Celtic Civilisation MA

Program Overview

The MA in Celtic Civilisation at UCC immerses students in the history, languages, and culture of the Celtic peoples from the Iron Age to the Middle Ages. It emphasizes Ireland's European heritage and influence, training students in Old Irish, Medieval Welsh, and Latin. The program culminates in a research thesis or supervised research project, preparing graduates for further study or careers in academia, heritage, or broadcasting.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The MA in Celtic Civilisation at UCC is a one-year full-time or two-year part-time program that focuses on the history of the Celtic peoples from central Europe to Ireland, from the early Iron Age into the Middle Ages. The program emphasizes Ireland's connections with the outside world, including its European heritage in prehistoric times and its influence on European culture in the early Christian period.

Objectives:

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

• Identify basic Old Irish grammatical forms and translate sentences illustrating their use.
• Translate selected passages of Medieval Welsh prose.
• Transcribe Early Irish texts from manuscript sources.
• Write and present a seminar paper on an agreed topic.
• Present the results of supervised research on a topic within the discipline in the form of a fully-annotated thesis.

Outline:

The program is divided into two parts:

Part I (50 credits):

• CC6011 Continuing Old Irish (10 credits)
• 40 credits from the following modules:
• CC6004 Medieval Welsh (10 credits)
• CC6005 Research Seminar (10 credits)
• CC6006 Special Topic (10 credits)
• CC6007 Research Presentation (10 credits)
• CC6008 Palaeography and Manuscript-based Research (10 credits)
• LT6023 Beginners' Latin (10 credits)

Part II (40 credits):

• CC6009 Dissertation in Celtic Civilisation (40 credits)
The choice of modules is made in consultation with the student's supervisor and is subject to the approval of the Programme Coordinator.

Postgraduate Diploma in Celtic Civilisation:

Candidates who pass Part I and opt not to proceed to Part II of the Master's program may register for Supervised Research in Celtic Civilisation (CC6002) worth 10 credits.

Upon successful completion of CC6002, they will be awarded a Postgraduate Diploma in Celtic Civilisation.

Postgraduate Certificate in Celtic Civilisation:

Candidates who pass at least 30 credits of taught modules (including CC6001 or CC6011) may opt to exit the program and be awarded a Postgraduate Certificate in Celtic Civilisation.

Course Schedule:

• Full-time: Students are required to choose modules to the value of 50 credits.
Most modules have a value of 10 credits and involve weekly classes for the duration of the academic year (24 weeks). Full-time students will have a minimum of five classes per week.
• Part-time: The program is taught during weekday working hours over two years.

Assessment:

• Taught modules: Generally assessed by continuous assessment and end-of-year examinations.
• Paleography and supervised-study modules: Assessment is by essay/project.
• Research presentation: Public delivery to an academic audience is assessed.
• MA dissertation: Graded by an external examiner.

Teaching:

• The program provides opportunities for students to study medieval Irish, medieval Welsh, and Latin.
• Students are encouraged to develop their skills through close reading of sources.
• The program includes supervised independent research, allowing students to broaden and deepen their scholarly interests.
• The MA in Celtic Civilisation entails a lot of reading and study, and the library facilities at UCC are particularly good in this subject area.

Careers:

• An MA degree in Celtic Civilisation 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 offers great training to students interested in the language, literature, and culture of the medieval Celtic countries.
• Students will join a large cohort of international and Irish students already engaged in postgraduate studies in the Department of Early and Medieval Irish, UCC.
• Upon successful completion of the Master of Arts in Celtic Civilisation, students often go on to Ph.D. degrees at home and abroad.
• The program has numerous formal links with higher education institutions overseas, and students pursuing doctoral studies in UCC may elect to spend some time abroad as part of their course.