Question
My daughter is torn between a standard business degree or a four-year international one. Is a year abroad of sufficient value to justify the costs associated with an additional year’s study?
Answer
In an increasingly globalised world, graduates need not only strong work-ready skills, but also the ability to navigate complex, diverse professional environments. In selecting a three-year undergraduate business degree in one of Ireland’s universities, your daughter will be immersed in a highly internationalised learning setting.
Having said that, there is still no substitute for the direct experience of studying abroad. Through partnerships with universities across the globe, Irish students can spend a semester or a full year immersed in another academic and cultural setting.
Study abroad is often associated with the Erasmus programme, which provides a well-established framework for European mobility, including financial support to help with living costs. However, opportunities extend far beyond Europe.
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Irish universities maintain partnerships with institutions in North America, Australia, New Zealand, India, China and Latin America, giving students access to a wide range of study-abroad experiences.
Academically, studying abroad allows students to take courses in a host university alongside local classmates and other international students. Depending on their degree, they may choose from subjects not offered at home or explore new perspectives on familiar topics.
For some, it is a chance to broaden their studies; for others, it provides complementary modules that deepen their learning in a particular subject area. While studying through the host country’s language is sometimes possible, it is not always required, and many universities worldwide offer extensive options through English, making the transition smoother.
The greatest value of study abroad often lies beyond the classroom. Students gain exposure to new cultures, meet peers from around the world and experience a different way of life. The variety of environments is vast – from large campus-based universities in the United States to high-rise, city-based campuses in Asia or historic European universities such as Leiden or Padua. Personal growth emerges not only from the academic challenge, but also from engaging in local sports, joining new clubs and societies, and exploring new places.
For many students, the experience is transformative. It broadens horizons, builds confidence and fosters lifelong friendships across cultures and languages. The skills developed – adaptability, independence, intercultural communication – are highly valued by employers, and enrich both personal and professional life long after the exchange ends.
[ ‘It’s a rare opportunity’: Students share advice for study abroad in EuropeOpens in new window ]
In my engagements in international education conferences within the EU and worldwide throughout my working life, I have encountered numerous participants whose personal and professional lives were shaped by their year abroad. Within the EU, the European Commission estimates that over one million babies have been born as a result of the Erasmus programme. Not, you can be sure, that I am wishing romance and parenthood on your daughter as a consequence of her possible participation in an international year abroad...
There are, of course, practical considerations. Cost can be a barrier, even with Erasmus or university support, and moving abroad requires thoughtful planning. To help students prepare, universities provide structured guidance through study abroad or global offices. Students interested in participating are encouraged to engage early, explore available destinations and understand how the experience can best fit their academic pathway.
Ultimately, study abroad offers a unique opportunity to learn, grow and experience the world in a way that cannot be replicated at home.
For those who embrace it, it often becomes one of the most rewarding and influential parts of their university journey.
- email: askbrian@irishtimes.com
