For those interested to pursue a career in art, studying abroad may seem like your best or sometimes only option as there is limited opportunities to do so in Ireland. However, there are also significant benefits to studying abroad as an artist as a country’s culture is both reflected in, and influenced by art. Studying art abroad will give you a glimpse into a culture and history which, arguably, no other subject can offer.

Travel and experiential learning also encourages adaptability and creativity, and studying in the ‘right’ country for your discipline may also give you maximum exposure to art. For example, fine art students in Italy have access to classic paintings and performing arts students in England have access to world-class productions at the West-End theatres.

Art & Design

Some of the highest ranking universities by subject for Art and Design in the current QS rankings (2019):

• UK’s Royal College of Art (RCA) in London tops the list. RCA offers 29 postgraduate programs across many art and design disciplines, in their schools of architecture, arts and humanities, and communication.
  
• University of the Arts London (UAL) is ranked sixth for art & design in the QS ranking and offer courses in architecture, design, fashion and much more.
  
• Aalto University in Helsinki, Finland – is the only other European university to rank in the top 10. Some of the advantages of Finland are that they offer degrees through English and there are no tuition fees.
  
• In the US, the highest ranking universities in the Art and Design field include: Parsons The New School for Design (in NYC), Rhode Island School of Design, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

There are also some very good Art & Design programmes in Denmark and the Netherlands for example, which are offered through English with strong practical content, which means that international ranking systems are less relevant.

Dance & Performing Art

Some of the most popular dance schools overseas attended by high numbers of Irish dance students include:

-         Ailey School, New York (US)

-         Fontys Dance Academy, Tilburg (Netherlands)

-         Institute of the Arts, Barcelona (Spain)

-         London Contemporary Dance School (UK)

-         Northern Ballet School, Manchester (UK)

-         Royal Ballet School, London (UK) 

Although university rankings are not the ‘be-all and end-all’, it is interesting to note that the 15 highest ranked universities by subject for performing art in the QS ranking (2019) include universities in the US, Austria, UK, Finland, China, France and Australia:

1. Juilliard School, US
2. The University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna, Austria
3. Royal College of Music, UK
4. Royal Academy of Music, UK
5. Curtis Institute of Music, US
6. New York University, US
7. Guildhall School of Music and Drama, UK
8. Harvard University, US
9. Northwestern University, US
10. University of Oxford, UK
11. University of Camrbidge, UK
12. Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki, Finland
13. Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, China
14. Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Paris (CNSMDP), France
15. University of Melbourne, Australia