Undergrad-COVID-19

Registry - COVID 19 FAQ

Undergraduate Application Queries

Starting in DCU (Registration)

Other Queries

Undergraduate Application Queries

International Office Applicants

Undergraduate Non EU applicants, should contact the International Office by email on international@dcu.ie. Further information is available on their website, https://www.dcu.ie/international/index.shtml 

Registry Applicants

All other Undergraduate applicants can read the information below and contact registry@dcu.ie if you have any further questions.

Will the Covid-19 outbreak affect my application to DCU?

New DCU applications are being managed in the usual way. We are monitoring the situation closely and will update these FAQs as more information becomes available.

Do I have to attend campus for my assessment/interview?

For programmes where this applies, temporary arrangements have been put in place to facilitate remote assessments/interviews. In line with previous years, all applicants have been contacted by email in relation to assessments/interviews. This remote arrangement will be kept under review.

Will DCU entry requirements change this year?

Undergraduate general entry requirements and programme entry requirements for DCU programmes remain as published. CAO points levels are determined by the Leaving Certificate results of those who apply, it is therefore not possible to forecast how many points will be necessary to gain entry this year, or in any future years. CAO Round 1 - Leaving Certificate Examination 2020 DCU will work with relevant authorities to make CAO offers as soon as possible after the Irish calculated grades are published. For further information about Leaving Certificate 2020, please see the following important Department of Education link here

I am an applicant who has studied subjects outside school. I have applied for, but am unable to obtain a calculated grade from the Department of Education. What should I do?

There have been discussions on this issue with the Department of Education and Skills, the State Examinations Commission, the Executive Office for Calculated Grades, the IUA and universities. A common approach has been agreed as follows.

In the extraordinary circumstances of 2020, students who have applied for a Calculated Grade in a subject or subjects in the Leaving Certificate 2020, with a view to satisfying matriculation/minimum entry requirements and for whom the Calculated Grades Executive Office (CGEO) has been unable to award such a grade in the subject(s), will be granted an exemption in the subject(s) solely for matriculation/basic minimum entry purposes.

The subject(s) for which exemption is granted will not attract points and the exemption cannot be used to satisfy additional programme requirements over and above the matriculation/basic minimum entry requirements.

These exemptions will be granted automatically and it will not be necessary for students to apply individually. 

If I am unable to take up my place for any reason, is it possible to defer my place until next year?

CAO applicants who have just been offered a place at DCU, should follow the deferral request procedure as outlined in the CAO handbook. Please email your deferral request to registry@dcu.ie, at least two days before your CAO reply date. The request should give your name, your CAO number, the course code of the offer you wish to defer and the reason you are requesting the deferral.  There are a limited number of deferral places per programme and per CAO round. Deferral requests will be dealt with on a first come first served basis. It may not be possible to accommodate all deferral requests.  In the event it is not possible to obtain a deferral, applicants may accept their CAO offer for the current year, providing you accept by the published CAO reply date for that offer. 

I am a first year undergraduate student who has just accepted an offer of a place at DCU. Can I defer my place at DCU?

CAO applicants who have already accepted an offer in a recent CAO round, but not yet registered for their course, should in the first instance email registry@dcu.ie to seek guidance on how to apply for a deferral. There is a limited number of deferral places available each year and they are allocated on a first come first served basis. It may not be possible to accommodate all deferral requests. In the event it is not possible to obtain a deferral, the applicant may still take up the offer they have accepted or reapply through CAO to DCU next year.

Other School Leaving Examination Results:

My school is assessing my final examinations/or providing my final results in a different way than in previous years.

Will DCU accept my final school examinations in 2020?

If your examination is one which we normally recognise, we will continue to accept the results provided they are formally issued by the examining body, in accordance with the timelines for 2020 admissions. We will keep the situation under review and if there is a significant difference in grade distribution relative to Leaving Certificate results, we reserve the right to implement a system of proportionality. If you require further information about this, please contact the undergraduate admissions team by email on registry@dcu.ie.

I cannot obtain application information required by DCU, what shall I do?

We are aware that delays may be unavoidable for you in providing the information needed to support your application. Please email registry@dcu.ie and our undergraduate admissions team will let you know if it is possible to allow any flexibility for submission of application information.

I am unable to take my English language test because the IELTS test centres are closed, how will this affect me?

The university accepts several English language tests. As a temporary measure for 2020 ONLY (response to Covid 19), DCU has approved the use of the Duolingo English Test (DET) for some programmes, as a temporary measure from 1st April to 31st July 2020. Further information can be found here.

DCU Open Days 

For more information, please click here

Starting at DCU (Registration)

Attending DCU in 2020-2021 

What will the next year of study look like? What does hybrid delivery mean? What is happening with on-campus accommodation? please click here for further information

When is registration for my course?

Any applicant who accepts a place at DCU will receive information from the Registry in relation to registering online for their course. We are monitoring the situation closely and further information relating to the timing of registration for first year students will be updated on this FAQ page, as soon as it becomes available.

International (Non-EU) undergraduate incoming students should consult the International Office. Further information is available here.

When will the new term start?

DCU are continuing to make preparations to welcome new students for the start of term in 2020.

For continuing students, the Semester 1 start date will be Monday, October 5th.

For new Undergraduate students, the start date has not yet been confirmed.

We are monitoring the situation closely and further information about the start of term will be available on this FAQ page as soon as it is available. 

What if I contract COVID-19 when I am due to commence at DCU?

If you contract COVID-19 before you are due to commence at DCU, you should not travel and should follow all local health advice. You should wait for clear medical advice that you are no longer contagious before you consider travelling. Please contact the University for guidance on deferring your place.

Other Queries

Financial Queries - please email fees@dcu.ie

Accommodation Queries - please email campus.residences@dcu.ie

International Office - please email international.office@dcu.ie