Irish Folklore & Ethnology

The MA Irish Folklore and Ethnology is a recently established programme which offers students the chance to acquire in-depth knowledge of a unique and vibrant aspect of Irish culture – that of oral tradition and folklore, representing the history and heritage of Ireland at vernacular level. Modules are available on a wide range of topics, including research theories, the study of oral narrative (storytelling), traditional music and song, fieldwork and archival methods, social tradition, popular belief systems, material culture, folk medicine, and Irish and European ethnology. The programme also offers students the opportunity to complete a Masters thesis or, for a limited number of students and where suitable work is available, the possibility of an internship in a related cultural body such as the National Folklore Collection or the Irish Traditional Music Archive.



The programme includes:

• Training in original archival and fieldwork research and methods.

• Access to the specialist library and archive holdings of the National Folklore Collection.

• An opportunity for the student to pursue their research interests in the preparation and writing of a Master’s thesis on a subject of their choice, under the guidance of a member of the teaching staff in Irish Folklore,

or

• the possibility of an internship, for a limited number of students and where suitable work is available, in a related cultural body such as the National Folklore Collection.



This degree is aimed at students who want to explore Irish vernacular culture and popular tradition at graduate level, as part of their career development, as a pathway to further study, or for their own personal interest.

Module/Trimester/Credits



Stage 1 Core Modules

IRFL40130 Advanced Research 1 Autumn 10

IRFL40190 Advanced Research 2 Spring 10



Stage 1 Options - 1)1 of:

Students must complete either the Dissertation or Work Placement. Please consult a member of the teaching staff in Irish Folklore for further advice.

IRFL40250 Work placement and Report Summer 30

IRFL40260 Dissertation Summer 30



Stage 1 Options - A) 40CR:

Choose 40 credits of option modules, including at least 20 credits in Irish Folklore.

Module selection is subject to advice and agreement from a member of the teaching staff in Irish Folklore.

ARCH41250 Nature & Culture: A bridge Autumn 10

IRFL40120 Folklore and Folkloristics Autumn 10

IRFL40160 The Life Cycle Autumn 10

IRFL40170 The Narrative Art Autumn 10

IRFL40200 Collectors of Music & Song Autumn 10

ARCH40850 Practical Experimental Archaeology Spring 10

CULP40310 Cultural Policy 2: Ireland Spring 5

IR40480 An Béal Beo Spring 5

IRFL20050 Healers and Healing Spring 5

IRFL20100 Oral history and tradition Spring 5

IRFL30100 Popular religion and belief Spring 5

IRFL40110 Aspects of Ethnology Spring 10

IRFL40140 Interpreting the Oral Text Spring 10

IRFL40180 Calendar Custom Spring 10

IRFL40220 Internship in Archival Methods Spring 10

In the normal course, entry requirements will consist of an undergraduate degree in the Arts, Humanities or Social Sciences with a minimum 2.1 or an equivalent of a UCD GPA of 3.08 (NFQ Level 8). The School may also consider applicants with equivalent qualifications/professional experience for the Pathway Programme.



Applicants are required to submit original academic transcripts.



Applicants are also required to submit two references, preferably both relating to academic performance.



For applicants with equivalent professional qualifications, applicants will be required to submit a focussed statement of 500 words stating why this particular programme is right for the candidate at this point in their career (to be part of the online application).



Applicants whose first language is not English are required to submit evidence of their language proficiency. Applicants will have reached an overall 7 in IELTS with no individual band lower than 6.5, or equivalent. The School is willing to consider applicants who achieve IELTS 6.5 if they attend a five-week pre-sessional language course offered by the UCD Applied Language Centre.



A basic reading knowledge of the Irish language is recommended for MA students. This can be acquired concurrently with the student’s MA studies.



These are the minimum entry requirements – additional criteria may be requested for some programmes.



You may be eligible for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), as UCD recognises formal, informal, and/or experiential learning. RPL may be awarded to gain Admission and/or credit exemptions on a programme. Please visit the UCD Registry RPL web page for further information at: https://www.ucd.ie/registry/prospectivestudents/admissions/rpl/ Any exceptions are also listed on this webpage.

Online Application.



Who Should Apply?

Full Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes

International (Non EU) applicants: Yes



Part Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes

International (Non EEA) applicants: No



Full Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes

International (Non EEA) applicants currently residing outside of the EEA Region. Yes



Part Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes

International (Non EEA) applicants currently residing outside of the EEA Region. No

90

Z253: 1 Year Full-Time

Z254: 2 Years Part-Time

Delivery: On Campus

MA Irish Folklore & Ethnology (Z253) Full Time

EU fee per year - € 7315

nonEU fee per year - € 19900


MA Irish Folklore & Ethnology (Z254) Part Time

EU fee per year - € 4390

nonEU fee per year - € 9950


***Fees are subject to change


Tuition fee information is available on the UCD Fees website.


Irish Folklore offers a number of scholarships for graduate students in the subject, including the Máire Mac Neill Scholarship, the Onfel and Isobel Thomas Scholarship (for students wishing to incorporate a course of study at a Scandinavian university as part of their MA studies), and the Dónall Ó Móráin Bursary (for students wishing to pursue their studies on an aspect of Folklore pertaining specifically to the Irish language). For further information please see http://www.ucd.ie/icsf/en/study/scholarshipsawards/ .


Please note that UCD offers a number of graduate scholarships for full-time, self-funding international students, holding an offer of a place on a UCD graduate degree programme. For further information please see International Scholarships.

Z253 MA Irish Folklore & Ethnology Master of Arts Full-Time

Commencing September 2026

Graduate Taught



Z254 MA Irish Folklore & Ethnology Master of Arts Part-Time

Commencing September 2026

Graduate Taught

Career & Graduate Study Opportunities

Given the nature and reach of the subject, graduates in Irish Folklore and Ethnology can be found across a broad range of occupations and organisations, including heritage institutions, tradition archives, museums and cultural bodies. Graduates have also found employment in teaching, research, the media and journalism. The MA in Irish Folklore and Ethnology can also act as a pathway to higher degrees in Irish Folklore, involving further in-depth research of a chosen topic.