Program Overview
The European Studies program at Trinity College Dublin offers a comprehensive understanding of Europe's history, politics, and culture. Students develop critical thinking and analytical skills through a combination of language study, history, and social sciences courses. The program includes a year abroad, providing students with immersive cultural and academic experiences. Graduates are well-prepared for careers in international relations, diplomacy, business, journalism, and other fields.
Program Outline
Degree Overview:
European Studies is a broad-ranging and integrated program that offers students the chance to learn European languages, and also to study history and social sciences. This program encourages students to think about our continent in all its complexity, and to analyze Europe’s cultures, history, and politics.
Objectives:
- To provide students with a comprehensive understanding of Europe's history, politics, and culture.
- To develop students' critical thinking and analytical skills.
- To prepare students for careers in a variety of fields, including international relations, diplomacy, business, and journalism.
Outline:
Year 1:
- Two chosen languages
- History of early modern Europe
- Introductory module to the history of ideas
- Introductory module in the social sciences (political science, sociology or economics)
Year 2:
- Two languages
- History of Europe in the 20th Century
- History of ideas during the period of Enlightenment and Romanticism
- Further options in history, politics, sociology, or economics
Year 3:
- Spent at a university abroad studying through the language chosen as the Major language
Year 4:
- Language work focuses on the Major language
- Coursework for the Minor language concentrates mainly on comprehension and textual analysis
- Core course: ‘Modernity and Society: Ideas and Culture in Europe since 1850’
- Options from a wide range of modules from history, political science, sociology, economics and a number of culture and literature options from the language departments
Assessment:
- A combination of continuous assessment and exams
- Traditional and innovative continuous assessment methods: essays, project work, presentations, podcast creation
- Language modules are traditionally assessed by written, oral and aural examinations
- Final year students also write a Capstone project
Teaching:
- Lectures, tutorials, and seminars
- Faculty from a wide range of disciplines
- Emphasis on critical thinking and analytical skills
Careers:
- International organizations
- EU
- Civil service
- Diplomatic corps
- Business
- Finance
- Marketing
- Consultancy
- Teaching
- Translating and interpreting
- Journalism
- Tourism
- Postgraduate courses
Other:
- A year or semester studying abroad is one of the highlights of a student’s Trinity experience
- Exchanges have been established with history and political science departments in universities in France, Germany, Austria, Spain, Italy, Poland, and Russia
- The year abroad may entail additional expenses for students but support funding under the European Union’s Erasmus scheme partially offsets this (with the exception of Russia, outside the Erasmus scheme)
- Trinity College Dublin and Columbia University Dual B.A. Programme
