American College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

Dublin, Ireland

American College Dublin, accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, was founded as a not-for-profit independent educational trust in May 1993 by Lynn University, a liberal arts institution located in Boca Raton, Florida. The College admitted its first liberal arts and business degree students in September 1993 and graduated its first class in 1996. The first graduation ceremony’s keynote speaker was Jean Kennedy Smith, American ambassador to Ireland and sister of former President John F. Kennedy, beginning a tradition of distinguished keynote speakers at the College commencements that would subsequently include Nobel Peace Prize recipients John Hume and Senator George Mitchell, former Attorney General and Goldman Sachs Chairman Peter Sutherland, former President of the European Parliament Pat Cox, Fianna Fail leader Micheál Martin, former Tánaiste Mary Harney and the sister of current US Vice President Joe Biden, Valerie Biden Owens. The development of the College’s Dublin campus continued apace through the 1990s; in 2002 the institution expanded its operations with the establishment of a sister campus in Delaware, which became known as American College Delaware.

A constituent college of Irish American University, the institution is approved by the Department of Education of the State of Delaware and is accredited by the regional accrediting agency for the state, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). Responsible for higher education accreditation in the states of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Washington, DC, and Delaware, MSCHE accredits five of the world’s top twenty higher education institutions (Princeton University, Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, The Johns Hopkins University and Cornell University); there are more MSCHE-accredited institutions ranked in the top 200 in the world than those accredited by any other regional agency (2013 Times Higher Education and the QS World University Rankings). ACD is the only Middle States accredited institution in Ireland; it is additionally the only US-regionally accredited institution in Ireland offering offering full degree-level programs of study. American College Dublin also offers some programs accredited by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), including baccalaureate programs in liberal arts, international business and accounting and finance, and a master's program in international business. 

In the years since its foundation American College Dublin has consolidated its position as a high quality liberal arts institution. Student numbers have increased from a handful to the hundreds, with alumni numbering in the thousands since the first graduation ceremony. Physically, the College has grown from a single house on Merrion Square to one which occupies three adjacent properties, two to either side of the original site. The support facilities have expanded to include an enlarged library, computer laboratories, student dining and recreation facilities. Yet, amid the changes, some things have remained constant. The College retains its commitment to delivering a postsecondary education that adheres to the best traditions of the American liberal arts model; one that is stimulating, challenging, interesting and useful. It remains committed to teaching in small classes (generally no more than thirty students); to teaching which is responsive to the needs of students of varying abilities and backgrounds; and to teaching which actively involves the student in the learning and assessment processes. It continues to encourage and project an international outlook, through its student recruitment (60% of the total student body comes from outside the Republic of Ireland), through the content of many of its courses and through its fostering of links with the international community in Ireland. Finally, the College continues to promote its American connection, most obviously through its name, but in substance also: through its grounding in the liberal arts, its accreditation with the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, its historical links with Lynn University, its sister campus in Lewes, Delaware, its US study abroad program and its active recruitment of American students for four-year baccalaureate and master’s programs of study.

American College Dublin is ideally located just a few minutes’ walk from Grafton Street, one of the main shopping streets in Dublin city centre. Everything a student might need is within close proximity. The building overlooks Merrion Square, considered one of the city's finest surviving squares.

Train: Pearse Station is the nearest DART station to the College.

Luas: The green line terminates at St. Stephen’s Green which is a 12 minute walk to the college.

ACD Housing is located in the city-centre, within 10 minutes' walk of the campus. The accommodation package includes a breakfast and evening dinner meal-plan. Students can look forward to a warm and friendly atmosphere in a secure and caring environment.

Common facilities and provisions include:

• Dining room
• Common room with cable TV
• Laundry room
• Wi-fi throughout the building
• Access to tea and coffee making facilities
• Supply of bed linen on arrival
• Heating and electricity charges included

All twin bedrooms are ensuite and equipped with:

• Desk and study lamp
• Wardrobe
• Private bathroom with shower, sink and toilet
• There is a lovely dining area and a patio garden on the ground floor of the residence, where students gather for their meals.

The price for a semester in ACD Housing, including the meal-plan and access to all common facilities and provisions, is €3,750. 

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