Philosophy

Course Outline
The one-year Higher Diploma in Philosophy gives you a rare chance to study western as well as eastern philosophy. You will study different philosophical concepts and theories, from issues of mind and consciousness, action and politics, ethics and aesthetics, to society and culture, globalism, and power and territory.

The course begins in September and gives students from all disciplines an opportunity for intensive study in both eastern and western philosophy. Students select 12 modules (60 credits) from year 2 and 3 undergraduate options.

The modules are designed to introduce philosophical questions, theories, and texts in a particular area. They typically involve set readings and writing assignments. It is generally expected that you will have an interest in reading and writing philosophical texts, but specialised knowledge of philosophical concepts or approaches is not presupposed.

In your modules you will study and discuss philosophy and become familiar with relevant concepts and authors. The course will develop your knowledge of the history of philosophy and ideas, improve your writing and critical reading skills, and hone your ability to understand and summarise arguments effectively.

Why Choose This Course
UCC Philosophy is the only department in Ireland (and one of the only departments in Europe) offering the opportunity to study in three distinct philosophical traditions: Asian Philosophy, Continental Philosophy, and Analytic Philosophy. This course allows you to acquire a unique comparative philosophical education. Our staff have a distinctive international profile, with members from Ireland, the UK, Germany, Italy and the USA. Together, we bring multiple perspectives to bear on our shared philosophical concerns, and we create a diverse and energetic environment within which to conduct philosophical research.

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.

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

English Language Requirements
Applicants that are non-native speakers of the English language must meet the university approved English language requirements available here.

For applicants with qualifications completed outside of Ireland
Applicants must meet the required entry academic grade, equivalent to Irish requirements, please find our grades comparison by country here.

International/non-EU applicants
For full details of the non-EU application procedure please 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.

Not all courses are open to international/non-EU applicants, please check the fact file above.

For more information please contact the International Office.

How Do I Apply

1. Choose Course
Firstly choose your course. Applicants can apply for up to two courses under one application. Details of taught courses are available on our online prospectus.

2. Apply Online
Once you have chosen your course you can apply online at the online application portal. Applicants will need to apply before the course closing date. There is a non-refundable €50 application fee for all courses apart from the Education - Professional Master of Education - (Secondary School/Post-Primary Teacher Training) which has a €100 application fee.

Applicants for the Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health Nursing must apply on the PAC website when the programme opens for applications.

3. Gather Supporting Documents
Scanned copies of the following documents will need to be uploaded to the online application portal in support of your application. Applicants may need to produce the original documents if you are accepted onto a course and register at UCC.

- Original qualification documents listed on your application including transcripts of results from institutions other than UCC

- Any supplementary items requested for your course.

Please log into the online application portal for more details.

4. Application processing timeline
Our online application portal opens for applications for most courses in early November of each year. Check specific course details.

5. Rounds
For courses that are in the rounds system (Irish and EU applicants), please check the rounds closing dates.

Questions on how to apply?
Please use our web enquiry form to contact us.

Additional Requirements
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 submit a copy of a short analytical/critical/report writing sample or essay (1,000 words approx.)

The closing date for non-EU applications is 15 June.

Assessment

For each seminar class, you must prepare the set readings and complete the required coursework. Modules are typically assessed by written essays and end-of-year or in-class exams. The assessment of many modules also includes attendance and/or participation segments.

Higher Diploma 60 ECTS credits

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

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

Start Date: 7 September 2020

Skills and Careers Information
Throughout the course, we emphasise that philosophy is not just something that you learn about, rather, it is also something that you do. To this end, we offer a number of courses that enable students to develop philosophical skills of their own, and we aim to foster the skills of analysis, creativity and discovery, as well as developing an in-depth understanding of non-European thought and culture. On this course you will develop the following skills:

critical thinking
inter-cultural competence
professional writing
construction and evaluation of arguments
communication
information management
design and planning
research and investigation.

Employers in diverse fields value the skills of analysis, creativity and discovery that we aim to foster, and so, a degree in philosophy can be the starting point for many different career paths.