The MA in Irish Studies: Identities and Representations is a full-time programme running for 12 months from the date of first registration for the programme.

Successful applicants will normally have an honours primary degree at Second Honours Grade 1 level or the equivalent, though applications from graduates whose primary degree is at Second Class Honours Grade 2 level will be considered. For North American students a cumulative GPA of 3.2 is normally expected. Applications will be considered from graduates of all disciplines, but priority will be given to those with a degree in arts/humanities/social sciences subjects.

Applicants must complete a short personal statement outlining their academic background and interests and their reasons for applying for the programme. In addition they must submit the names and contact details of two academic referees.

All applications must be approved by the programme's Board of Studies.

English Language Requirements: IELTS 6.5 (with no individual section lower than 5.5) or TOEFL equivalent.

Students take 90 credits as follows:

Part 1
Students take 50 credits as follows:
Core Modules
IR6001 Identities and Representations: Ireland in the Modern Era (10 credits)
IR6011 Identities and Representations: Medieval and Early Modern Ireland (10 credits)
IR6013 Irish Studies Fieldwork (5 credits)

Students are also required to register for one of the following 'skills' courses:

EN6009 Contemporary Research: Skills, Methods and Strategies (10 credits)
HI6075 Making History Public (10 credits)
SC6614 Sociological Methodology (10 credits)

Elective Modules
Students take a further 15 credits from one of the following three elective module streams:
Stream 1 Medieval Ireland

Stream 1a Medieval Ireland: Literature and Culture
AR3037 The Viking World and Ireland (5 credits)
CC3003 Ireland and Scotland: The Gaelic World in the Middle Ages (5 credits)
CC3004 Otherworld Journeys and Saintly Visions in Celtic Literature (5 credits)
CC3006 Irish Historical Tales (5 credits)
CC3007 The Finn Cycle (5 credits)
HI3200 History Research Seminar (10 credits)

Stream 1b Medieval Ireland: Languages*
Students taking Stream 1 are encouraged to select primarily from Stream 1a. They may be permitted to take one of the following specialist language modules (Stream 1b) depending on their particular interests and on what they intend to research for their dissertation.
CC6001 Old Irish (10 credits)
or
CC6011 Continuing Old Irish (10 credits)
or
CC6003 Early Irish Text (10 credits)
or
LT6001 Beginners' Latin (15 credits)

* Students with no previous knowledge of Old Irish may take CC6001. Those who have studied Old Irish previously may choose either CC6011 or CC6003 after consultation with staff of the Department of Early Medieval Irish.

Stream 2 Modern Ireland: Culture, Conflict and Diaspora
FL6001 Popular and Unpopular Culture: Festival, Ritual, Belief and Narrative (10 credits)
GG3038 Geographies of the Irish Diaspora (5 credits)
GV3006 Politics in Northern Ireland (5 credits)
HI3024 Northern Ireland (5 credits)
HI3028 State and Economy in Independent Ireland 1922-2000 (5 credits)
HI3200 History Research Seminar (10 credits)
PO3004 Issues in Irish Politics I (5 credits)
PO3005 Issues in Irish Politics II
SS3118 Community Conflict Transformation and Peace Building (5 credits)

Stream 3 Modern Ireland: Literature, Music, Art and Film
EN3006 Special Studies Seminar I (10 credits)
EN3007 Special Studies Seminar II (10 credits)
EN3075 Contemporary Irish Writing (5 credits)
EN3077 The Irish Literary Revival and Irish Modernism (5 credits)
EN6048 Gender and Sexuality (10 credits)
EN6050 Space and Place in Irish Writing and Film (10 credits)
GA3017 Léamh agus Litriú na Gaeilge (5 credits)
HA3027 Special Studies Seminar (5 credits)

In order to ensure coherence and a good workload balance over the course of the programme, students will select their modules in consultation with the programme coordinator and other members of the Board of Studies as appropriate.

Students taking one of the Modern Ireland streams (2 and 3) may be permitted to choose one module from the other modern stream depending on their particular interests and on what they intend to research for their dissertation. Students cannot take a module they have previously taken as part of another UCC programme. In addition to the core and elective modules, students may audit modern Irish language modules GA1120 and/or GA1121. If there are sufficient numbers wishing to study the Irish language for credit, a programme-specific module, GA6010, may be offered to students doing either of the Modern Ireland streams.

Note: Not all modules may be available every year.

Part II
IR6010 Dissertation in Irish Studies (40 credits)

Postgraduate Certificate in Irish Studies: Identities and Representations
Students passing modules to the value of at least 30 credits in Part I and achieving an aggregate pass mark of 40% overall in Part I (50 credits) may opt to exit the programme and be awarded a Postgraduate Certificate in Irish Studies: Identities and Representations.

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 2018/2019 Book and for each module in the Book of Modules 2018/2019.

Programme Learning Outcomes for MA in Irish Studies: Identities and Representations (NFQ Level 9, Major Award)
On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

• Demonstrate a critical understanding of key debates in the field of Irish Studies, within an interdisciplinary framework;
• Analyse the complex processes through which identities are formed and transformed with particular reference to Ireland and people with Irish links elsewhere;
• Investigate how people in Ireland, and those with Irish links elsewhere, have represented themselves;
• Investigate how people in Ireland, and those with Irish links elsewhere, have been represented by others;
• Apply a range of methodologies required for undertaking research in Irish Studies;
• Utilize advanced critical, theoretical, and methodological approaches in presenting their research;
• Pursue an extended Master's level research and writing project, showing discipline-appropriate research, writing and technical skills, developed through clear and recordable processes of enquiry and selection and demonstrated in a 15-20,000 word dissertation.

Programme Learning Outcomes for Postgraduate Certificate in Irish Studies: Identities and Representations (NFQ Level 9, Minor Award)
On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

• Discuss key debates in the field of Irish Studies, within an interdisciplinary framework;
• Demonstrate an understanding of the complex processes through which identities are formed and transformed with particular reference to Ireland and people with Irish links elsewhere;
• Demonstrate an understanding of the complex ways in which people in Ireland, and those with Irish links elsewhere, have represented themselves;
• Demonstrate an understanding of the complex ways in which people in Ireland, and those with Irish links elsewhere, have been represented by others;
• Apply a range of methodologies required for undertaking modest research projects in Irish Studies;
• Utilize critical, theoretical, and methodological approaches in presenting their work.