Graduate entry medicine
Graduate entry medicine in Ireland
Graduate entry medicine in Ireland is a 4-year medical degree for people who already hold an honours degree. EU applicants apply through the CAO and most are ranked on the GAMSAT alone. Non-EU applicants apply to each school. This page covers both routes, the degree rule, fees, and every medical school in Ireland.
The short version
- Five universities run graduate entry medicine for 2027 entry. RCSI, UCD, UCC, ULshare one set of CAO rules. The University of Galway’s new course has its own.
- At those schools, EU applicants need a 2H1 in their first honours degree, in any subject. The GAMSAT score alone decides who gets an offer.
- The CAO deadline for 2027 entry is 1 February 2027.
- Graduate entry medicine is not covered by free fees. EU fees are about €16,000 a year.
- Non-EU applicants apply to each school, and can use the MCAT at some.
Graduate entry medicine programmes in Ireland
| University | EU route | Non-EU route |
|---|---|---|
| RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences | CAO. 2H1 degree. Ranked on GAMSAT alone. | Apply to RCSI. GAMSAT or MCAT, plus a selection and interview process. |
| University College Dublin | CAO. 2H1 degree. Ranked on GAMSAT alone. | Apply to UCD International Admissions. GAMSAT or MCAT, two references and a personal statement. |
| University College Cork | CAO. 2H1 degree. Ranked on GAMSAT alone. | Apply through the UCC Apply portal. |
| University of Limerick | CAO. 2H1 degree. Ranked on GAMSAT alone. | Assessed through Atlantic Bridge. |
| University of Galway (GY506) | CAO. 2H2 degree. GAMSAT and a multiple mini interview. | Not stated in Galway’s 2027 alert list |
All five courses run for 4 years. RCSI lists 30 EU places and 52 non-EU places for 2027. UCD’s veterinary graduate entry also uses the GAMSAT, and is covered on the GAMSAT for veterinary medicine page.
The CAO route for EU applicants
To compete for a CAO place you must be eligible for EU fees. If you live, or have ever lived, outside the EU, EEA or UK, contact each university before you apply. Send its written confirmation of your fee status with your application.
The 2027 dates from the CAO guidelines:
| Step | Date |
|---|---|
| Register for the March 2027 GAMSAT with ACER | Before 10am GMT, 25 January 2027 |
| CAO application | 1 February 2027 (late applications to 1 May 2027) |
| March 2027 GAMSAT sitting | 5 to 6 March and 26 to 28 March 2027 |
| Documents, if you graduated before 2027 | 15 March 2027 |
| Documents if you graduate in 2027, and all GAMSAT results | 1 July 2027 |
| Joint eligibility screening | 5 to 8 July 2027 |
| Appeals deadline | 20 July 2027 |
| Offers (CAO Round 0) | Early August 2027 |
Add your 2027 CAO number to your GAMSAT account so ACER can send your results. For 2027, the CAO accepts documents through its portal if they can be verified online. If they cannot, post the originals. Other CAO mechanics are on the GAMSAT Ireland page.
Degree class rules for graduate entry medicine in Ireland
- RCSI, UCD, UCC and UL require at least a 2H1 (second class honours, grade one) in your firstLevel 8 honours bachelor’s degree.
- A 2H2 is not eligible at those four.
- The degree can be in any discipline.
- Your degree and its class must be formally ratified by 1 July 2027. A graduation ceremony after that date is fine if the award is ratified in time.
- The University of Galway’s GY506 sets its minimum at a 2H2.
A gap between school and your degree can trigger a “first degree query”. You then have to show the degree you present is your first Level 8 degree.
How your GAMSAT score is used
For EU applicants who meet the degree and fee rules, the CAO says the GAMSAT is “the sole instrument to select students”. Each school ranks eligible applicants by their best valid GAMSAT score and offers places from the top. There is no interview for EU applicants at the four CAO schools.
Ties are broken by a random number. The CAO does not expect to make offers below a score of 52 for 2027. Past cut-offs, and why a First counts the same as a 2H1, are on the GAMSAT Ireland page. Registering for the GAMSAT in Ireland costs €378.
Non-EU applicants
Non-EU applicants do not use the CAO. Each school runs its own process, and you are charged non-EU fees. RCSI, UCD and UCC accept the MCAT as well as the GAMSAT on this route. The score equivalences are on the GAMSAT vs MCAT page.
UCD notes that US students who present a GAMSAT score for its graduate entry course cannot receive a US Federal Student Loan.
Graduate entry medicine fees in Ireland
Graduate entry medicine is not covered by the Free Fees Initiative, because you already hold a Level 8 degree. Every student pays EU or non-EU fees.
| University | EU fee per year | Non-EU fee per year |
|---|---|---|
| UCC | €16,014 (2027/28), plus €750 a year clinical placement contribution in years 2 to 4 | €58,614 (2027/28) |
| RCSI | €17,070 total (2025/26), of which €15,080 is tuition. 2026/27 not yet published. | €63,635 (2027/28) |
| UL | €15,924 a year | €56,600 a year |
RCSI says the Higher Education Authority partly funds Irish and EU students on its graduate entry course, and that this is reflected in its EU fee. RCSI’s non-EU fees have risen by about 2% a year.
Medical schools in Ireland, including undergraduate entry
Six universities offer undergraduate medicine through the CAO. Undergraduate entry uses the Leaving Certificate plus the HPAT-Ireland.
| Medical school | Undergraduate entry (HPAT) | Graduate entry (GAMSAT) |
|---|---|---|
| Trinity College Dublin | TR051 | None |
| University College Dublin | DN400 | DN401 (CAO) |
| University College Cork | CK701 | CK791 (CAO) |
| RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences | RC001 | RC101 (CAO) |
| University of Limerick | LM301 | Yes (CAO) |
| University of Galway | GY501 | GY506, new for 2027 |
HPAT-Ireland facts for 2027 entry:
- A 2.5-hour online test of 114 multiple-choice questions, sat remotely through ProctorU.
- Three sections: logical reasoning and problem solving, interpersonal understanding, and non-verbal reasoning. It does not test academic knowledge.
- The 2027 test runs from 12 to 15 February 2027. Registration costs €167.
- Results are valid for one year only, the year you sit it.
- School leavers need at least 480 Leaving Certificate points in one sitting, plus each school’s subject minimums.
- From 2027, HPAT points are weighted to a maximum of 150, down from 300, and Leaving Certificate points above 550 are no longer moderated. The two are added together.
- Mature applicants (23 or over by 1 January 2027) also need the HPAT.
Graduate entry uses the GAMSAT, not the HPAT. Undergraduate entry requires an HPAT score from the year you apply. UCC adds that applicants eligible for its graduate entry course cannot apply to its undergraduate course as mature entrants.