MA in English Writing and Film – Irish

Key Points

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The MSc in Irish Writing and Film will introduce you to an exceptionally rich body of cultural texts whose breadth and diversity continues to generate academic debate. With the guidance of an expert, she will discover the historical and cultural contexts that inform Irish culture to this day and engage in a discussion on a wide range of topics. She will read key texts from the 18th century to the present and will be encouraged to participate in some of the most influential critical and theoretical models currently being applied in the analysis of Irish literature and film. She will also conduct independent research in the field under the expert guidance of our scholars, all of whom are authors of major studies of Irish culture.

The Master of Irish Writing and Film is comprised of five taught modules (Part I) and one dissertation (Part II), which together make up 90 credits.

Writers studied include Jonathan Swift, Edmund Burke, Maria Edgeworth, Gerald Griffin, James Clarence Mangan, Sheridan Le Fanu, James Joyce, WB Yeats, Elizabeth Bowen, Samuel Beckett, Kate O’Brien, Frank O’Connor, Brian Friel, John McGahern., Éilis Ní Dhuibhne, Anne Enright, Marina Carr and Colm Tóibín. Classic Irish films like Man from Aran and This Other Eden are studied alongside more recent texts, while also engaging with the work of such notable new Irish filmmakers as Lenny Abrahamson.

Program Structure

The subject modules and the Literary Inquiry Skills module comprise the taught element of the master’s degree and run from September to March. Subject modules introduce students to the specific subject area of their choice. The Literary Research Skills module aims to equip master’s students for the development and implementation of their research strategy through the acquisition of a variety of research skills.

Research element dissertation: the dissertation will be written between March and the end of August, and will be sent in September. It will be supervised by a member of staff, after consultation and agreement, and will last from 15,000 to 17,000 words. The supervision will take place between March and the end of August.

Course practices

The course includes a combination of seminars, information sessions, directed study, consultations, presentations, self-directed study, and associated reading and research. You will conduct independent research for your dissertation in close consultation with your supervisor.

Continuous evaluation of written work, class work, participation and presentation in seminars, research journal, literature review and information technology and research presentation.

The MSc in Irish Writing and Film is taught by expert scholars whose books and essays continue to shape debates in the field. These include:

• Professor Claire Connolly
• Professor Alex Davis
• Anne Etienne
• Adam Hanna
• Marie Kelly
• Heather Laird
• Barry Monahan
• Maureen O’Connor
• Ó Gallchoir Clíona
• Eibhear Walshe

Why choose this course

This course will provide you with a comprehensive analysis of Irish literature and film, while encouraging you to develop as a creative, independent writer and researcher. The MSc is taught by a deeply committed team that is actively involved in research and has an international reputation in the study of Irish culture. Our team will guide and advise you in choosing the topics for your thesis and will provide solid academic support throughout the career.

The MSc in Irish Writing and Film draws on the rich academic experience of our School of English. The course is unusual in integrating the study of Irish literature and film within a carefully designed academic program and in teaching the entire history of Irish literature and film from the early 18th century to the present in design modules. innovative. This course will offer you a unique opportunity to receive expert instruction in Irish culture while advancing new research and developing your own critical voice.

Our English School has a high concentration of staff with expertise in 18th and 19th century Irish cultural theory, the study of Irish modernism, and the study of gender and sexuality. We also offer innovative teaching in cutting-edge approaches such as ecocriticism, psychogeography, and transnational poetics.

Career opportunities

This course will prepare you for a career that requires independent thinking skills, effective writing, critical and creative approaches to problem solving, and an understanding of culture in a broad sense.

The master’s degree lays a solid foundation for study at a higher degree level, and upon graduation, you may choose to pursue doctoral study and an academic career. Other career paths that emerge from this high-quality, flexible graduate course include journalism, digital media, arts management, marketing, and secondary and higher education, publishing, and information science.

The skills acquired as part of this course include effective writing, the ability to conduct independent research, strong communication skills, excellent organization, and independent thinking and creativity.

Admission requirements

To be considered for admission to a master’s program within the School of English, an applicant will normally possess a Second Class Honors Grade I at a primary honors grade level (NFQ, Level 8) or a higher or equivalent qualification. in English or a related subject. All candidates must satisfy a Selection Committee that may request applicants to provide letters of reference.

A cumulative GPA of at least 3.3 is expected for North American students.

English requirements

All graduate applicants whose first language is not English must provide evidence of English language proficiency. Certain tests (eg, IELTS, TOEFL, and Pearson PTE) have a three-year time limit on their validity and will apply. English language tests must be taken no more than three years prior to the start of a program.

Please note that Secure English Language Test (SELT) scores must be obtained in a single session of the corresponding qualification (for example, IELTS and TOEFL). We will not accept a combination of individual component scores from multiple tests.

Applicants who are nationals of a country that, according to the UCC, is predominantly English-speaking, or who have a degree or equivalent qualification that was taught in a country that is considered predominantly English-speaking, will normally be assumed to have met the language requirements of the UCC. However, in some circumstances, applicants may be required to present evidence of an English language qualification to satisfy the college program entry requirements.