Programme Overview
UCD Smurfit School and Bord Bia are looking for ambitious final year students* and recent graduates* who come from a broad range of undergraduate degrees and who want to develop their global food industry expertise. Applications have closed for the 2023 intake. Details for the 2025 applications will not be available until 2024.*
As part of the Bord Bia International Graduate Programme successful candidates will undertake exciting international placements across Bord Bia's global office network while gaining an internationally recognised Masters.
This is a full scholarship programme. All tuition fees are paid and, in addition, you receive a tax free bursary of €43,700- €49,450* for the 24-month programme. The bursary is to cover participant’s basic living costs per 24 months. (Bursary is approximate and depends on the location assigned)
This is a full-time Action Learning programme designed around eight classroom-based modules. The programme will challenge participants through an exciting programme that includes block releases in Dublin, combined with industry placements.
On successful completion, graduates will have developed key competencies relevant to developing and implementing strategies for the Irish food/agribusiness industry. These competencies relate to export development strategies, building and using customer and market insights, marketing plan development and strategic marketing, delivering customer value propositions, global business in a digital context, logistics and supply chain management, and business sustainability.
If you have any queries about this programme, please contact a member of our team by email: bordbia@ucd.ie
Key Details
June 2025
Next Intake
Fees + bursary paid
Fees
24 Months
Duration
8 Modules
Delivery
NFQ Level 9 / 90 ECTS
Accredited / Credits
Programme Structure
- Placement with a Bord Bia office in Dublin or overseas
- Academic block release in Dublin
- Internationally-recognised Masters from UCD Michael Smurfit Business School – MSc Global Business Practice (Bord Bia)
- Full tuition fees paid and bursary towards living expenses awarded
- Applications welcome from all graduates
- Outstanding career prospects and professional development
- Some placements require fluency in a second language
Placement of participants will be selected from Bord Bia locations which may include Dublin, New York, London, Dubai, Shanghai, Paris, Amsterdam, Madrid, Milan, Düsseldorf, Stockholm and Warsaw. A sample of locations are shown and are subject to confirmation.
Note:
While it is intended to offer 70 scholarship places in total UCD Smurfit School and Bord Bia reserve the right to offer scholarship places to more or less than the target of 70 places. It is hoped that 30 of these places will be offered on this programme.
The Smurfit Experience
Top 50 Global Ranking
UCD Smurfit School Executive Development has been ranked 31st in the world in the 2022 Financial Times Executive Education Open Enrolment rankings, our highest ever placing in the prestigious rankings. Up 11 places from 42nd in the last rankings held in 2020, we are ranked 1st in Ireland, 19th in EU (Up from 27th in Europe in 2020) with an overall participant satisfaction rating at 9.09/10. The only Irish business school included, UCD Smurfit Executive Development recorded significant gains across all criteria, including being ranked 22nd for New Skills and Learning; 26th for Aims Achieved; and 30th for both Course Design and Teaching Materials. Find out more here.
