January Intake in Ireland 2026: Universities, Deadlines, Application

Spring Intake, or the January intake in Ireland, is the secondary intake of universities in the country. In this intake, only a limited number of universities, courses and scholarships are available. It is less competitive and students who missed on applying for the fall intake must apply for it.

There are two major intakes in top Irish universitiesspecialised , one is the Autumn intake, also known as the September or Fall intake in the Ireland; and the second intake is the Spring Intake or the January Intake in Ireland. The Fall Intake starts in September/October depending on the university and course of study. And, the January Intake or Spring intake in Ireland starts in January or early February and it is aimed at admitting more students into specialised popular courses in Ireland.

The Spring intake in Ireland has less number of courses and universities open for students. Mostly postgraduate courses are available during this intake as most undergraduate courses get filled out in the September intake. Undergraduate courses like BA in Business and B.Sc in Marketing and Computing are available for Ireland's Jan intake 2026. But students don’t need to worry as most top Irish universities also participate in this intake; so you’ll still have your chance of making it upto a top college. This article presents the universities and courses that are open international students in the January intake in Ireland.

Read: Student Guide to Study in Ireland in 2026

What is the January Intake in Ireland?

Universities in Ireland that open admissions to students in the months of September/October fall under the January intake in Ireland. Students should note that while universities would be open to a January intake in Ireland it is not required that all programmes belonging to the university would accept new students. Many programmes would only be open in the Autumn Intake of Ireland. Whether the preferred course of  students is eligible for an Ireland January intake will have to be verified with the university directly.

However, the Autumn or the September Intake in Ireland is said to be the major intake and a spring intake is said to be a rather small level. Another point to be focused over here is that the January intake is aimed at enrolling students for master's intake (but is not limited to) for most Irish universities. 

Also read: Ireland Student Visas

Timeline of Jan Intake in Ireland

The January intake in Ireland is a secondary intake provided by a smaller number of universities and is aimed at admission to postgraduate courses across Irish universities. So while the academic session commences in January, the deadline for applications for the January intake in Ireland is the month of September / October. Candidates should aim to submit their application forms early to avoid any last-minute hassle. 

Ireland Universities Participating in January Intake 2026

In this section, we are going to be talking about the January intake colleges in Ireland. Candidates should note that there are multiple Irish universities that offer January intake for international students. While the availability of programmes and intake may vary, mentioned below are Ireland universities offering January intake.

1. Trinity College Dublin
2. Dublin City University
3. Griffith College Dublin
4. Dorset College Dublin
5. Independent College Dublin
6. National University of Ireland Galway
7. National College of Ireland
8. Dublin International Foundation College
9. University of Limerick
10. CCT College Dublin
11. Technological University Dublin
12. Atlantic Technological University
13. IBAT College Dublin
14. UCD Dublin
15. ICD Business School
16. UniHaven College

Popular January Intake Courses in Ireland

Ireland has become one of the top study-abroad destinations for candidates looking to study abroad. The country is not only home to some of the top universities in the world but their two-year post-study work permit, part-time job opportunities, a stable jobs market and the presence of big companies only make Ireland one of the popular study abroad destinations for Indian students.

So as mentioned earlier, Irish universities may be open to a January intake for international students, however, it is not necessary that all the programmes at the university will be accepting new applications in January. Only select programmes offer admissions in the January intake in Ireland. The available January intake courses in Ireland are:

Advantages of Ireland January Intake

While most countries abroad only have a primary intake for admission, Ireland is one of the few countries that have a secondary intake for students looking to study across Irish universities. In this section, we are going to be discussing the advantages of Ireland January Intake. 

• Candidates who could have missed the primary intake (Autumn/ Fall intake) can apply for the January intake provided that their course is available in the January intake. This way they would not be required to waste an entire year. They can also utilize the extra time to build on their application which will only help them to secure a position in the programme/ university faster.
• The Ireland January intake sees a lesser number of international students applying to universities/programmes abroad. This would translate to smaller study batches leading to more personalized attention from professors. The students would also be entitled to more part-time work options and better post-study work permit opportunities. 

Disadvantages of Ireland January Intake

In this section, we will be discussing the disadvantages of the Ireland January Intake: 

• Not all universities and programmes would be open to accepting applications in the January intake. Hence, there would be a limited choice of courses for candidates looking to enrol for the January intake in Ireland.
• The second disadvantage of Ireland January intake is related to accommodation. Most accommodations would get empty by September (autumn intake) so students who are opting for the January intake will have to be proactive in their search for housing.

January Intake in Ireland vs September Intake in Ireland

So throughout the article, you would be hearing a lot of mention of the September Intake along with the January Intake. In this section, we are taking a closer look at the differences between the January Intake in Ireland and the September Intake in Ireland.

Candidates wanting more information can get in touch with us in the comments below or get in touch with our Shiksha Study Abroad counsellors for assistance with university admissions.