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University College Dublin

Irish Folklore & Ethnology

MA Irish Folklore & Ethnology
Graduate Taught (level 9 nfq, credits 90)
The MA in Irish Folklore and Ethnology offers modules on a wide range of topics within the subject area, including research theories, the study of oral narrative, traditional music and song, fieldwork and archival methods, social tradition, popular belief systems, material culture, and Irish and European ethnology. It also offers students a choice of modules in subjects which are related to the study of Folklore and Ethnology, such as Modern Irish, Archaeology, Cultural Policy, Creative Writing, and Ethnomusicology.

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,

-an opportunity for the student to engage in work placement (subject to availability) with the National Folklore Collection, the Irish Traditional Music Archive or The National Museum of Ireland's Museum of Country Life.

Who should apply?
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

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

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.

Entry requirements

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.

Duration

1 Year Full-Time (Z253) or 2 Years Part-Time (Z254).

Number of credits

Careers or further progression

Careers & Employability
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.

Further enquiries

Contact Name: Michael Wallace
Contact Number: 01 716 8105

Subjects taught

Stage 1 - Core
Advanced Research 1
IRFL40130

Advanced Research 2
IRFL40190

Stage 1 - Option
Communicating Heritage
ARCH40830

Expt Arch: Principles & Practice
ARCH40840

Practical Experimental Archaeology
ARCH40850

Cultural Heritage
ARCH40990

The Archive of Imagination: Myth and Folklore
CRWT40020

Museums & Heritage Policy
CULP40290

Memory and Commemoration: policy, politics, and popular perception
HIS31710

Scéalta Fiannaíochta 1300 - 1900
IR40050

An Béal Beo
IR40480

Healers and Healing
IRFL20050

Social Life and Legend
IRFL20060

Music and Words: Identity in the Irish Context
IRFL20070

Hero Tales
IRFL30040

Folk Religion and Belief
IRFL30060

Aspects of Ethnology
IRFL40110

Folklore and Folkloristics
IRFL40120

Interpreting the Oral Text
IRFL40140

Folklore in Focus: themes and case studies
IRFL40150

The Life Cycle
IRFL40160

The Narrative Art
IRFL40170

Calendar Custom
IRFL40180

Collectors of Music & Song
IRFL40200

Gender Perspectives on FL
IRFL40210

Internship in Archival Methods
IRFL40220

Work placement and Report
IRFL40250

Dissertation
IRFL40260

Ethnomusicology: Theory & Method.
MUS40030

Ethnographic Methods
MUS40070

Application date

How to apply?
The following entry routes are available:
MA Irish Folklore & Ethnology FT (Z253)
Duration
1 Years

Attendance
Full Time

Deadline
Rolling *

MA Irish Folklore & Ethnology PT (Z254)
Duration
2 Years

Attendance
Part Time

Deadline
Rolling *

* Courses will remain open until such time as all places have been filled, therefore early application is advised.

Course fee

MA Irish Folklore & Ethnology (Z253) Full Time
EU fee per year - 7055
nonEU fee per year - 19200

MA Irish Folklore & Ethnology (Z254) Part Time
EU fee per year - 4235
nonEU fee per year - 9600

***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.