Trinity Columbia Dual B.A. Programme

All Dual B.A. students must meet an intermediate level of language proficiency policy to complete the Columbia University degree. In some Single Honours courses, Dual B.A. students complete the language requirement as part of their fresh years at Trinity i.e., European Studies. For other Single Honours courses, Dual B.A. students should commence the language requirement in Fresh years at Trinity - Please refer to the Dual B.A. handbook for the course year requirement details. Dual B.A. students are contacted regarding their language preferences before the academic year commences but it is important to note that not all languages are available to all Dual B.A. courses

I think I qualify for a language exemption – how can I clarify this?
Before the academic year commences, Junior Fresh students may apply for a language exemption through their Columbia University Academic Advisor. Please contact your Columbia University Academic Advisor and email the Trinity Columbia Dual B.A. office to discuss the possibility of applying for an exemption.

I would like to apply for a non-beginner language – what do I need to do?
Dual B.A. students who wish to apply for non-beginner or advanced language modules must meet the entry requirements and prerequisites. Students are required to provide proof of previous experience in the preferred language, such as a Leaving Certificate: H3 in the language. Please email the Trinity Columbia Dual B.A. office for further information.

Online Module Enrolment (OME) will be available on a first-come, first-served basis and is the ONLY method for registering for Trinity Electives, no matter your course.

The Online Module Enrolment team in AR have provided detailed information on the process in the Online Module Enrolment section of the AR website. We recommend reviewing this before Online Module Enrolment opens, so you can fully understand the process.

There is also an extensive FAQ section that should assist you with any queries you may have regarding module information, along with who to contact if you have any issues.

All Dual B.A. rising Senior Fresh students will be contacted by email during the summer months regarding their module selection and process for the 2026/27 academic year.

Visas and Immigration

For more information on the visa and immigration process for Ireland, please visit the Trinity Global website.

During the second semester of Senior Fresh year, Dual B.A. students will receive a Third-Year Transition Packet from Columbia University to their Columbia email address. This packet will contain information on what to expect when they arrive on the Columbia campus, instructions on how to apply for University Apartment Housing, student visas, English-language proficiency testing, and updates to their financial aid awards, if applicable.

For Dual B.A. students who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents, the Guide for International Students has been created to assist international students in navigating Columbia University. The guide will answer many common questions posed by international students while also providing information about the purpose and scope of a wide range of on-campus resources. Students can email Columbia University International if they have any further questions.

Accommodation

Students in the Dual B.A. programme are prioritised for accommodation throughout their four years of study. Students will be required to complete the necessary forms and process when advised and both universities will be in contact with students directly near the time on how to apply. For more information on Trinity College Dublin and Columbia University Accommodation, please visit the below websites:

Trinity College Dublin - Fresh Years

• Housing is prioritised for first-year Dual B.A. students in Trinity Halls. Information on the application process will be circulated with students’ post-acceptance of their Dual B.A. programme offer (April/May) and before commencing in Junior Fresh
• Housing is prioritised for second-year Dual B.A. students at Trinity-approved accommodation. Information on the application process will be circulated with students in Semester two (April/May) of their Junior Fresh Year. 

Columbia University – Sophister Years

Information on the housing for Sophister Years in New York will be communicated to Dual B.A. students from the Columbia University team.

We are aiming to provide general information on Assessment and Progression at Trinity. If you have a specific query or concern about assessment and progression, it is best to contact your College Tutor, TCD Academic Advisor or Department for clarification, as well as read through your Dual B.A. programme handbook.  

Information regarding TCD term dates and assessment periodscan be found on the Calendar of Events Page for your Academic Year. Provisional and end-of-year marks will be released directly to students via their My.TCD.ie portal.  

It is important to note that, due to Data Protection requirements, information on an individual student’s grades cannot be given out by phone and will not be released to any third party without the permission of the student. 

For information on marks and grade conversions, Dual B.A. Students should refer to the Dual B.A. programme handbook and their departmental handbook. 

How will I be assessed at Trinity? 

Students will be assessed in many different ways, including  Continuous Assessment,  i.e. essays, small projects, in-class quizzes, assignments, etc and/or formal examinations in the Assessment Periods at the end of Semesters 1 & 2. 

TCD Module/Departmental handbooks and/or Blackboard should provide details on how each module will be assessed and the value of each assessment towards the final module mark. The deadline for continuous assessments may be included in module descriptors, or they may be communicated via Blackboard or other means, such as an announcement or email. If there are any queries on this, please liaise with the Module Co-ordinator or the Department for clarification. 

What is the Mark and Grade Scale at Trinity? 

Most modules will have a pass mark of 40%, and students would generally also need to achieve this mark at the end of the year to progress to the next academic year at Trinity (please see ‘How do I pass the year at Trinity?). 

Columbia recognises the credits gained by students in the first two years at Trinity and will award students 60 credits towards the 124-credit minimum requirement for the B.A. degree at Columbia. Specific modules completed at Trinity may also be eligible for the fulfilment of Columbia's core or major requirements upon review by the appropriate department, provided that students achieve a minimum mark of 43% in each module. Students who do not achieve this mark in any Trinity modules in the first two years may be required to take additional credits when based at Columbia.  

How do I pass the year at Trinity? 

A student will have passed the year at Trinity provided they meet all assessment requirements for their modules AND either Pass the Year Outright or Pass the Year by Compensation. 

To pass the year outright, a student will need to achieve an overall credit-weighted pass mark of 40% or higher for the year, based on the full 60 credits (ECTS) undertaken, AND they will also need to achieve a pass mark of 40% or higher in each of their modules. 

To pass the year by compensation a student will need to achieve an overall credit-weighted pass mark of 40% or higher for the year; they will also need to pass a minimum of 50 credits (ECTS) with a minimum module mark of 40% in each module; AND they will need to achieve a fail mark between 35% and 39% in modules not exceeding 10 credits (ECTS) in total. 

What happens if I fail and do not meet the requirements for passing by compensation in Trinity? 

During Years 1 and 2, students who have an overall Fail result following the Semester 2 / End of Year session will be reassessed in all failed modules at the Reassessment session. Details of what components/modules need to be reassessed will be on the Trinity portal with your results. If you have any queries on your requirements, please contact your Trinity Department in the first instance. 

If you are unable to pass by compensation at the Re-assessment session, then generally speaking, you will need to repeat the full year, but you should connect with your tutor to discuss if there are any restrictions on this or if there may be other options available to you. 

It should be noted that at Trinity, it is not permitted to repeat the same academic year more than once, nor is it permitted to repeat more than two academic years within a course. 

Dual B.A. students must successfully pass their first two years at Trinity College Dublin before they can begin their studies at Columbia University, as outlined in the programme policy and programme handbook. In cases where students are required to take exam(s) at Trinity Reassessment in advance of the third year, and if a student does not successfully pass the class(es) in question upon reassessment, they will be withdrawn from their third-year Columbia courses and will be required to return to Trinity to retake their Senior Fresher (second) year.  

What happens if I miss an assessment at Trinity? 

Students experiencing difficulties that affect their ability to complete their assessments at Trinity should contact their College Tutor or Senior Tutor’s Office at the earliest opportunity to discuss the nature of the difficulties and the possible options available.  

What happens if I need to sit an exam at Trinity Reassessments?  

All students need to engage with their module coordinators and check Blackboard to confirm details around any reassessments that involve continuous forms of assessment. Students will need to monitor their emails and MyTCD for any formally scheduled examinations at reassessment. 

Senior Fresh students who are required to sit an exam for Trinity Reassessments should also contact the Trinity Columbia Dual B.A. programme officer  and their Columbia Advisor, after results are published in late May/early June, to discuss possible Trinity Reassessments arrangements.  

Where can I go if I need general advice on completing coursework and assessments at Trinity? 

Our colleagues in Student Learning and Development have a number of Assessment Resources and run a number of workshops that may be helpful in providing learning support to students throughout their time at Trinity. 

I don’t agree with my progression outcome at Trinity. What should I do? 
Please contact your TCD College tutor as soon as possible, as they will be able to advise if you have grounds for an appeal. The deadlines for filing an appeal at Annuals and Re-assessment are normally within 2-3 working days of publication of results, so you must make contact with them as soon as possible after the results are published. 

Dual B.A. Sophister Students track to graduating 

Dual B.A. students are considered full-time Trinity students throughout the 4 years. To ensure students stay on track to graduate from the Dual B.A. programme at Trinity, students should be aware of the primary tasks they should follow while at Columbia University: 

• Continue to monitor the TCD student email or have it forwarded to the Columbia account. Students will receive important information from TCD that requires timely action to complete.
• Maintain continuous registration on the TCD portal during years 3 and 4 of the programme.
• Inform the TCD Dual B.A. Programme Officer by emailing ColumbiaDualBA@tcd.ie if a student is not completing 32 credits per year for any reason, or if a student needs to extend the programme beyond 4 years. The completion of a Dual B.A. Student Request Form at Trinity College Dublin may be required.
• Complete, by the deadline, all scholarly activities related to the Trinity Sophister 30 ECTS. We strongly encourage students to direct queries regarding their Trinity degree requirements to the Academic Advisers at Trinity. 
• Review and consult the Dual B.A. Programme Handbook provided by TCD as it includes important programmatic information for which you are responsible. 
• It is also important to continuously engage with the TCD community during a student's time at Columbia. Failure to do any of the above and meet TCD deadlines can result in delayed graduation at Trinity. Dual B.A. students have the advantage of being a student at two world-leading universities and are subject to the regulations and expectations of both universities throughout the programme. 

Dual B.A. Graduation at Trinity  

Academic Registry is the main coordinator of graduation ceremonies at Trinity. All eligible students will be invited to register to attend their ceremonies, either in person or absentia, through their my.tcd.ie inbox. For further information, please visit the Transcript section of the Academic Registry website. Students may choose to defer their graduation or graduate in absentia and should visit the Academic Registry Graduation website for further guidance. Please contact your course school/department should you have any questions regarding your commencement details. 

Dual B.A. students may require documentation or transcripts from time to time for applications to further education, employment or other reasons. Most documents will be provided by the Academic Registry Service Desk and for current students you may be able to access many documents from your MyTCD.ie. It is important to note that requests for these documents cannot be made via third parties, such as a parent or prospective employer, without the written consent of the person named on the transcript or documentation. It is also important to note that there may be a processing timeframe associated with your request and you should plan on making requests a minimum of 2-3 weeks ahead of time. An academic transcript is a detailed record of your studies at Trinity College Dublin. It confirms your course of study, the period of registration, the modules that have been taken, and the number of credits and grades achieved. If you have graduated, the transcript will also include your degree result. For information, please see Academic Registry Transcripts.  

If there is a letter; document or form that Academic Registry cannot assist with, please contact the Trinity Columbia Dual B.A. office with information about what is required and the reason the documentation is required and we will do our best to help you. 

I need a translation of my TCD Degree Parchment from Latin to English 

All degree parchments are presented in Latin to candidates for degrees at Commencements. Employers and other institutions will sometimes request an English translation of your degree parchment - this is provided by the Academic Registry on request from the graduate. Please visit the Academic Registry Letters and Documents website to submit a request. 

How do I find the Trinity and Columbia grade conversion? 

Students should refer to the Dual B.A. programme handbook and can also find supporting information on Columbia GPA and Grade Conversion. 

Dual B.A. students who wish to take a leave of absence, seek to repeat a sophister year at Trinity or withdraw from the Dual B.A. should refer to the Dual B.A. programme handbook and read all procedures and closing dates before completing the Dual B.A. Student Request Form at Trinity College Dublin.