FAQ for Newly Admitted Global Gateways Students

US citizens do not need a visa to study in Ireland; however, you will be required to register with immigration authorities after arriving. IES Abroad will help with this process! We will be in touch with what documents you will need to bring to support your stay. 

Definitely! If you don't already have one, please start the process of applying for one immediately. It can take up to 11 weeks (not including mailing time) for standard processing to get a passport, so please do not delay! You can learn about how to apply for a passport on the State Department website

Yes, a laptop is needed for Dublin. Classes will be face-to-face, but many assignments will be turned in online. 

You do not need to go to FOCUS in DeLand before Dublin. You will have both a pre-departure virtual orientation to Dublin and a post-arrival on-site orientation in Dublin. You will also attend the spring FOCUS orientation on-campus in DeLand in January. 

The Global Gateways team will make sure that you're well versed in how to navigate Stetson in DeLand. We'll start orientation in Dublin at the end of the program and finish up in DeLand when you arrive in January. Students will also be required to attend the Spring FOCUS orientation in January. 

In most cases, yes! We recommend confirming your specific scholarship information with the Office of Financial Planning to be sure. They can be reached at [email protected] 

Students on this program will pay their regular Stetson tuition and in most cases, will have access to all of their financial aid (again, please confirm your specific scholarship information with the Office of Financial Planning). Additionally, students will be charged the housing rate for an individual room in an apartment and student fees. 

Students will not have to pay for a meal plan for the semester; however, they should budget for groceries and meals in Dublin.

The tuition and housing fees charged by Stetson will cover 16 Stetson credits, all program activities and excursions, housing, a 30-day Dublin bus pass, and international health insurance.

Students should budget separately for roundtrip flights to Dublin, meals, and personal expenses.

Estimated Budget (all numbers are approximate):

• Tuition (Fall 2022 - approximate) *Paid to Stetson: $25,980
• Student Life and Orientation Fees *Paid to Stetson: $380
• Housing *Paid to Stetson: $5,124
• Meals in Dublin: $2,000
• Bus Pass (if needed beyond 30 days): $500
• Passport and Visa costs: Approximately $450
• Personal Expenses (individual travel and exploration, personal items, books, etc.): $2,000
• Roundtrip Airfare: $1,100

You will be able to travel abroad from Dublin during the semester when you have time off. Dublin Airport is a great international jumping-off point.

Stetson will arrange an optional group flight from Orlando at the start of the program. If preferred, students who are traveling from outside the central Florida area can choose to book their own flights and meet the group in Dublin. Flight costs are separate from tuition and housing fees. 

September 5 - December 17, 2022. 

Stetson is working with IES Abroad, a study abroad provider with a center in Dublin. IES requires all program participants to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to departing for Dublin. Boosters are also required for any students who are eligible (this means you should get a booster if it has been more than 5 months since your second Moderna or Pfizer vaccine, or if it has been more than two months since your Johnson & Johnson vaccine. If it has been less than this amount of time since your second vaccine, you are not eligible for a booster).

Fall bills are due by July 15. July 15 is also the deadline to set up a monthly payment plan, if needed. Please reach out to Student Accounts if you have questions about this: [email protected]

We will cover a lot of important health and safety information, as well as what to pack, what to expect at the airport, and what to do upon arriving in Dublin. Please hold Thursday, August 4 at 4 p.m. ET in your calendar for the virtual pre-departure orientation. 

The goal of the on-site orientation is to get you acclimated to Dublin! We will be covering important information about how to get around Dublin, rules and expectations at the IES center and housing, learning about your emergency contacts while abroad, and more!

Stetson will be arranging some virtual programming to make sure you are still connected with on-campus student support networks. You will also be in touch with WORLD Ambassadors from Stetson, a group of students who are all either international students or students who have studied abroad. 

Students are with Professor Nancy Barber, who will be with the students in Dublin for the entire semester. There is also an IES Abroad Center staff, who are helping to organize the housing, academics, excursions, and all aspects of the program in Dublin. They are also available 24/7 for emergencies!

Global Gateways has been designed to have students start their college experience abroad while still making progress towards their degree requirements. As a student in this program, you will register for 16 Stetson credits, including: 

• a First-Year seminar: (FSEM100.83) The Spirit of Travel, CRN 6126 (4 credits)
• a General Education Course (ENCW111A) Travel Writing (fulfills an "A" gen ed as well as a "Writing Enhanced" requirement), CRN 7255 (4 credits)
• two electives on Irish history/culture of your choosing! (SAA 229: Global Gateways), CRN 8408 (8 credits)

The 8 credit Global Gateways class is a placeholder. At the end of the fall semester, once we receive your transcript from IES Abroad, we will replace the 8 credits with the two four-credit elective classes from IES that you chose to take in Dublin. 

We have already put in the reservation for your housing for the fall! You will live in a private room with a private bathroom in a shared apartment in the Dublin city center. While your room is private with its own lock, you will share a kitchen/living space with up to 7 other flatmates. There is no meal plan, but you can cook your own food in the kitchen and/or take advantage of many restaurants in the area!

The accommodation is fully furnished and has WiFi, along with on-site laundry facilities and 24-hour reception and security. They also host many social events such as mindfulness workshops, movie nights, volunteer days, and more. 

You can do a virtual tour of your accommodation, Beckett House, on their website. Please look at the silver en-suite rooms for reference. 

You will be covered under two insurances while in Dublin- one through IES Abroad and one through Stetson. For more helpful information, please browse IES's page on Study Abroad Safety Tips and Resources. 

Congratulations! We look forward to seeing you in Dublin. We will be in touch over the coming weeks/months with information and next steps. In the meantime, please hold Thursday, August 4 at 4pm ET in your schedule for the required virtual pre-departure orientation. And if you don't have a passport, submit your application for a new passport immediately! If you have a passport but it will expire within 6 months of the end of your program, we strongly recommend renewing it!

Soon, you will also be sent information to access an IES Abroad portal, which will be used to collect important paperwork and information that we will use to get you ready for your program in Dublin. Please be on the lookout for this in the coming weeks.