Denis O'Brien

Irish entrepreneur and philanthropist Denis O’Brien has established a scholarship for Irish students pursuing an MBA at Boston College’s Carroll School of Management.

The Denis O’Brien Fellowship will provide two students from Ireland annually with a fully-funded master’s degree from the college, a press release has announced.

O’Brien, who is the chairman and principal shareholder of the cellular company Digicel Group, and the owner and board member of Communicorp, Ireland’s largest media holding company, graduated from Boston College with an MBA in corporate finance in 1982.

He created the fellowship “to provide an opportunity for aspiring business leaders from Ireland to obtain a world-class graduate education at a premier American university.”

The scholarship will cover the full cost of attendance, including tuition, fees, books and living expenses for the duration of the MBA program, as well as international travel to and from Boston. Candidates must be Irish citizens of exceptional academic and/or career achievement, who possess the high personal and professional standards of the program’s namesake.

"Boston College and Ireland have had a long and illustrious association,” said O’Brien. “I am delighted to continue this with a Scholarship Program for two Irish nationals to have the opportunity to pursue a two-year MBA program in management at Boston College."

Andy Boynton, dean of Boston College’s Carroll School of Management, said: “We are honored that Denis has created the O’Brien Fellowship at Boston College, as it will provide an invaluable opportunity for Irish students who want to pursue an MBA at one of the top business schools in the United States. He is a person who has brought acclaim to his alma mater as a student, global business leader and generous alumnus. We are grateful for his support.”        

Boston College’s Carroll School of Management, located in Chestnut Hill, Mass., was ranked fourth among business schools in the United States by Bloomberg/BusinessWeek.

More information on the O'Brien fellowhip, including how to apply, can be found on their website