Based in the south of Ireland, the University of Limerick is home to 15,000 students. The institution, granted university status in 1989, was the first to be established in the Republic of Ireland after the founding of the state in 1922.

 A unique feature of the student experience is that all students are eligible for an 8-month work placement coordinated by the university as part of the Cooperative Education Programme. The university has a network of more than 1,600 employers, making the Co-op programme one of the biggest in the European Union. Around 30 per cent of students in the programme work internationally for their placement, across Europe, Asia and America. The alumni community has one of the highest employment rates out of graduates in Ireland.

The University of Limerick has adopted aspects of the US university system. For example, students receive a grade point average as a result of evaluations. Arts and sciences are both key to the university’s mission; there are a number of dedicated and specialised scientific research centres, alongside the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, the Irish Chamber Orchestra, and collections of Fine Art. Notable graduates of the university over the years include politicians, sportspeople and more than one dancer of Riverdance.

The UL campus is truly one of the most beautiful university campuses anywhere in the world. Visitors never fail to be impressed by this peaceful green place with its trees, its fountains and the beautiful river Shannon flowing majestically through it all. In spring, UL is a symphony of birdsong, while in autumn, it is a celebration of colour. Known as Irelands Sporting Campus, the sporting facilities on campus are second to none.

Many students live close to the university campus, particularly in Castletroy. There is also a good amount of student accommodation on campus, arranged into five student villages.

• Applied, Pure Science
• Architecture, Building
• Business Management
• Engineering
• Health & Medicine
• Humanities & Social Sciences

The University of Limerick strategic plan Broadening Horizons, reflects our intention to further raise the level of ambition of our staff and students. This plan is very much outward facing. It reaches out to communities and employers, to Limerick city and the local region, to our alumni, to external collaborators and to the international scene in a particularly powerful way. Firstly, we believe that lasting transformation will be achieved by sustaining and building on our achievements.

We therefore commit ourselves to embedding in Broadening Horizons the activities that have incrementally gathered momentum under Pioneering & Connected. Secondly, we will focus on accentuating our distinctiveness. As a research-led university, we will remain distinctive through our relentless focus on research with impact, graduate employability, industry engagement and the provision of an outstanding campus environment.

Finally, we will continue to raise our international profile. This will be achieved by further internationalising the UL student experience, improving the global currency of UL degrees, attracting more international students and staff and accessing leading international research networks. This will enable our staff and students to bring their particular UL story to the world and create new opportunities to invite the world to Limerick.