Costs and funding

It's one of the most important issues when considering postgraduate study: how will you pay your way?

Fees

Your first step should be to check the website of the institution you are interested in to find out exactly how much you can expect to pay in tuition fees.

In the Republic of Ireland, ICT courses covered by the Graduate Skills Conversion Programme are covered by a composite fee which is currently €2,750. Apart from these, there is some variation among the different universities' fees. Those for research degrees average more than €4,000, while fees for taught degree programmes can range from under €4,000 up to around €10,000 – usually for business courses. The charge for MBA (Masters of Business Administration) courses can be as high as €29,500. Fees in the two Northern Ireland universities are generally from around £3,500 for full-time taught and research degrees, with a payment by individual credit system operating for part-time courses.

It's important, particularly with US universities, to consider information about fees alongside the financial aid offered by the institution: it's likely that you will be applying for funding at the same time as you apply for a place on the course.

Maintenance

You will also need to factor in your living costs: while awards cover fees, they are unlikely to support living costs in full. You can often find useful cost-of-living tables on university or student union websites. For example, NUI Galway estimates living costs at around €1,000 per month.

Housing

Accommodation is probably the largest item of expenditure for most students. This can vary from as little as €70 per week sharing a room in rented accommodation to around €150 per week in digs. The other option is to live on campus where rents for an academic year can range from around €3,000 to €5,000.

How to apply successfully for funding
Funding for study outside Ireland
Postgraduate funding: is there any still out there?