Support Services

At DIFC we provide Student Support services to help you from the day you arrive. DIFC care begins while you are still in your home country and continues throughout your studies with us.  DIFC has a network of supportive agents around the world to help you make the right decision.  Once you arrive in Dublin, you will be cared for by the DIFC Student Support Services Team.

Students sitting around a desk laughing and on laptops

Student Services Team

Based at DIFC, the Student Services Team look forward to meeting you and to supporting you throughout your studies. Student Services offer a range of support services designed to meet the specific needs of international students.

Orientation Programme

On arrival, a comprehensive orientation programme is provided to welcome you and introduce you to studying at DIFC and living in Dublin. The programme includes a formal academic induction where you will be registered for your programme, take an English language placement test, receive your timetable and, for academic purposes, select your modules.

Students sitting down listening to a teacher
Signing a document

Students Under 18 Years

Students under 18 years are required, by law, to have a nominated guardian in Ireland. This service is provided to DIFC students by our partner, Godsil Education.

The Guardianship programme is a specialised programme that offers 24/7 support to minor students through Godsil Education and DIFC. By engaging Godsil Education, we can ensure that minor students receive the full support they need to cope with studying abroad and round the clock access to an emergency contact. 

DIFC also offers ongoing pastoral care support to students, so you will be fully supported throughout your whole study abroad journey. 

Placement Counselling

DIFC has a full-time Placement Manager who is responsible for counseling and advising students regarding where will be placed in university on completion of their course. The service includes helping students to complete their application forms and liaison with the universities in Ireland and the UK to place all students on appropriate courses.

People sitting at a desk, paper on the desk, with their arms on the table one with a pen in his hand
Students standing outside laughing

Social Activity Programme

While the main reason for coming to Dublin is to study, in our experience, involvement in non-academic activities will help you adjust to life in Europe and allow you to develop a network of friends to make your stay more enjoyable.  Dublin offers a wide variety of options for socialising, experiencing the arts or taking part in sports.  DIFC also organises a regular programme of activities designed to help you make the most of your time in Ireland.

Study in an Irish or NCUK University

Students taking the NCUK International Foundation Year (IFY) or NCUK Master’s Preparation at DIFC are automatically part of the DIFC-NCUK placement system for university entrance.

Individual and Group Counselling

During the course, you will be assigned your own tutor. You will have a weekly group tutorial and an individual tutorial once every few weeks. You will be given university counseling advice by tutors and the Head of Student Services regarding university choices.

This includes:

  • Career planning
  • Choosing the right course for you
  • Selecting the right university for you

Meeting Universities and Higher Education Institutions

In addition to receiving advice, you are provided with opportunities for direct contact with universities to find out more. University Counselling Fairs: Partner universities are invited to come to the college and give presentations to students. We host open fair events at which students can ask questions on an individual basis. Open Days and visits: Individual universities visit the college regularly. You can also visit the universities themselves on jointly organised open days.

University Applications

DIFC arranges a set of dates and deadlines in conjunction with NCUK for the UK applications and with the Irish universities and ITs for the Irish applications. You will be guided through the application process by tutors and the Head of Student Services and given support with completing forms and writing personal statements (the UK only).

You are allowed to choose up to 3 courses. Once applications are completed, UK applications are sent to the NCUK Head Office and the process is managed there. For Irish applications, DIFC sends out the applications and deals directly with the universities. When you have received your conditional offer letters, you will be asked to select a first choice and a second choice – so by the time you sit your exams, you should be holding two conditional offers.

When the official NCUK results come out, students who meet the grades required on their first choice conditional offer letter will automatically go to their first choice course. Those who do not achieve the required grades will be matched with their second choice. If there is a match, they will go there. If the student fails to reach the grades required by either course, they will be put through clearing and the most suitable course will be found from a range of universities, Institutes of Technology and private colleges.

Success: This system has successfully provided a pathway to university entrance for many years. Students have found places at a wide range of institutions and all students have been placed within a course which suits their aspirations. For the majority of students, this is on a degree or a masters course.

Guaranteed Access

On successful completion of an NCUK qualification with DIFC, NCUK guarantees  access to successful students on an appropriate university course at one of the NCUK Universities. Outside of NCUK, DIFC works with many Universities including University College Cork, NUI Galway, RCSI, University of Limerick, Munster Technological University, Technological University of the Shannon, Atlantic Technological University and many other Universities.

Start typing and press Enter to search