Early and Medieval Irish MA

Program Overview

The MA in Early & Medieval Irish is a one-year full-time or two-year part-time program that focuses on the study of Early Irish language, literature, and history from 600AD to 1200AD. It emphasizes language, grammar, text analysis, and independent research culminating in a 20,000-word thesis. The program prepares students for further study in Celtic Studies or related fields, as well as careers in heritage and broadcasting.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The MA in Early & Medieval Irish is a one-year full-time or two-year part-time program focusing on the study of Early Irish language and literature from 600AD to 1200AD. It emphasizes the study of language, grammar, texts, and their historical and literary contexts. Students develop skills in close reading of sources and analysis of the medieval Irish language. They also have the opportunity to study medieval Welsh and Latin, and take advanced courses in literary studies, palaeography, and textual editing. The program includes supervised independent research to broaden and deepen scholarly interests, culminating in a 20,000-word thesis.

Objectives:

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

• Translate selected Early Irish texts.
• Comment grammatically on particular words, phrases, or sentences within these texts.
• Transcribe Early Irish texts from manuscript sources.
• Write and present a research paper on an agreed topic.
• Translate selected Medieval Welsh texts.
• Submit the results of supervised research in a dissertation of 20,000 words, with full scholarly apparatus.
• Plus 40 credits from the following modules:
• CC6004 Medieval Welsh (10 credits):
This module introduces students to the language and literature of medieval Wales.
• CC6005 Research Seminar (10 credits): This module provides students with the opportunity to develop their research skills and present their work to an academic audience.
• CC6006 Special Topic (10 credits): This module allows students to explore a specific topic in Early and Medieval Irish studies in greater depth.
• CC6007 Research Presentation (10 credits): This module focuses on the development of presentation skills for academic audiences.
• CC6008 Palaeography and Manuscript-based Research (10 credits): This module introduces students to the study of medieval manuscripts and the techniques of palaeography.
• CC6011 Continuing Old Irish (10 credits): This module provides students with the opportunity to further develop their knowledge of Old Irish.
• LT6023 Beginners' Latin (10 credits): This module introduces students to the basics of Latin.

Part II (40 credits):

• CC6010 Dissertation in Early and Medieval Irish (40 credits): This module involves the completion of a 20,000-word dissertation on a topic of the student's choice.

Postgraduate Diploma in Early and Medieval Irish:

Students who pass Part I and opt not to proceed to Part II may register for Supervised Research (CC6002) (10 credits) and be awarded a Postgraduate Diploma in Early and Medieval Irish.

Postgraduate Certificate in Early and Medieval Irish:

Students who pass at least 30 credits of taught modules may opt to exit the program and be awarded a Postgraduate Certificate in Early and Medieval Irish.

Course Schedule:

• The full-time one-year MA requires students to choose modules totaling 50 credits.
• Most modules are worth 10 credits and involve weekly classes for the duration of the academic year (24 weeks).
• Full-time students will have a minimum of 5 classes per week.
• Students may also choose to attend the two-day paleography workshop held annually in early September.
• For one-on-one supervised studies and the 40-credit dissertation, students are expected to meet with their supervisors on a regular basis.

Assessment:

• Taught modules are generally assessed by continuous assessment and end-of-year examinations.
• Palaeography and supervised-study modules are assessed by essay/project.
• The research presentation is assessed by public delivery to an academic audience.
• The MA dissertation is graded by an external examiner.

Teaching:

• The program is taught by internationally recognized faculty in areas such as medieval Irish Christianity, mythology, palaeography, textual editing, and legendary history.
• The program emphasizes close reading of sources, analysis of the medieval Irish language, and independent research.
• Students have the opportunity to participate in weekly research seminars and attend a two-day paleography workshop.

Careers:

• An MA degree in Early and Medieval Irish prepares students for further study in the field of Celtic Studies.
• It can also provide an additional qualification for students pursuing advanced degrees in fields such as classics, English, history, or medieval studies.
• It is a useful qualification for those seeking employment in the heritage and broadcasting sectors.

Other:

• The program attracts a large cohort of international and Irish students.
• Students often pursue a PhD degree at home or abroad after completing the MA.
• The Department of Early and Medieval Irish at UCC has numerous formal links with higher education institutions overseas.
• Students pursuing doctoral studies at UCC may elect to spend some time abroad as part of their course.