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Courses
Courses
Choosing a course is one of the most important decisions you'll ever make! View our courses and see what our students and lecturers have to say about the courses you are interested in at the links below.
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University Life
University Life
Each year more than 4,000 choose University of Galway as their University of choice. Find out what life at University of Galway is all about here.
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About University of Galway
About University of Galway
Since 1845, University of Galway has been sharing the highest quality teaching and research with Ireland and the world. Find out what makes our University so special – from our distinguished history to the latest news and campus developments.
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Colleges & Schools
Colleges & Schools
University of Galway has earned international recognition as a research-led university with a commitment to top quality teaching across a range of key areas of expertise.
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Research & Innovation
Research & Innovation
University of Galway’s vibrant research community take on some of the most pressing challenges of our times.
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Business & Industry
Guiding Breakthrough Research at University of Galway
We explore and facilitate commercial opportunities for the research community at University of Galway, as well as facilitating industry partnership.
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Alumni & Friends
Alumni & Friends
There are 128,000 University of Galway alumni worldwide. Stay connected to your alumni community! Join our social networks and update your details online.
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Community Engagement
Community Engagement
At University of Galway, we believe that the best learning takes place when you apply what you learn in a real world context. That's why many of our courses include work placements or community projects.
Colleges and Schools
Overview
University of Galway has four Colleges, nineteen Schools and over sixty academic disciplines:
The Colleges and Schools are at the heart of our mission of teaching and research. They offer a range of research-led programmes to students at undergraduate, postgraduate and post-doctoral levels with an active community of established researchers, research students and postdoctoral research fellows. Each of the University’s research institutes has a primary affiliation to a specific College.
Each College is led by an Executive Dean and each School within a College is led by a Head of School. A list of the Executive Deans and Heads of School is available here.
College level Governance
The College structures and the key roles and responsibilities within those structures are set out in University Statutes and Regulations.
Executive Deans
Each College is led by an Executive Dean.
The Executive Dean is responsible to the President for the academic and administrative affairs of the College, in accordance with the policy of the University, and following due consultation with the Heads of the Schools of the College and the Deputy President and Registrar. The Executive Dean is appointed by the President for a four-year term which can be extended for a further period of four years on the recommendation of the President and with the approval of Údarás na hOllscoile.
Heads of School
The School is the core academic Unit in the University. Each School is led by a Head of School. The Head of the School is responsible to the Executive Dean of the relevant College for the academic and administrative affairs of the School, in accordance with the policy of the University and following due consultation with the members of the School. Heads of School are members of the College Executive (see below).
The roles and responsibilities of the Head of School are approved by Academic Council.The Head of School has the authority to implement the School’s academic, administrative and resource-management policies in consultation with the School Executive and the School Board. All School staff carry out their duties under the direction of the Head of the School. Each School may adopt such additional internal operational arrangements as may be deemed appropriate by the School.
Vice-Deans
Executive Deans can appoint Vice-Deans to take on specific strategic leadership roles in their College and to represent the College on other University bodies and initiatives as required. The precise roles of Vice-Deans in a particular College are determined by the relevant Executive Dean in line with the College’s strategic priorities. These may differ from College to College. Vice-Deans normally chair key College Committees, for instance the College Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, the College Research Committee or the College Internationalisation Committee.
Decision-making at College and School level
The Executive Dean is responsible for leading the work of the Colleges and is the Chair of key College Bodies, including the College Board and the College Executive Group.
The structures supporting the Executive Dean to execute their role within each College can vary. Each College decides, in recognition of custom and practice, on College Board structures, their relationships to College delegated Committees and the planning and holding of meetings.
College Board
The College Board is composed of staff of the relevant College, (as provided for in Statute CCCXX and Regulation 2/2018). In addition, the President and Registrar and Deputy President are ex-officio members of College Boards.
As set out in Regulation 2/2018, the College Board is responsible for advising the Executive Dean on academic matters and strategic academic planning, including academic regulations and processes, the nomination of External Examiners and the approval of academic interview and assessment boards. The College Board is chaired by the College Executive Dean and is responsible to the Dean for the exercise of its functions. Through the Executive Dean, the College Board submits certain proposals and decisions for approval (for instance, proposals to develop new programmes of study), to the University’s Academic Council or its sub-Committees .
College Executive
The College Executive Group (College Executive) is a body, separate to and independent of the College Board, which is responsible under Regulation 2/2018 for advising the Executive Dean on College financial, administrative, and organisational matters. Membership of the College Executive must be in line with the University’s requirement for gender balance, and be inclusive of Heads of School, Research Institute Directors affiliated to the College, and others, as co-opted by the Executive Dean. The College Executive reports as a group directly to the Executive Dean.
'Hub and Spoke' Model
The College decision-making structures fit with the central University decision-making structures in a ‘hub and spoke’ model. The precise operation of the ‘hub and spoke’ model depends on the individual College and servce area. Once College budgets are approved at central University level, the Colleges have devolved responsibility for expenditure within those approved budgets. The Executive Dean, advised by the College Executive Committee, is responsible for College budgetary decisions. Colleges also have autonomy over staff headcount (within the overall constraints set for the University by the Higher Education Authority), fellowships, non-pay expenditure and research support.
College offices include professional service staff dedicated to supporting the work of the College. All Colleges have dedicated finance and human resource partners. Other areas include international outreach and marketing. These roles also link directly to the University central functions in these areas.
