Trinity Columbia Dual B.A.

The Dual BA Programme between Trinity College Dublin and Columbia University offers students an international educational experience —a programme spanning two continents and cosmopolitan cities. The programme allows students to enhance their global outlook and develop their language skills and communication abilities to the highest possible level.

Your first two years

You spend the first two years of the Dual Degree at Trinity College Dublin, and your syllabus during this time is the same as that as any other MEELC student. 

The marks gained during your first two years will not count towards your Trinity degree. Nor though you should satisfy yourself on this point by consulting Columbia’s own guidelines directly, and that they will count towards your Columbia degree.

However, the marks from the first two years will appear on your Trinity transcript, and a strong performance in them may well be useful in gaining internships and for impressing employers.

You will need to successfully complete all your Trinity modules in order to progress to Columbia.

Choosing your Second Year modules

When choosing your Second Year modules (in the summer after First Year), you do not need to worry about how this will affect you at Columbia: from Columbia’s point of view, all students incoming from Trinity MEELC are the same and have the same Columbia options, regardless of which modules they chose at Trinity.

Except – when you choose your Trinity Elective (a special type of module, run College-wide; you do one of these, in Second Year), bear in mind that some of these are recognized by Columbia as fulfilling their core requirement in Science. Columbia will notify you in the summer after First Year of which Trinity Electives have this feature. Taking one of these will thus reduce your workload at Columbia.

If you choose a Trinity Elective which is not on the Columbia ‘Science’ list, that is permissible, but then your workload at Columba will be higher, and Columbia strongly discourage it. 

Foundation Scholarship

As a registered Trinity student, in your second year you are eligible to apply for the Trinity Foundation Scholarship. Information about the Foundation Scholarship can be found online, and is also circulated by email. Please note the information specific to Dual Degree students in the Foundation Scholarship FAQs (also in respect of the ‘perks’ offered to them).

Third and Fourth Year

You spend years three and four at Columbia. Which Columbia modules you study is between you and Columbia: Trinity does not need to approve your Columbia modules (though you must of course follow Columbia’s own rules). 

How Trinity calculates your Trinity degree

As a Dual Degree student, you end up with two separate degrees, one from each institution. For information on how Columbia determines your Columbia grade, you will need to contact their Dual B.A. Officer directly.

For how Trinity calculates your Trinity degree, you should refer to the Dual Degree Handbook.

In 2025-26, the following is understood to apply:

For the purpose of calculating the Trinity degree classification, the cumulative GPA recorded on the final transcript provided by Columbia University (which includes the marks for both Columbia years) will be combined with the aggregate mark from the additional modules required by Trinity (30 ECTS) on a 50%-50% basis. 

(But, as a University rather than MEELC rule, you should confirm it with University sources). Please also check the Dual Degree Handbook for conversion tables (to indicate how the Columbia cumulative GPA will be converted onto the Trinity scale). 

Trinity requirements while you are at Columbia

During your time at Columbia, you not only have to fulfil the requirements of Columbia itself: you are also required by Trinity to submit work to Trinity, which Trinity assesses, to a total of 30 ECTS credits. These count towards your Trinity degree.

For further information, contact Trinity's Dual B.A. Programme Office.

Internship

The Internship should last a minimum of 3-4 weeks, and involves you working on a project under the direction of a relevant professional.  It is recommended that you do this during your Third Year (first year at Columbia), or the summer before or after it. You are expected to take the initiative in organising the placement, but you will have the advice of your Dual Degree advisor in Trinity. The Trinity Dual Degree advisor needs to approve the placement and project in advance of your starting in order for it to ‘count’ – as soon as you have an idea for the Internship, email them to seek approval.

Apply for this programme