26th of May to the 16th of June, 2027
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About
The International Summer School at the University of Limerick offers a 3-week programme combining academic learning with cultural experiences. Participants can choose from 6 different modules, each focusing on a unique subject area.
Alongside your studies, you’ll have the opportunity to explore Ireland’s landscapes, history, and culture through excursions and class trips. Optional daily activities with UL student guides, such as music sessions or exploring castles, allowing you to experience the country in a relaxed and welcoming environment.
This programme is a chance to learn, meet new people, and enjoy memorable experiences in Ireland. Join us at the University of Limerick for the International Summer School.
What's Included?
Programme Fee: €3,490 | |
| Academic | Pick a module to study for 3 weeks (all modules offer a hands on and fun experience!). |
| Academic Transcript | Each student will have an official UL transcript sent to their home university. |
| Housing | Guaranteed on-campus accommodation, in a private bedroom with private bathroom, sharing a living space (kitchen and sitting room) other international students. |
| Meal Plan | Students will get lunch and dinner provided for them Monday to Friday for their entire stay, excluding the bank holiday and the day of departure. |
| Airport Transport | Airport transfers from Shannon Airport to the UL campus will be provided (on certain dates only). You will be greeted and accompanied by your UL student guides. |
| Orientation | Students will receive UL Goodies and take part in a tailored orientation programme in which they will learn all they need to know about being a summer student at the University of Limerick. |
| Events | Students will have fun daily evening events organised and ran by your designated UL student guides, some of which will have prizes up for grabs! |
| Excursions | Students will have the opportunity to experience cultural and historical excursions. |
| Cultural Exposure | The three-week programme combines classroom learning with opportunities to experience Ireland’s culture, history, and local traditions first hand. |
| Gym Membership | Access to high quality UL Sports Facilities including gym access, running track access, and swimming pool access. |
Modules Available
Please find the modules available for the International Summer School Programme below. Students will pick their top 3 modules before applying for the programme. Click on each tile to learn more. Modules have limited capacity so spacing per module operates on a first come first serve basis.
TE4003: Irish Traditions, Folklore and Culture
ECTS Credit: 6 (3 US Credit)
Syllabus
The module covers the history of Limerick and Ireland, the Irish climate and lifestyle, Irish myths and folklore, sports in Ireland and Limerick, the Gaelic Athletic Association, traditional Irish music, the contemporary Irish music and film industries, and Irish festivals and celebrations.
Workshops cover Irish food and drink, the Irish language, colloquial Irish English, outdoor sports with a focus on hurling, Irish dance, group performance, group performances, and poster presentations.
Module Aim
This module interweaves Irish traditions, folklore and culture, giving students the opportunity to develop their awareness and knowledge of these themes. It also helps students gain a broader understanding of life in Ireland and of their learning and living environment. Students can visit iconic destinations and immerse themselves in Irish culture. The module includes a cultural trip related to its subject matter.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, students should have a greater understanding of Irish traditions, folklore and culture. They should also have improved their presentation skills and critical thinking skills.
Sites We Visit
The destinations include Limerick City and its environs, Dublin City, the Cliffs of Moher and Lahinch, Craggaunowen, and Lough Gur.
HU5043: Modern Irish Theatre
ECTS Credit: 6 (3 US Credit)
Module Aim
This module surveys Irish theatre from the establishment of the Irish Literary Theatre in 1899 to 1999. It introduces students to 20th-century Irish drama and explores the relationship between Irish nationalism and theatre. Playwrights studied include Yeats, Lady Gregory, Synge, O’Casey, Beckett, Carr and McDonagh.
Syllabus
Topics include the Irish Literary Revival and the Abbey Theatre; the influence of Irish theatre on Irish politics and history, and its reflection of them; the relationship between Irish drama and Irish identity; and the international influence of modern Irish drama.
Learning Outcomes
Students should demonstrate knowledge of major texts, production practices and theories of drama and performance that underpin modern Irish theatre practice and its assumptions. They should explain how historical, cultural and social events, together with dramatic movements in Irish theatre, are mutually constitutive. Students will demonstrate their knowledge of the course material through a final oral presentation on a topic of their choice.
Plays
The plays studied, available through online sources, include W. B. Yeats’s Purgatory, Lady Gregory’s The Rising of the Moon, Sean O’Casey’s Juno and the Paycock, Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, Marina Carr’s By the Bog of Cats, and Martin McDonagh’s The Cripple of Inishmaan.
Sites We Visit
The programme includes Limerick City and its environs, the Cliffs of Moher and Lahinch, and Dublin City. The Dublin visits include a walking tour of Merrion Square, St. Stephen’s Green, Kilmainham Gaol, Glasnevin Cemetery, the Gate Theatre, the National Library of Ireland and the National Gallery of Ireland.
Students spend four days in Dublin, staying at Dublin City University and visiting key historical sites, including Glasnevin Cemetery, the James Joyce Centre, Kilmainham Gaol and the Little Museum of Dublin. They also attend a performance of The Price at the Gate Theatre.
SS4163: Sports Management and Performance
ECTS Credit: 6 (3 US Credit)
Syllabus
The module explores sports event management and sports performance, including event promotion and organisation, sustainability in sport, performance analysis, coaching science, optimising performance, and the use of technology in sport. Theoretical material provides context before being applied in practical field and laboratory settings.
Module Aim
The module aims to develop students’ knowledge and practical skills in sports management and performance. It provides training in the skills and tools needed to organise sporting events of different scales and to support improved sports performance.
Learning Experience
The module is delivered in face-to-face and blended formats over a three-week block as part of the UL Study Abroad Summer School. Teaching includes interactive lectures, workshops, virtual exchanges, practical and task-based activities, and reflective sessions. Students take part in field trips and cultural events, with opportunities for collaborative learning, creativity, knowledge building, and social and civic responsibility. The module is informed by recent empirical research.
Prime Texts
Callary, B. and Gearity, B. (2018), Coach Education and Development in Sport: Instructional Strategies, 1st edition, London: Routledge; and Slack, T. and Parent, M. (2007), International Perspectives on the Management of Sport, Routledge.
Other Texts
Chambers, F. (2018), Learning to Mentor in Sports Coaching, London: Routledge; and LaVoi, N. M., McGarry, J. E. and Fisher, L. A. (2019), “Final thoughts on women in sport coaching: Fighting the war,” Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal, 27(2), pp. 136–140.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module, students should be able to explain key principles, features and functions of sports management and their application in Ireland, and demonstrate an understanding of the key elements of effective coaching. They should be able to analyse movement from video sequences, identify technical faults and devise strategies to improve technique.
Students should also be able to recognise individual differences in behaviour in a sports setting and apply their field experience in practical coaching and exercise instruction.
Sites We Visit
Visits include Thomond Park, Croke Park, UL Arena and its sports facilities, Limerick City and its environs, Dublin City, the Cliffs of Moher and Lahinch, and Access Campus.
HU5000: Irish Life and Literature
ECTS Credit: 6 (3 US Credit)
Syllabus
Students attend an intensive series of lectures and seminars covering the history of modern Ireland, Irish writing in English, and Irish folklore and folklife. These three linked strands explore a range of topics, including the emergence of modern Ireland, the impact of the Great Irish Famine, the origins of the Irish Folklore Commission, storytelling and folk belief, and the development of Irish literature.
Module Aim
The module aims to provide visiting US students with a comprehensive introduction to Irish history and culture through three interlinked strands of learning.
Learning Experience
The Summer School module comprises three strands of 15 contact hours each, totalling 45 lecture hours. Preparatory reading and small-group teaching create an intensive learning environment, supported by field trips and expert-guided tours.
Prime Texts
T. Bartlett (1992), The Fall and Rise of the Irish Nation; D. Dickson (2000), New Foundations: Ireland 1660–1800; and D. Kiberd (1996), Inventing Ireland: The Literature of the Modern Nation.
Other Texts
J. Cahalan (1999), Double Visions: Women and Men in Modern and Contemporary Irish Fiction; J. McCabe (1983), James Joyce and the Revolution of the Word; and J. J. Lee (1989), Ireland, 1912–88.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the course, students should understand the key issues and historical events that underpinned the struggle for Irish independence, and identify the main historical figures and organisations associated with the creation of a modern Irish state. They should appreciate the significance of informal education, folk practice and tradition in pre-Famine Irish society; explain the emergence of a Hiberno-English literary culture in Ireland; and place the careers of Joyce, Yeats and other major writers in their appropriate historical and cultural context.
Sites We Visit
The sites include Limerick City and its environs, Dublin City, the Cliffs of Moher and Lahinch, the National Museum of Ireland, the National Gallery of Ireland, and a historical walking tour of Dublin.
LA4000: Celtic Criminology; Crime and Deviance in Ireland
ECTS Credit: 6 (3 US Credit)
Syllabus
The module uses an interdisciplinary approach, combining sociology, law and history to examine how Ireland’s cultural, political and historical development has shaped criminal justice and social control. Students explore how the criminal justice system operates in practice, the criminological theories that influence responses to offending behaviour, trends in offender management, and approaches to particular categories of offences, including sexual offences. The module also considers the evolution of punishment in Ireland and broader themes of crime control, deviance and desistance.
Lecture topics may include the Irish Criminal Justice System; the carceral system of punishment in Ireland; crime and Irish mythology; defining crime; understanding deviance; homicide and other unlawful killing offences; sexual offences and offending; restorative justice in the context of sexual crimes; human rights law; media representations of crime; and youth justice. The topics are not limited to this list.
Lectures will examine Ireland’s court structure, criminal justice procedures and responsible agencies; the historical role of workhouses, reformatory schools and Magdalene laundries, as well as the current prison system; and the relationship between mythology and crime in Irish history. Students will consider how crime is defined, the requirements for establishing criminal liability, possible defences, and classical and positivist explanations of crime in an Irish context.
The module also explores murder, manslaughter and gross negligence through relevant case law; the laws and punishments relating to sexual offences; and the role of restorative justice in cases involving rape and other sexual offences. Students will watch The Meeting, a film depicting a real-life meeting between a rape survivor and her attacker. Other topics include fundamental human rights in criminal law and case law from the European Court of Human Rights; media portrayals of crime and crime crises, including representations in film and documentaries such as Veronica Guerin; and Ireland’s approach to juvenile offending, deviance and responsibility.
Module Aim
The module aims to help students understand how Ireland’s cultural, political and historical context has shaped its criminal justice system, approaches to punishment and responses to crime.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of the module, students should be able to describe the structure and main procedures of the Irish criminal justice system; explain how historical, cultural and social developments have influenced punishment and social control in Ireland; discuss key criminological theories and their application in an Irish context; and analyse selected criminal law topics using relevant case law.
Students should also be able to discuss approaches to sexual offences, restorative justice, human rights and youth justice, and examine how crime is represented in media and popular culture.
Sites We Visit
Visits and excursions include Limerick Courthouse, Limerick Prison, West of Ireland, Dublin City, and Limerick City and its environs.
NM4001: Developing Self as a Healthcare Practitioner
ECTS Credit: 6 (3 US Credit)
Syllabus
The syllabus explores Celtic spirituality and the beliefs and values that underpin contemporary healthcare. It covers human inquiry and flourishing, reflective practice, developing and leading the self, sources of evidence and knowledge in caring practice, complementary therapies, emotional intelligence, mindfulness, consciousness raising, and the promotion of wellbeing. Students also consider the journey towards enlightenment and empowerment, and make sense of their experiences during practice visits.
Module Aim
The module explores how a Celtic spiritual perspective can inform healthcare by considering the psychosocial, cultural and spiritual dimensions of personal and professional practice. It aims to help students develop emotional intelligence as a foundation for personal growth and caring practice. A visit to a practice area gives students an opportunity to consider how this approach may be applied in practice.
Learning Experience
The module aims to create an engaged and connected learning environment shaped by creativity, dialogue and diversity. A range of teaching strategies gives students opportunities to draw on their individual experiences and learn collaboratively, with theory and practice brought together throughout. Interactive learning includes dialogue, reflection, practice visits and excursions that explore cultural heritage.
Prime Texts
Cobb, M., Puchalski, C. M. and Rumbold, B. (2014), Oxford Textbook of Spirituality in Healthcare, Oxford University Press; Johns, C. (2017), Becoming a Reflective Practitioner, 5th edition, Wiley-Blackwell; Koenig, H. (2013), Spirituality in Patient Care: Why, How, When, and What, Templeton Foundation Press; and O’Donohue, J. (1997), Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom, HarperCollins Publishers.
Rolfe, G., Jasper, M. and Freshwater, D. (2011), Critical Reflection in Practice: Generating Knowledge for Care, Palgrave Macmillan; and Williams, M. and Penman, D. (2011), Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Finding Peace in a Frantic World, Piatkus.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of the module, students should be able to describe how Celtic spirituality can influence the promotion of wellbeing and clarify how their personal beliefs and values can support the development of self and practice. They should be able to identify insights through reflection as part of their personal and professional development.
Students should also recognise the value of a Celtic spiritual dimension in developing self and practice, and appreciate the potential role of holistic therapies in healthcare practice.
Sites We Visit
Visits and excursions include Limerick City and its environs, Dublin City, the Cliffs of Moher and Lahinch, and a wellness centre.
