Freshman Frontiers: First Term in Dublin

Drexel's Freshman Frontiers program allows students to gain a global perspective and an international education from the very beginning of their college experience. Students spend their first term studying abroad with a Drexel partner school, taking courses that apply to their majors as well as participating in co-curricular activities that enhance their cultural understanding.

Overview

Qualified students may apply to spend their first term at Drexel studying at the Dublin Business School and School of Arts (DBS) in Dublin, Ireland. DBS, located in the heart of Dublin, is Ireland's largest private university and a Foundation for International Education (FIE) partner school. FIE is a London-based nonprofit educational organization and Drexel's long-standing associate for study abroad programs in Dublin and London. By going abroad during first term of their freshman year, students gain a greater global perspective that helps to shape and enhance the rest of their Drexel experiences, and that may lead to additional study abroad, co-op, or international co-op opportunities.

Students who are U.S. citizens do not need a visa for this 15-week program, but they must have a valid passport for the duration of their stay in Ireland. Students leave around Labor Day and return in mid-December.

For a list of eligible majors, please see the "How to Apply" section of this site.

If you have questions about the Freshman Frontiers program, please contact the Office of Admissions at enroll@drexel.edu or 215-895-2400.

Academics

Freshman Frontiers students earn 18–20 Drexel credits while in Dublin. Courses are pre-selected by Drexel advisors according to the required freshman year sequence for their majors. All students are required to take the Irish Life and Culture course. The grades that students earn appear on their transcripts as Drexel coursework.

Student Life

To supplement their studies, students participate in excursions linked to the Irish Life and Culture course, as well as a series of “mobile seminars,” opportunities for civic engagement, and two weekend trips. FIE provides a calendar of activities, clubs, societies, and sports teams in which students may participate, and students are encouraged to get involved with organizations and clubs at DBS to meet local students. There is also free time for personal travel around Ireland and to nearby European countries.

A Drexel student mentor, studying in Dublin during the fall term, will be available as a resource and serve as an additional connection to the Drexel community.

Housing

Students are housed in shared apartment-style residence halls with FIE resident assistants, freshman students from other U.S. colleges and universities participating in similar programs, and Irish students. While the building is co-ed, individual apartments are not, and Drexel students are housed together. The residences are owned by FIE, and although they are not on campus, they are within easy walking distance. Public transportation is also available to and from campus. All apartments have Internet access and are fully furnished (students need to supply their own linens).

Food and Beverage

Each apartment has a kitchen, and students are responsible for their own meals. Groceries (estimated at $100 a week) should be included when planning monthly budgets.

The legal drinking age in Ireland is 18. As such, students are permitted to responsibly drink alcohol while in Ireland and are expected to abide by Drexel University's Alcohol Policy and the alcohol laws of the Republic of Ireland. Students found in violation of the University's policy or Irish law are subject to discipline.

Tuition and Fees

Students participating in the Freshman Frontiers program are enrolled as Drexel students and pay Drexel tuition plus a program and housing fee of $8,000–$9,000. A $250 security deposit is held by Drexel in case of damage to housing. Tuition includes classes, co-curricular activities, access to DBS facilities, two trips, and orientation. Tuition does not include passport fees, round-trip transatlantic airfare, food, phone, textbooks, optional field excursions, independent travel and expenses, or copier charges incurred at the workstation facility at DBS.

Students should plan to have a monthly budget of $700–$1,200 for personal expenses such as food, transportation, independent travel, and books. The estimated cost of textbooks is $300.

Students are required to have U.S. health insurance through a parent or guardian or through Drexel's student plan. Additionally, students are covered by supplemental international medical insurance through Endsleigh Insurance Group, the cost of which is included in the program and housing fee.

The Freshman Frontiers enrollment deposit, payable by check or money order, is $500 and is applied to the program and housing fee. Students must separately submit their $300 tuition and $200 housing deposits through the Discover Drexel portal following the freshman instructions.

Travel Expenses

Although students are responsible for buying their own round-trip plane tickets, there is a designated mandatory group flight departing from Philadelphia. Students are responsible for arranging travel to Philadelphia and arriving on Drexel's campus the day of the departure.

Upon arrival at the airport in Dublin, students must register with the Garda — the national police of Ireland. The estimated fee to register is $450. This is the only Irish fee or paperwork necessary.

Financial Aid

All Drexel financial aid awarded to a student is applicable to the Freshman Frontiers program. Those students eligible for Federal Work-Study may apply for the Online Journalist work-study position through the Study Abroad Office.

Every student accepted to the program is automatically considered for the Freshman Frontiers Scholarship. This $1,000 scholarship is applied to tuition and is renewable each year, provided that the student is enrolled in a full-time undergraduate day program and maintains a 2.75 GPA. Students who are awarded this scholarship will be notified.

Eligible Majors

The following majors are eligible to participate in the Freshman Frontiers: First Term in Dublin program:

  • Accounting
  • Anthropology
  • Economics
  • English
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Finance
  • General Business
  • History
  • International Area Studies
  • International Business
  • Management Information Systems
  • Legal Studies
  • Marketing
  • Operations and Supply Chain Management
  • Philosophy
  • Political Science
  • Psychology
  • Sociology

Requirements and Materials

Students must be at least 17 by the time they arrive in Dublin. In addition to the age requirement, students applying to the program should have a demonstrated high level of academic ability, independence, maturity, intellectual motivation, and cultural curiosity. Freshman Frontiers is best suited for students who will use this opportunity to enhance the rest of their collegiate careers and to help accomplish academic and professional goals.

Please note that before applying to the Freshman Frontiers program, you should submit your application for admission to Drexel University. You may apply to the program before you receive a University admission decision. Interested students must submit the Freshman Frontiers application, including an essay and an additional letter of recommendation by March 1, 2013.

Because the number of seats is limited, the Freshman Frontiers program is competitive, and the application process is selective. Your response to the essay question and the letter of recommendation are both very important components in the selection process.

Submit application materials via:

  • Email: freshfrontiers@drexel.edu
  • Fax: 215-895-1285
  • Postal mail: Drexel University, Freshman Frontiers, PO Box 34789, Philadelphia, PA 19101
  • Express Courier (DHL, FedEx, UPS, etc.): Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-2876

Note: When submitting materials via email or fax, please be sure to include Freshman Frontiers, your name, and your Drexel student ID in the subject line or on the cover page.

What to Expect

The application and letter of recommendation for the Freshman Frontiers program are due March 1, 2013. Applicants will receive an official decision by April 1, 2013. Accepted students who wish to enroll must submit the Freshman Frontiers enrollment form and a $500 deposit by May 1, 2013, along with their $300 Drexel tuition deposit and the $200 Drexel housing deposit. Participants are guaranteed on-campus housing when they return to Drexel for the winter and spring terms. Freshman Frontiers participants submit their housing applications following the freshman directions by May 15.

Students who do not already have a passport should submit the passport application at least eight weeks before departure — no later than mid-June.

All Freshman Frontiers participants attend the same New Student Orientation at Drexel in July. Students will have the opportunity to meet each other and receive important pre-departure information during a special Freshman Frontiers session.

On the day of the group flight to Dublin, students arrive on Drexel's campus to take part in pre-departure activities. Drexel provides transportation to the airport.

Students participate in a comprehensive orientation session upon their arrival in Dublin, led by FIE's program director. Orientation includes a group airport pick-up, lunch at DBS, a welcome dinner, a bus tour of Dublin, and a welcome lecture covering topics such as health and safety, life in Dublin, and an introduction to the college. There is also a daylong seaside excursion to help students get to know each other.

In order to transition back to Drexel's campus, students take part in a re-entry program organized by the Student Life and Study Abroad offices. The program begins at the end of the fall term in Dublin and continues into the winter term when students arrive on Drexel's campus.