Name of the Host University: NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, GALWAY

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1 Name of the Host University: NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, GALWAY INFORMATION SHEET FOR UNIVERSIDAD DE LA RIOJA STUDENTS International Office Address: English Department National University of Ireland, Galway University Road, Galway, Ireland. European Affairs Office, National University of Ireland, Galway, Galway, Ireland. Telephone: Facsimile: Telephone/Fax: Phone: +353 (0) ; Fax: +353 (0) Student s Contact person: Ann Monahan Room 222, New IMI building Tel: ann.monahan@mis.nuigalway.ie Ann Monahan in the International Students Office provides a variety of services to help incoming students from abroad settle down quickly in their new environment. These include: Orientation Programmes for newly-arrived international students Advice, information and support services for all international students Social & Cultural Events Handbooks Students coming from overseas should download the handbook which will help them with both the academic and practical aspects of their stay in Galway. European students on the Erasmus programme can download the Erasmus students' handbook. North American students can download the North American students' handbook Office hours: Housing office (if different): Contact Persons: Teresa Kelly Aras Uí Cathail t.cooney@mis.nuigalway.ie Tel ext Tel (International) Fax (International) University WWW-address:

2 International WWW-address: Language of Instruction: English Most lectures are conducted through the medium of English. A small number of courses are offered through the Irish language only. A good knowledge of English is therefore essential. Each incoming Socrates/Erasmus student must be sufficiently proficient in English to be able to understand lectures and to be able to work with textbooks written in English. While a good command of English is thus an important element, we naturally recognise that one of the main purposes of the study period is to improve language performance. Language courses: English language classes may be organised if there is a sufficient number of interested students. Further details will be available at the beginning of the academic year. Level of Study for Rioja Students: Period of Exchange: 9 months Program(s) or Department(s) open to Rioja exchange students: Areas of Concentration: English Choice of Subjects: Each semester the Department of English welcomes over two hundred visiting students, mainly from the United States and Europe. The following guidelines explain some of the special procedures and conditions which apply to Visiting Students. The department's Visiting Student Co-ordinator is Professor Hubert McDermott (room 515, tower 1). The administrator for visiting student matters for is Ms. Claudia Doherty. Her office hours are posted on the Visiting Student's Noticeboard (near room 511, tower 1). Courses may be selected from both Second Year and Third Year programmes offered by the Department, subject to course availability. If selecting courses from both Second and Third Year, please ensure that classes are not scheduled to take place at the same time. Students may select as many lecture courses as they wish. Lecture courses have a 2 unit (NUI, Galway) / 5 ECTS weighting. Students may, if they wish, select ONE seminar course per semester. Seminars may be selected from either Second or Third year seminars offered by the Department. Please note that to maintain small class sizes, entry to individual seminars is restricted. When selecting courses, students are advised to pay careful attention to the weighting of each course to ensure that the combined weighting of the courses they study at NUI, Galway meets the criteria of their home university. A full course load for students at NUI,Galway consists of courses having a combined weighting of 12 units / 30 ECTS per semester. Visiting students may, depending on their needs, take fewer or more units but should carefully consider the implications, from the point of view of obtaining credit, of taking less than 12 units. Most courses in the English Department are worth 2 units, or 5 ECTS credits.

3 By accessing the NUI, Galway www pages you can view information on the range of courses that are offered by individual faculties and departments. More detailed information is available from your Socrates Coordinator in NUI, Galway. This University operates the ECTS credit system. Your Socrates Coordinator will be able to give you information in relation to ECTS credits that are allocated to individual courses. Under the ECTS system, a Full course load is set as follows: Full Year: 60 ECTS credits Semester: 30 ECTS credits. If you are unsure of the name of your Socrates Coordinator in Galway please contact Suzanne Golden, European Affairs Office, who will be able to assist you. Your Home University should advise you of the number of ECTS credits that you are expected to achieve during your study period in NUI, Galway. Full-time Workload: Cost of Programs: Additional Fees: Application Requirements: Socrates/Erasmus students continue to be registered for the qualification of their home institution. No separate qualification is obtainable from NUI, Galway as a result of a Socrates/Erasmus exchange. The Socrates/Erasmus Coordinator in your own university will select students to come to NUI, Galway according to prearranged exchange agreements in predetermined subject areas. Once you have been nominated you must complete an NUI, Galway Application Form. The form must be returned to the European Affairs Office in NUI, Galway by the appropriate deadline. At this stage you do not need to specify the courses you wish to take at NUI, Galway. However, the Application Form does require an indication of your main study areas. You should ensure that the Socrates/Erasmus Coordinator at your own university also signs the Application Form. Application Deadlines: Closing Date for Applications Socrates/Erasmus Application Forms must be returned to NUI, Galway no later than: May 31st for Full Year/Semester 1 students October 31st for all Semester 2 students. Delays in registration may occur if your Application Form is not received on time. Term dates for the academic year 2003/2004: First Semester Teaching begins Monday, 8th September, 2003 * Teaching ends Saturday, 29th November, 2003 Study Week Monday, 1st December, Saturday 6th December, 2003 Examinations begin Monday, 8th December, 2003 Examinations end Friday, 19th December, 2003 Christmas Vacation Sunday, 21st December, 2003 Sunday, 11th January, 2004 Second Semester Teaching begins Monday, 12th January, 2004 Teaching ends Saturday, 3rd April, 2004 Easter Vacation and Study Week Sunday, 4th April Sunday, 25th April, 2004 Examinations begin Monday, 26th April, 2004 Easter Sunday is on 11th April, 2004

4 Exam dates: Semester 1 examinations will begin on the 9th December 2002 and run until 20th December Semester 2 examinations will begin on the 28th April 2003 and run for approximately three weeks. Examination Timetables will be displayed on the World Wide Web as soon as they become available, at the following address: Students should note that it may not be possible to do two different courses if the exams are scheduled for the same time and date. Queries regarding the exam timetables should be addressed to the Examinations Office, telephone , extension 2316, 2283, 2304; examinations@mis.nuigalway.ie. Resist Exams: Exams/Grading System: Exam Transcripts and Grading Systems NUI, Galway will issue exam transcripts for each Socrates/Erasmus student. The transcripts will show the course(s) taken, the number of credits attached to each course and the mark attained, in percentage terms. NUI, Galway Grading Systems Mark First Class Honours 70% and above Second-Class Honours, Grade 1 62% - 69% Second-Class Honours, Grade 2 55% - 61% Third-Class Honours 50% - 54% Pass 40% - 49% A copy of your exam transcript will be sent directly to you at your home address and a copy will be sent to your departmental co-ordinator in your home university. Please ensure that you enter the correct contact details of your departmental co-ordinator in your Socrates/Erasmus Application Form. Accommodation: We can help students find appropriate accommodation be it a flat, apartment, house or bed-sit. We can also help if problems arise with landlords. The office is located in the Séamus Uí Cathail building next to Áras na Mac Léinn. Students are advised to contact the Student Accommodation Office as early as possible (right from the moment of acceptance of a place in NUI, Galway). The Accommodation office works in conjunction with several groups to try and assist students with their accommodation problems including Galway Threshold and Costs The following is a rough guide to the 2003/2004 academic year (based on 2002/2003 costs) Type of Accommodation Description Cost per student Houses 3 Bedroom housing 5 students (2 twin, 1 single rooms) per week per house

5 Apartments Self-Catering (where you live with the owner but provide and cook your own food) Deposits for Houses and Apartments 2 Bedroom housing 4 students (2 sharing twin bedrooms) 1Bedroom housing 2 students (2 sharing twin bedroom) per week per Apartment 200 per week per Apartment per person per week per student (Approx.) Each tenants should be prepared to pay: One month's advance rental deposit against damages not due to wear and tear At least 90 towards heating oil each semester Each tenant is required to sign a lease Tenants should never sign leases on behalf of their co-tenants Always remember that a signed lease is legally binding If a tenant breaks his/her lease, the initial deposit against damages is automatically forfeited. Insurance: We recommend that students take out adequate insurance cover against personal and rented property, televisions and videos, library books, etc Contact Persons: Teresa Kelly Aras Uí Cathail t.cooney@mis.nuigalway.ie Tel ext Tel (International) Fax (International) Rent (in local currency) aprox: The Euro Eleven countries in Europe, including Ireland, introduced the euro ( ) as their single currency on the 1st of January 2002.One euro is made up of 100 cent. The other countries participating in the single European Currency are: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Portugal and Spain. Estimated Cost Of Living The following is an indication of the approximate cost of living in Galway during term time. Monthly Rent 350 Food 220 Books and other academic requisites 40 Clothes, laundry 50 Recreation 150 Other 80 Total 890

6 When making your decision to study in Ireland you should ensure that you will have enough money to see you through to the end of your studies. National University of Ireland, Galway will not be in position to offer you any funding. If you are going to receive a Socrates/Erasmus mobility grant your home university will administer this to you. Other living costs (2003) aprox.: Please note that this amount varies greatly depending on individual life style. Visa requirements: none Facilities (access to sports facilities, library services etc): Other information which you feel may be of interest for the prospective Rioja students: The University experience is exciting, enjoyable and fulfilling, but it is also a challenging time for students. At NUI, Galway we aim to provide our students with a platform of security from which they can meaningfully engage with University life. While the day to day life of a student is, to a large extent, focussed on academic work, there are many complimentary opportunities for personal development, for example through Sports Clubs and Student Societies. It is our experience that the student-to-student support provided through the network of student clubs and societies is a very useful resource in dealing with the challenges of University life.