of Dublin, and that structure shows up in how programmes are designed rather than just how they're marketed.
Post-study work options
Non-EU graduates from eligible programmes can apply for up to 24 months in Ireland under the Third Level Graduate Programme. DCU's location near the north Dublin tech and business clusters — Swords, Blanchardstown, the airport corridor — puts graduates close to a meaningful share of the city's employment base.
Popular subject areas
Postgraduate fees
Fees shown are for non-EU international students for the 2025/2026 academic year. Verify current figures at dcu.ie before applying.
| Programme | Fee |
|---|---|
| Business & Management | |
| Master of Science in Accounting | €15,500 |
| Master of Science in Aviation Leadership | €19,000 |
| Master of Science in Digital Marketing | €17,000 |
| Master of Science in Finance | €17,000 |
| Master of Science in Global Management (Digital Disruption) | €16,000 |
| Master of Science in Human Resource Management | €16,750 |
| Master of Science in Management (Business) | €17,000 |
| Master of Science in Management (Strategy) | €17,000 |
| Master of Science in International Accounting and Business | €17,000 |
| Education | |
| Professional Master of Education (Post Primary) | €9,500 |
| Law | |
| LLM | €15,500 |
| Master of Arts in Data Protection and Privacy: Law and Computing | €16,000 |
| Master of Arts in European Law and Policy | €16,000 |
| European Master in Law, Data and Artificial Intelligence | €17,643 |
| Engineering | |
| MEng in Electronic and Computer Engineering | €18,000 |
| MEng in Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering | €18,000 |
| Computing & Technology | |
| Master of Science in Computing (with Major Options) | €18,000 |
| Master of Science in Electronic & Computer Technology | €18,000 |
| Humanities & Social Sciences | |
| Master of Arts in Chaplaincy Studies and Pastoral Work | €13,000 |
| Master of Arts i Léann na Gaeilge | €15,000 |
| Master of Arts in Children's and Young Adult Literature | €16,000 |
| Master of Arts in Creative Writing | €16,000 |
| Master of Arts in History | €16,000 |
| Master of Arts in International Relations | €16,000 |
| Master of Arts in International Security and Conflict Studies | €16,000 |
| Master of Arts in Journalism | €16,000 |
| Master of Arts in Political Communication | €16,000 |
| Master of Arts in Refugee Integration | €16,000 |
| Master of Arts in Social Media Communications | €16,000 |
| Master of Arts in Theology and World Religions | €16,000 |
| Master of Arts in Translation Studies | €16,000 |
| Master of Arts in Sexuality Studies | €15,000 |
| Communications & Media | |
| Master of Science in Climate Change: Policy, Media and Society | €16,000 |
| Master of Science in Emerging Media | €16,000 |
| Master of Science in Public Policy | €16,000 |
| Master of Science in Public Relations and Strategic Communications | €16,000 |
| Master of Science in Science and Health Communication | €16,000 |
| Master of Science in Translation Technology | €16,000 |
| Science & Health | |
| Master of Science in Astrophysics & Relativity | €16,000 |
| Master of Science in Bioprocess Engineering | €16,000 |
| Master of Science in Diagnostics and Precision Medicine | €14,500 |
| Master of Science in Financial Mathematics | €16,000 |
| Master of Science in Health and Social Inclusion | €16,800 |
| Master of Science in Psychology (Conversion) | €15,500 |
| Master of Science in Psychology and Wellbeing | €15,500 |
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