The MA Contemporary Religions may be taken full-time over 12 months or part-time over 24 or 36 months from the date of first registration for the programme.

To be considered for admission, a candidate will have a primary degree, in any subject, with at least a Second Class Honours, Grade I. Applications from candidates with other qualifications will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Acceptance is subject to approval by the College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences, UCC.

Students take modules to the value of 90 credits comprising taught modules to the value of 60 credits in Part I and a 30 credit dissertation in Part II.

Full time (1 year): students take 60 credits in Semesters 1 and 2 and complete a 30 credit dissertation in Semester 3.

Part time (over 2 years): Students take:
in Year One 30 credits in Semesters 1 and/or 2;
in Year Two 30 credits in Semesters 1 and/or 2;
in Semesters 2 and 3 a 30 credit dissertation.

Part time (over 3 years): Students take:
in Year One 15 credits in Semester 1 or 30 credits in Semesters 1 and/or 2;
in Year Two 15 or 30 credits in Semesters 1 and/or 2;
in Year Three a maximum of 15 credits in Semester 1 or 2 and in Semesters 1-3 a 30 credit dissertation.

PART I
Semester 1 Modules:
RG6010 Critical Theory and the Study of Religions (15 credits)
RG6060 Indigenous Worldviews and Minority Religions (15 credits)
RG6080 Religions in Contemporary Ireland (15 credits)

Semester 2 Modules:
RG6020 Contemporary Islam (15 credits)
RG6050 Deities, Devotion and Disciplines in Indian Religions (15 credits)

In place of any one of the above 15-credit modules except RG6010, students may opt to take undergraduate or language modules up to the value of 15 credits from those listed below, subject to the written approval of the Programme Director and provided that the student has not already taken the same or similar module in their undergraduate studies.
Students taking 10 credits of undergraduate or language modules may also take, subject to the written approval of the Programme Director, the MA directed study module RG6075 Extended Essay in Contemporary Religions (5 credits). The alternative modules chosen must be deemed to be academically meritorious and still remain within the context of the programme learning outcomes. The alternative modules must be approved by the Programme Director, the Head(s) of the relevant School(s)/Department(s) and the module co-ordinator of the proposed alternative module(s). Students should note that existing regulations require that the total number of undergraduate modules must not exceed 15 credits, and will normally come from final or penultimate year modules, except in the case of language modules.

Modules available in the Study of Religions department:
(Not all modules may be available every year)

RG2301 Buddhism in Practice (10 credits)
RG2304 Religions of East Asia (10 credits)
RG2305 Authority and Community in Contemporary Christianity (10 credits)
RG2309 Contemporary Religions in Ireland (10 credits)
RG2313 Religions, Gender and Sexuality (10 credits)

Modules available in other departments:
AS3009 From Mountain Gods to Sages: Korean Philosophical and Religious Traditions (10 credits)

Language Modules:
Language modules may be taken at a level appropriate to the student's proficiency which will be determined by the relevant language tutor.

Asian language modules currently available in the School of Asian Studies including through Adult Continuing Education are as follows:

Chinese
Students will be assessed on entry and directed to the appropriate class:
CH1001 or CH2107 or CH3021 (10 credits per module)

Japanese
AS1501 or AS1502 or AS1503 or AS1504 (10 credits per module)

Korean
AS1601 or AS1602 or AS1603 or AS1604 (10 credits per module)

PART II
Dissertation
RG6600 Dissertation in Contemporary Religions (30 credits)
The dissertation is completed under the supervision of a member of the Study of Religions department for submission to the Winter Examination Board.

Module Semester Information may be found here. Module Descriptions may be found here.

Examinations
Full details and regulations governing Examinations for each programme will be contained in the Marks and Standards 2017 Book and for each module in the Book of Modules 2016/2017.

Postgraduate Diploma in Contemporary Religions
Students who successfully achieve the pass standard in Part I may opt not to proceed to Part II and may opt instead to be awarded the Postgraduate Diploma in Contemporary Religions.

Programme Learning Outcomes for MA in Contemporary Religions (NFQ Level 9, Major Award)
On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

• Develop and communicate advanced knowledge and understanding of a range of contemporary religious ideas, practices, movements and traditions.
• Develop and communicate critical awareness of the history and current construction of such knowledge and understanding within the academic, cross-cultural study of religions.
• Design and execute a reflective fieldwork research project in the area of contemporary religions.
• Employ advanced research, analysis and presentation skills in the field of contemporary religions which may also be preparatory to advanced research in the subject-area.

Programme Learning Outcomes for Postgraduate Diploma in Contemporary Religions (NFQ Level 9, Major Award)
On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

• Develop and communicate advanced knowledge and understanding of a range of contemporary (19th-21st century) religious ideas, practices, movements and traditions.
• Develop and communicate critical awareness of the history and current construction of such knowledge and understanding within the academic, cross-cultural study of religions.
• Design and execute a reflective fieldwork research project in the area of contemporary religions.