Congratulations to the MBA Class of 2012

The MBA full-time and Executive MBA classes 2012 graduated on Thursday 6th December.  The ceremony took place in the O’Reilly Hall, UCD Belfield. In attendance were UCD President Hugh Brady, Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh, Dean of UCD Business Schools and Director of the Smurfit School Professor Anthony Brabazon who all participated in the formal element of the conferring and handing out of degrees.

Over 106 MBAs graduated at this ceremony and joined the growing ranks of UCD Smurfit MBA alumni. The very well received commencement speech was given by Prof. Aileen Pierce, Accountancy Subject Area.

Prof. Pierce gave a thoughtful speech with reflections, encouragements and advice to the new graduates. Prof.  Pierce’s speech can be read in its entirety here

The conferring was followed by a reception in the atrium of the hall.  The MBA Office team were also in attendance to mark the day, Dr. Brian McGrath (MBA Academic Director), Orla Nugent (MBA Director), Brian Marrinan (MBA Careers Manager) and the MBA Programme Managers  Rikke Budolfsen (FT MBA), Roisin O’Loughlin (EMBA) and Michael McDonnell (Leadership Development Programme).

Also graduating at the same ceremony were the Masters in Accountancy class 2012 and the first cohort of the MSc in Strategic Management Accountancy.


Best wishes and congratulations to the MBA classes of 2012.

– Roisin O’Loughlin, MBA Programme Manager

Graduation Speech MBA Graduation 2012

Good afternoon President, colleagues, graduates, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Aileen Pierce and I am an accountant and a professor in the Accountancy subject area here in UCD.

It is a great privilege for me to address the 2012 graduating classes of the Master of Accounting, Master of Business Administration and Master of Science (Strategic Management Accounting) programmes.  Indeed, it is an historic occasion because we have our first cohort of MSc (SMA) graduates being conferred today. Continue reading Graduation Speech MBA Graduation 2012