Ireland's Culture and Society

• Gain a first-hand knowledge of Irish cultural history through guided excursions around Waterford, Kilkenny, Dublin, Killarney, and other neighboring towns/cities.
• Examine depictions of Ireland and the Irish in popular culture to place these representations in context both experientially and through critical social scientific evaluations.
• Explore assumptions about Ireland and its people, provide a critique of stereotypes, and investigate historical and cultural forces that have shaped current policies and laws addressing social problems such as crime and poverty.
• The course can count towards an immersion, minor, or major in Criminal Justice, or as elective credit. Open to all majors, no pre-requisites.
• Scholarships are available!

This program offers a comparative approach to students studying social sciences. You will take the course during RIT's Short Summer Session I (online) for the first 4 weeks and then spend the next two weeks in Ireland. RIT works closely with the South East Technological University to provide a well-rounded view of Ireland's history, culture, criminal justice, and economic system.

While in Ireland, you will stay in dorms on campus at South East Technological University (SETU). You will participate in numerous cultural excursions and seminars organized by subject matter experts from Ireland. You will be assigned readings, participate in discussions, and keep a travel journal.

Term: Summer
Travel Dates: June 10-24, 2026
Credits: 3

Course Details:

• CRIM 489 - Major Issues in Criminal Justice: Forces of Social Order

Students will be enrolled in the class during RIT's Short Summer Session I (online) and then travel to Ireland during the final two weeks of the course.

Course may count towards an immersion or minor in Criminal Justice or as elective credit.

No pre-requisites. Open to all undergraduate majors, all year levels, 2.5 cumulative GPA or above.

Application Deadline: February 15th, 2026

Program Cost & Financial Aid

Program Cost: A student budget worksheet outlining all program costs for the 2026 program will be available soon. Students can use this outdated budget from summer 2025 to get an idea of program costs.

Financial Aid:
Financial aid may cover some program costs. As you review the budget worksheet, please remember that it does not include your RIT financial aid or scholarships, which may cover some of the program costs. The purpose of the budget worksheet is to show all the costs associated with your study abroad program, which will help your RIT Financial Aid Assistant Director determine how your aid and scholarships may be applied. 

To understand how your financial aid and scholarships may apply to your program costs:

• Make an appointment with your financial aid assistant director (call Financial Aid at 585-475-2186) and mention that you are calling for a study abroad appointment
• Upload a copy of your budget worksheet(s) via the Financial Aid upload portal at https://join.rit.edu/register/FA_upload (at least 48 hours prior to your scheduled meeting, so they have time to prepare) 
  • Please rename the file name of your budget worksheet before uploading it to the Financial Aid portal based on the instructions provided in the portal (adding your name and student ID)

To find out the name of your financial aid assistant director for your degree program visit: https://www.rit.edu/admissions/aid/contact#counseling-team

We recommend you meet with Financial Aid before the application deadline so you understand how your aid will apply. The RIT financial aid office is located in Bausch and Lomb Center (Bldg. 77), 2nd floor, 2125.

Scholarships:

• RIT Education Abroad Travel Grants ($500-$1,000)
  All students with pending applications in the RIT Study Abroad Compass for this program will be automatically considered for an RIT Education Abroad Travel Grant. You will be informed of your scholarship status shortly after the application deadline. Scholarships are awarded based on financial need, as determined by financial aid and your FAFSA on file.

• RIT Criminal Justice majors participating in the program would receive funding ($500 or more) from the RIT Criminal Justice Department in the College of Liberal Arts. No additional scholarship application required.

• Additional Scholarships
  RIT scholarships and national scholarships for study abroad are good options to explore for scholarship funding. Make sure you are checking scholarship eligibility requirements and take note of scholarship deadlines. 

To Apply

1) Start an application in the Compass (RIT's study abroad application system)
Once you login to the Compass you will need to complete some profile/registration questions, then use the “Search Programs” and filter by "Provider > RIT", "Destination > Ireland"

2) Watch this video, which goes over all important application steps for RIT Faculty-Led Programs

Contact

Nicholas Robertson
Associate Professor, Department of Criminal Justice
College of Liberal Arts
onrgcj@rit.edu

Tony Smith
Associate Professor, Department of Criminal Justice
Program Director, Criminal Justice MS
College of Liberal Arts
trsgcj@rit.edu