Bachelor in International Relations

About the course

A 240-ECTS, four-year degree taught in English that prepares students for international careers in the public, private and non-profit sectors. You can study all four years at IE Tower in Madrid, or spend years 1-2 in Segovia and years 3-4 in Madrid. The programme starts each September.

Entry requirements for Irish students

• IE University does not publish rules for the Irish Leaving Cert. Under Spanish law (Royal Decree 534/2024), Irish Leaving Cert students do not sit the Spanish PAU, but they must meet Irish university entry rules. As a guide, UCD’s minimum is six subjects, with at least H5 in two and O6/H7 in the other four, including English and Irish. IE looks at your whole profile, not just your grades. Ask IE admissions how it assesses Leaving Cert results.
• You take the IE University Admissions Test, which is in English and tests verbal, logical and numerical reasoning. IE’s admissions policy says it also accepts SAT (1300+), ACT (28+) or LNAT (22+) instead. There is also an online assessment with video and written questions, and a personal interview.
• English: IE’s 2026-2027 admissions policy exempts applicants who studied in an English-speaking country or through English for at least the last two years of secondary school. Irish students taught through English should qualify, but confirm this with IE. Otherwise IE asks for TOEFL 100 (105 recommended), IELTS 7 (7.5 recommended), Cambridge C1/C2 or Duolingo 130.

How to apply

1. Apply onlineSubmit IE University’s online application and pay the €150 admission fee. Aim for Round 1 (6 Nov 2026) or Round 2 (15 Jan 2027), because places go in order of reservation payment.
2. Admissions test and assessmentTake the IE Admissions Test, or send SAT (1300+), ACT (28+) or LNAT (22+) scores instead. Then complete the online assessment with video and written questions.
3. Interview and decisionAttend a personal interview. The Admissions Committee then makes its decision. If you get an offer, pay the €3,000 reservation fee by the date in your offer letter.
4. Legal documentsAfter your Leaving Cert results come out, send IE Admissions the legal documents it asks for by the date it gives. For EU school systems this is usually a UNEDasiss accreditation.

Costs

• IE University is a private university, so this course is not tuition-free. IE’s official fees page lists the 2026/27 tuition for the Bachelor in International Relations at €26,500 a year (€441.67 per ECTS). IE says fees rise by a fixed 2.9% each year while you are enrolled. Other costs are a €150 admission fee, a €3,000 non-refundable place reservation fee (deducted from first-year tuition) and a one-time €1,200 IE Foundation contribution in first year. The 2027/28 fee had not been published at the time of checking, so confirm it with IE.

At a glance