Folklore - Irish Folklore

Course Outline
The Higher Diploma in Folklore gives you the opportunity to study everyday life in Ireland, in all of its rich diversity and its vast range of cultural expressions. Folklore, like its synonym popular culture, makes a study of everyday life, both past and present. Quite simply, it studies life by looking at how people lived their day-to-day lives: their houses, technologies, stories, rituals, beliefs, religion and cosmological understandings.

Folklore has a special place in the formation of Irish consciousness, in literature, and is one of the most important hallmarks of Irish culture. The Department of Folklore at UCC is ideally placed to offer unique insights into Irish life, popular culture and traditions. It is one of only two such departments in Ireland.

The study of ordinary life is at the heart of the Higher Diploma in Folklore. Years of experience in teaching and conducting original research into Irish life, traditions and folklore make the Department of Folklore and Ethnology the ideal place to study these aspects of Irish life, and make participating in the Higher Diploma in Folklore a rich and rewarding experience.

Course Practicalities
The Higher Diploma in Folklore is intended for those who already have a degree and who wish to study folklore intensively over one or two academic years, part-time. The course consists of modules to the value of 60 credits taken from a range of existing year 2 and 3 modules in BA Folklore. Part-time students will study second year modules for 30 credits in year 1 and third year modules for 30 credits in year 2.

Why Choose This Course
There are only two university departments in Ireland that teach and research Irish folklore as an academic subject, making the Department of Folklore and Ethnology at UCC a leader in its field. The discipline itself is unique in making everyday life, traditions, beliefs and popular behaviour the actual focus of its attention. No other discipline can provide the insight or the perspective on Irish life and traditions that folklore does

By studying for a Higher Diploma in Folklore, you will cover key topics including:

oral literature (e.g. narrative, story, and song)
popular religion (e.g. belief, healing, festivals)
popular material culture (e.g. vernacular housing, and technologies past and present).

This course will give you the skills to:

trace the development of the discipline of Irish and European folklore

engage with various aspects of traditional and contemporary Irish culture

identify key genres in narrative, and recount the social and cultural context for storytelling

evaluate the ethnographic value of archival documents

be able to research an ethnographic project through archival sources
design an ethnographic fieldwork project

use recording technology to conduct an ethnographic interview.

Additional Teaching Mode Information
The part-time option will be taught during weekday working hours over 2 years.

Modules

Further details on the modules listed above can be found in our Book of Modules. Any modules listed above are indicative of the current set of modules for this course but are subject to change from year to year.

University Calendar

You can find the full academic content for the current year of any given course in our University Calendar.

It is intended for those who already have a 3 or 4 year primary degree and who wish to study the subject Folklore intensively over one or two academic years. The Higher Diploma in Arts is a conversion programme and applicants would not normally have studied the relevant subject to Honours Degree level previously.

Applicants are asked to study the modules offered before applying, to ensure that they are aware of the approach taken to the study of Folklore in the Department of Folklore and Ethnology at UCC.

English Language Requirements
Applicants that are non-native speakers of the English language must meet the university-approved English language requirements. Please visit our PG English Language Requirements page for more information.

For applicants with qualifications completed outside of Ireland
Applicants must meet the required entry academic grade, equivalent to Irish requirements. For more information see our Qualification Comparison page.

International/Non-EU Applicants
For full details of the non-EU application procedure visit our how to apply pages for international students.

In UCC, we use the term programme and course interchangeably to describe what a person has registered to study in UCC and its constituent colleges, schools, and departments.

Note that not all courses are open to international/non-EU applicants, please check the fact file above. For more information contact the International Office.

The closing date for non-EU applications is 30 June 2023

How Do I Apply
1. Check Dates: Check the opening and closing dates for the application process in the fact file boxes at the top of the page.

For Irish and EU applicants we operate a rounds system and you can check the rounds closing dates here.
Note that not all our programmes are subject to the rounds system so check the opening and closing dates for your specific programme in the fact file boxes above.

2. Gather Documents: Scanned copies of supporting documents have to be uploaded to the UCC online application portal and include:

Original qualification documents listed on your application including transcripts of results from institutions other than UCC.
Any supplementary items requested for your course if required.

3. Apply Online: Apply online via the UCC online application portal. Note the majority of our courses have a non-refundable €50 application fee.

Any questions? Use our web enquiry form to contact us.
Additional Requirements (All Applicants)
Please note you will be required to provide additional information as part of the online application process for this programme. This will include the following questions:

You may enter the details of professional or voluntary positions held. We strongly encourage you to complete this section with all relevant work experiences that will support your application.

In addition to your previously declared qualifications, please outline any additional academic courses, self-learning and professional training relevant to this programme.

Please describe your motivation and readiness for this programme.

Please detail your computing/technical/IT skills.

Assessment is carried out through a combination of continuous assessment, written assignments, and end-of-year examinations.

Higher Diploma 60 ECTS credits

1 year full-time, 2 years part-time.

Start Date 7 September 2020

Skills and Careers Information
In addition to developing archival and analytical skills, you will develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of Irish popular culture, both past and present, in studying the stories, rituals, beliefs, traditions, religion and cosmological understandings of the people.

Graduates of our department have gone on to careers in:

journalism
television and radio
teaching
the heritage sector (museums, folk parks, etc.
community-based folklore and arts projects management
academia.