Post Baccalaureate in Studio Art

Applicants should have a Bachelors Degree with first or upper second class honours in Fine Art; or a GPA or 3.50 or above; or evidence of equivalent achievement. In the case of an outstanding portfolio, a Bachelors Degree with a lower second class/2.2 honours/GPA of 3.0 may be accepted. A major in Fine Art is not a requirement.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL): RPL involves the assessment of knowledge, skills and competence previously acquired. Prior Learning occurs in many contexts which include professional experience in the arts, exhibition records or non-academic learning. Our complete RPL Policy can be found HERE, and any questions regarding consideration of RPL for applying for postgraduate study can be directed to the Director of Admissions at admissions@burrencollege.ie.

Overseas applicants from outside the EU must comply with Irish immigration rules regarding passport, visa, financial viability and evident of student status (e.g. letter of acceptance from the College).

English Language Requirements for non-native speakers of English: Applicants in this category should have competence in English, which is the language of tuition. They will be required to supply an IELTS with an overall score of 6.5 or more, unless their primary degree has been taken through English, certification of which must be supplied.  More information on our English Language Policy can be found HERE.

We are now accepting applications to the 2027 / 2028 entry year.

The deadline for the 2027/2028 entry year is February 1, 2027.

Any enquiries may be directed to Ivan Twohig, Director of Admissions, at admissions@burrencollege.ie.

Application Portal ↗

• A completed application form
• A copy of a recent essay on art or a critical review of an exhibition you have recently visited (approx. 1000 words)
• A portfolio comprised of 10-15 works, which may be represented digitally as jpegs or MP3 files (video) and sent through GoogleDocs or www.wetransfer.com
• A written statement of approx. 500 words that clearly states what you seek to attain through study on this programme
• A résumé providing details of education, employment history, exhibitions and publications
• Official certificate or transcript for all degree awards received

• Two letters of recommendation (May be emailed directly to admissions@burrencollege.ie and must be sent by your referees)
• A copy of your Passport
• Non-refundable application fee of €50 payable online here.

Note: We request official copies of transcripts to be either sent by password-protected email by your college or university, or sent as a hard copy to Admissions, Burren College of Art, Newtown Castle, Ballyvaughan, Co. Clare, Ireland. Portfolio images can be submitted electronically via GoogleDocs or www.wetransfer.com. All other application materials can be emailed to the Director of Admissions at admissions@burrencollege.ie

Application Review Process:

Applications will be reviewed by our Faculty committee within one week of the February 1 deadline.  Successful applicants will then be sent an invitation within 10 days from review to interview as the second part of the application process. Interviews will be scheduled during the month of February.  Any offers of acceptance will be sent once all interviews have been concluded.  Along with the offer letter, applicants will be sent a BCA scholarship application with a deadline to submit, along with a final deadline to notify BCA of their acceptance of the offer letter.

Unsuccessful or waitlisted applicants will also be notified within 10 days of application review.  Waitlisted applicants will be given a timeline for when a decision will be made.  All applicants will be notified of any changes or delays to these timelines.

A more detailed description of our Admissions Process and Timeline can be found HERE