University College Cork

ABOUT UNIVERSITY

University College Cork – National University of Ireland, Cork (UCC) is a prominent constituent university of the National University of Ireland, located in the city of Cork. Established in 1845 as one of three Queen’s Colleges in Belfast, Cork, and Galway, UCC opened its doors in 1849 with faculties in Medicine, Arts, and Law. The university’s historical roots are closely tied to Saint Finbarr, the patron saint of Cork, and this connection is reflected in its motto, "Where Finbarr Taught, Let Munster Learn." The original Tudor Gothic quadrangle and other early buildings were designed by Sir Thomas Deane and Benjamin Woodward. Over time, the institution evolved, becoming University College, Cork under the Irish Universities Act of 1908, and later gaining its current title through the Universities Act 1997 and a subsequent Ministerial Order in 1998.UCC has received numerous accolades, including being named Irish University of the Year five times by The Sunday Times, most recently in 2017. It was also recognised as a top performing university by the EU-funded U-Multirank system in 2015 and was the first university to achieve ISO 50001 certification for energy management in 2011. As of 2022, UCC had a student population of over 24,000, including nearly 17,000 undergraduates and more than 7,000 postgraduates, supported by over 3,400 staff. The university boasts a global alumni network of around 200,000. Renowned for its academic excellence and commitment to innovation, UCC remains one of Ireland’s leading institutions for higher education and research.