Irish Studies is a broad field of area studies drawing on a range of disciplines to explore holistically the history, culture, politics and society of the island of Ireland and its global relationships.
The modules available reflect the range of Irish Studies expertise across the university and are designed to enable students to undertake research across a wide range of themes in and approaches to Irish Studies, to obtain research methods training in one or more disciplines, and to prepare to write a major dissertation in their chosen field of specialisation.
The aims of the programme are:
• To enable graduates to undertake interdisciplinary postgraduate studies in Irish Studies and gain various benefits:
• An advanced appreciation of the value of interdisciplinarity in Irish Studies.
• An advanced understanding and experience of relevant research methods and skills.
• An advanced appreciation of the value of academic approaches to some issues of historical and cultural debate and of contemporary public concern in Ireland.
• A deepened knowledge of specific themes in Irish Studies reflecting the student’s personal interests and research agenda.
Irish Studies highlights
Student Experience
The MA in Irish Studies at Queen’s provides students with an unrivalled opportunity to examine Ireland in its global contexts. With options from Literature, History, Politics, Anthropology, Irish Language, Archaeology and Sociology. The MA allows students to pursue challenging cross-disciplinary themes such as heritage and identities, language and arts, peace and conflict, reflecting the rich cultural legacy of Ireland across the world. Students will explore the possibilities and opportunities in interdisciplinary work in one of the world’s leading centres of Irish Studies research.
Internationally Renowned Experts
There are more than 70 teaching and research staff in the university who specialise in Irish Studies related subjects and who work closely with the Institute of Irish Studies.
Student Experience
Based in Belfast, we have unrivalled access to the people that were part of the Peace Process in Northern Ireland.
The Institute supports a series of weekly research seminars and a number of annual research events in Irish Studies.
World Class Facilities
Queen’s has outstanding special collections in Irish Studies in the McClay Library.
Student Experience
Queen’s is ranked in the top 170 in the world for graduate prospects (QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2022).
16% of the Queen’s student population are international students (Queen’s Planning Office, 2023).
Queen’s is ranked in the top 75 universities in Europe for Teaching Excellence (Times Higher Education, 2019).
Queen’s ranked 18 in the world for international outlook (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2023).
Queen's is ranked 10th in the UK for graduate prospects (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024).
Student Testimonials
“When I chose to pursue an MA in Irish Studies at QUB, I felt the interdisciplinary focus of the
program would best suit my interests in history, anthropology, politics, and art. I chose to study at the Institute because of its reputation as a leading research centre in the UK. What made the experience most valuable was the incredible support from the staff and faculty at the Institute, who
have helped me throughout my time at Queens. As a part of the Institute of Irish Studies I have developed wonderful relationships with a great cohort of past and present students, lecturers, and research fellows. This supportive and engaging environment is the main reason I returned to QUB and the Institute to undertake a doctoral degree.”
Erin Hinson (Colorado, USA)
MA and PhD Irish Studies
Our Irish Studies courses range from the poetry of Seamus Heaney to the politics of contested parades and language rights in today's Northern Ireland; from the literature of the Medieval sagas and the Gaelic Revival to the controversies around colonialism, the contemporary commemorations of the Easter Rising and the First World War and Ireland's post-Brexit place in the world.
Follow your own interests by selecting your Option Modules from our Irish Studies and Research Methods course lists, including courses from English, History, Anthropology, Politics, Sociology, Irish, Archaeology and Creative Arts.
Detailed Programme Information
For detailed programme information please see the Irish Studies Gateway: https://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/IrishStudiesGateway/
SHAPP Peter Gray is Director of the Institute of Irish Studies. He took his undergraduate and doctoral degrees at the University of Cambridge before holding research fellowships at the Institute of Irish Studies at Queen’s, and at Downing College, Cambridge. He taught Irish and British history at the University of Southampton 1996-2005, before returning to Belfast to take up the position of Professor of Modern Irish History. In 2004 Professor Gray was the Burns Library Visiting Professor in Irish Studies at Boston College, Massachusetts, and was Fredrik and Catherine Eaton Visiting Fellow at the University of New Brunswick in 2015. He was chair of the Royal Irish Academy’s National Committee for Historical Sciences 2007-10 and was Head of the School of History and Anthropology at Queen’s in 2010-15. He is a member and former president of the Ulster Society for Irish Historical Studies. He was elected a Member of the Royal Irish Academy in 2013.
Email: irish.studies@qub.ac.uk webpage: http://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/IrishStudiesGateway/
Teaching Times
Dependant on modules picked
Learning and Teaching
Skills students will learn throughout the MA Programme:
Cognitive Skills
Comprehension of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary issues raised in Irish Studies.
Ability to question and critically examine cultural assumptions.
Ability to analyse and criticise arguments in depth.
Demonstrate skills in reflecting upon and clarifying personal values.
Formulate and test hypotheses and interpretations.
Subject Specific Skills
An understanding of the broad interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary issues as they relate to the study of the identities and cultures of the peoples of Ireland and the Irish Diaspora.
An ability to critically engage with research on a theoretical and methodological basis.
An ability to understand, formulate and address through disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches, historical, social, political and cultural aspects of Ireland and Diaspora.
Transferable Skills
Students of the Institute of Irish Studies go on to pursue careers not only as scholars, but also in a wide range of occupations, including the media, in the heritage sector, public administration and in business.
Queen's postgraduates reap exceptional benefits. Unique initiatives, such as Degree Plus and Researcher Plus bolster our commitment to employability, while innovative leadership and executive programmes alongside sterling integration with business experts helps our students gain key leadership positions both nationally and internationally.
Assessment
Assessment is continuous throughout the course of study.
A combination of written assignments and class participation. Students who have reached a pass in all taught modules will submit a dissertation.
The information below is intended as an example only, featuring module details for the current year of study (2024/25). Modules are reviewed on an annual basis and may be subject to future changes – revised details will be published through Programme Specifications ahead of each academic year.
Belfast: Place, Identity and Memory in a Contested City
Overview
This module introduces students to themes in Irish Studies through an interdisciplinary case study of Belfast. Throughout the module students will be encouraged to consider the ways in which Irish and other identities (municipal, regional, ‘British’, religious, class, gendered etc) have been constructed and contested in the urban environment, in language, literature, political affiliations and social interactions, from the establishment of Belfast as a colonial settlement in the 17th century, to the present day. Students will also be introduced to the ‘Belfast’ approach to Irish Studies as a subject of study dating to the foundation of the Institute in the 1960s, and encouraged to debate its continuing relevance and redefinition.
Outline of classes.
1. Introduction – Belfast’s Irish Studies: definitions and approaches (PG)
2. Belfast – from colonial to revolutionary town, 1613-1800 (Hist – PG/SC)
3. Belfast – industrial giant and cockpit of violence, 1800-1922 (Hist – PG/SC)
4. Belfast – class, gender and religion in a divided city, 1922-1969 (Hist – SOC/OP)
5. Working-class literatures and identities in Belfast: from the Rhyming Weavers to Sam Thompson (English – MPi)
6. Belfast in Contemporary Poetry (English - GMcC)
7. Staging Belfast: Stewart Parker’s drama (Drama - MPh)
8. Languages, place and identity (Irish - MOM)
9. The Politics of Belfast: from the Troubles to Today (Politics - PML)
10. Walls, memorials and murals: the symbolic landscape of Belfast (Anthropology - DB)
11. Parades, Carnivals, and Protests: Ritual and Meaning in Titanic Town (Anthropology – DB)
12. Review and Discussion / Field trip
Learning Outcomes
1. familiarity with the major themes and debates in Belfast’s history, cultural life and social and political development
2. a critical appreciation with the disciplinary and interdisciplinary literature relating to these themes and the ability to engage with this in analysing questions of national, regional, class, gender and other identities evident in Belfast, past and present
3. a critical appreciation of major debates in interdisciplinary Irish Studies, especially those most associated with the Institute of Irish Studies at Queen’s
4. The ability to write an informed and original analysis of the problems discussed in the module, with particular reference to Belfast in preparation for work on the dissertation
Skills
On completion of this module, students should have developed the following skills:
An ability to assess and extract information from relevant sources
An ability to develop and present a sustained argument addressing interdisciplinary themes
An ability to relate larger themes and debates in Irish Studies to the study of the case study of Belfast
An ability to communicate findings both in writing and to an audience
This module explores and analyses the modern political development of the Republic of Ireland. It combines historical, economic, political and social insights to provide a sophisticated understanding of the politics of and political economy of the State. It introduces students to key debates on the Irish economic crisis, its democratic politics, north-south relations, Irish –EU relations and the institutions of state.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will:
• Comprehend arange of perspectives on modern Irish politics, and the points of political competition
• Understand the origins and development of the party system and alternatives to representative methods of democratic change
• Have greater awareness of the role of early 20th century developments on contemporary Irish politics
• Survey Ireland’s development from a European and international perspective
• Understand the dynamic nature of north-south relations from partition to Brexit
• Understand the nature of Irish economic fluctuations since the 1960’s and in particular the consequences for politics of the collapse of the Celtic tiger in the context of international financial crisis.
Skills
To enrich understanding of key debates and themes in modern Irish politics.
Students to undertake and in-depth study of a specific historical area or problem within the field of their Masters programme, as agreed with the History MA co-ordinator and the proposed supervisor.
The module explores Ireland’s international experience, from the past to present, with a focus on three key relationships: that with Britain, with North America and with Europe. Through multi-method research, it explores common themes of empire, colonialism, emigration, diaspora identities, economic development, and culture. It examines the intersection of these themes at key moments in Ireland’s recent past such as the 1990s, when the Celtic Tiger economy, peace process, and global popularity of U2 and Riverdance all demonstrated the importance of the Irish diaspora. It also involves comparative examination of different diaspora experiences: how the Northern Ireland conflict affected the Irish in Britain; how Irish America contributed to that conflict, but also its resolution; and how the experience of female or Protestant migrants from Ireland had been markedly different from that of male and Catholic migrants respectively. The course looks at how Irish foreign policy continues to be shaped by its colonial past, particularly its role in the UN and peace-keeping operations. However, it questions the integrity of Ireland’s claimed neutrality, and considers how the Ukraine conflict fundamentally challenges its stance. The course looks particularly at the shock of Brexit, the ongoing challenges that it creates for both parts of Ireland, but also the possibilities which it creates for their reunification. Similarly, it reflects on how Brexit is reshaping Irish approaches to a changing EU order. In addition, the course reflects on the implications of globalisation and the role of the “New Irish” and other identities in Ireland that are now reshaping its international image. It concludes by considering the challenges of contemporary geopolitics, including climate change cyber security, the Covid pandemic, , and how Joe Biden’s election might be considered the last hurrah for Irish America, whilst a Chinese century unfolds.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students will:
• demonstrate an awareness and understanding of Ireland’s place in the changing international order, from its integration into the British Empire to its embrace of an EU future without the UK;
• appreciate the continued importance of the UK relationship, particularly with respect to Northern Ireland, but also how the EU and the US still provide balancing forces to this relationship;
• be able to compare and contrast the very different experiences of the Irish diaspora, particularly in Britain and North America, and how female and Protestant migrants from Ireland have also had markedly different experiences from that of male and Catholic migrants respectively;
• be able to critically examine different conceptions of “diaspora”, plus related notions of identity such as “hybridity” and “authenticity”;
• understand how Irish foreign policy is shaped by its colonial experience, but is also is idealised in its presentation, and is facing increased challenges;
• identify patterns in the spread of Irish culture, from the “exile” of its greatest writers to the Continent, to the success of its musicians, filmmakers and actors in Britain and the US;
• critically interrogate the global phenomenon of St Patrick’s Day as an economic and cultural “soft power” project, with effective branding by the Irish government and private companies helping it to shut down Fifth Avenue and light the Great Wall of China up in green;
• understand the contemporary challenges of globalisation for Ireland, with the need to integrate “New Irish” ethnic minorities, and continue its economic progress through the dual shocks of Brexit and the coronavirus pandemic;appreciate the ongoing political challenges that Brexit creates for both parts of Ireland, but also the possibilities which it creates for both their economic future and possible reunification;
• understand how international responses to issues like climate change and global tax evasion, and also the rising power of internet and social media-based companies, pose particular challenges for Ireland’s political future;
reflect on the future of global Ireland given power shifts both within and away from the US, political change and continued challenges for the EU, and the need for new international alliances.
Skills
The module will assist in developing students’ skills in a number of important areas. These include:
Intellectual skills
• Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner
• Comparative Analysis: ability to understand commonalities and divergences across the cases and themes examined
• Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments
• Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates across the various disciplinary fields examined
Professional and career development skills
• Interdisciplinarity and multi-method learning: ability to use a variety of intellectual sources, from political speeches to poetry, song lyrics and film criticism, in order to analyse the overlapping themes of the module
• Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing
• Presentational and Advocacy Skills: ability to present your ideas and arguments before a group of peers and respond to questions in a convincing fashion
• Teamwork: ability to work with others in a team, negotiate conflicts and recognise different ways of learning
• Diversity: ability to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment
• Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures and cope with stress
Organizational skills
• Preparatory Skills: always being well prepared for seminars (e.g. completing required reading)
• Time Management: effective use of study time, meeting coursework deadlinesIndependent Research: making good use of the library and the materials available
A Space for Radical Openness? Writing the Margins in Twentieth-Century British and Irish Literature
Overview
In her essay “Choosing the Margin as a space of Radical Openness”, bell hooks argues that the margin is, rather than simply a site of disempowerment, a “space of radical openness … a profound edge”, a “place of resistance … for oppressed, exploited, colonized people”. For her, conventional assumptions that the marginalised require correction or reform risk “co-opt[ing] or undermin[ing]” counter-hegemonic perspectives; the margin ought not to be viewed as a position “to give up or surrender as part of moving into the centre—but rather … a site one stays in, clings to even, because it nourishes one’s capacity to resist”. This module explores a range of marginalised perspectives—those of women, the precariat, immigrants, the working class, criminals, those condemned as ‘immoral’, those marginalised because of their sexuality, ethnicity or skin colour—across a diverse range of drama and fiction depicting twentieth-century British and Irish life.
Learning Outcomes
Students taking this module will increase their knowledge of writing from and representations of marginalised groups in British and Irish society, including those marginalised because of their sexuality, gender, religion, class and race. They will gain a strong understanding of the difficulties facing these groups and the narrative and aesthetic strategies they use to challenge inequality and othering. Those on the course will also gain understandings of more theoretical approaches to these issues and how those perspectives can be applied to the core texts.
Skills
In this module, students will gain a range of subject specific and transferable skills. Students will:
• develop their understanding of intersectionality in literary studies, including how class, race and gender oppression's are represented and challenged by a range of renowned writers
• refine their skills in textual analysis
• enhance their skills in assessing secondary scholarship and popular sources
• develop their ability to engage in independent research projects
• improve their skills in academic writing and argumentation
• hone their skills in group discussion and oral presentation
• develop their knowledge of British and Irish societies and cultures over the course of the twentieth century
Students will be introduced to techniques of calendaring and indexing and will prepare a calendar of a suitable body of previously uncatalogued material in the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland or another archive. Alternatively, students may prepare a finding aid of primary and secondary sources for a previously underresearched topic. Or students may study of the methodology of analysing primary source material relating to periods of Greek and Roman history, including numismatics and the importance of legal sources for social and political history.
Learning Outcomes
To introduce students to the handling of historical documents and to provide training in techniques of indexing, calendaring and listing and the preparation of finding aids.
Substitute the following:
• To give students practical experience of the methodologies involved in creating historical calendars, finding aids or databases that may be useful to researchers and other users of archives or collections.
• Increased familiarity with documents that may be used for dissertation
• Demonstrate an ability to synthesis historical significance of sources examined in written form
• Familiarity with the critical apparatus of annotation, translation (if applicable) and editing of original manuscripts
Skills
Assessment and analysis of historical sources. Abstracting, indexing and record keeping.
Develop skills in the assessment and analysis of sources
Develop skills in abstracting, indexing and record keeping
Develop knowledge of the work of an archivist and editor of historical docouments
Language Revival, Reconciliation and Politics in Northern Ireland
Overview
This multidisciplinary module explores the role of language politics in Northern Ireland both during the Troubles and until the present day. The seminars will be delivered by a multidisciplinary team of experts and will address engagement with the Irish language in both traditionally nationalist and traditionally loyalist communities. Course themes will be explored through analysis of a variety of texts, including documentaries, podcasts, literary writings, autobiographies and language policy documents. The course will also be complimented by two field trips, for example to Turas in the Methodist Mission in East Belfast and Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich on the Falls Road in West Belfast. Provisional week-by-week outline as follows: Week 1: The Irish language in Ulster (historical context & introduction to course themes) (S Aiken) Week 2: The ‘language revolution’ during the Troubles: From prison to ‘urban Gaeltacht’ (S Aiken) Week 3: Irish-medium education: Past, present and future (TBC - Education) Week 4: Irish-language literature of the Troubles (Dr. S Aiken & A. Nic Dhaibhéid) Week 5: Language and reconciliation: Placenames as Shared Heritage (Prof. Mícheál Ó Mainnín) Week 6: Language and reconciliation: Recovering Protestant histories of language engagement & TURAS (Dr. Marcas Mac Coinnigh) Week 7: Language and reconciliation: Féile an Phobail and language as cultural capital (Dr. Michael Pierse) Week 8: Language, politiics and reconciliation: Ulster Scots (TBC - HAPP) Week 9: Towards a Language Act? Political and legal perspectives on language in Northern Ireland (TBC- HAPP) Week 10: Interdisciplinary seminar and course recap
Learning Outcomes
Students who successfully complete this module should be able to: * Understand the politics, cultural dimensions and history of the Irish language in contemporary Northern Ireland * Understand the value of multidisciplinary approaches to Irish Studies * Write reflectively (following field trip) on community language projects in Belfast and the role of such organisations in post-conflict reconciliation * – Critically analyse and evaluate the nature of language politics in the context of the Northern Irish Troubles and in the present
Skills
This module will equip students with the capacity to: – analyse and critique forms of narrative and cultural expression conveyed in various texts, including documentaries, podcasts, and literary writings – articulate points of view through informal discussion – plan their own study and learn independently – manage their time effectively – develop comprehension of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary issues, particularly as related to the question of language politics – analyse and criticise arguments in depth – demonstrate skills in reflecting upon and clarifying personal values – formulate and test hypotheses and interpretations
Kingship and Colonisation in Medieval Ireland: Interdisciplinary Perspectives
Overview
This is an interdisciplinary Irish Studies module introducing students to the study of kingship and colonisation in Medieval Ireland through the perspectives and methodologies of History, Archaeology and Literature. The module will encourage students to consider how each of the disciplines contributes to the generation of knowledge and scholarly debate about Irish kingship and colonisation on the island, and how each disciplinary approach can enhance a holistic approach to the past. The teaching weeks will be divided between the three disciplines.
The course will focus on the period between 700-1350 and so trace important changes in Irish kingship over time and in response to the incursions of the Vikings and later the Anglo-Normans.
Using historical materials and approaches, students will examine the innovations of Irish kings in the military, ecclesiastical and administrative spheres and the increasing power of several dynasties of provincial kings following the rise of Brian Boru. The impact on Irish kingship of the Viking presence in Ireland and particularly Hiberno-Norse port towns like Dublin will be considered as will the impact of the wider reaching programme of colonisation and urbanisation by the Anglo-Normans in the later 12th century.
Students will be introduced to the literature of medieval Ireland as well as theoretical concepts and methodological approaches for analysing this material. Using these approaches they will discuss what these sources can tell us about the ideological underpinnings of Irish kingship. These sources will also be used to discuss the Irish understanding of colonisation and how Irish learned elites made sense of the island’s history.
Landscapes of kingship and specific royal sites – including royal residences, defensive structures and ceremonial sites like those used for inaugurations – will be discussed and students will be encouraged to think about the ways in which Irish kings modified and used the landscape to preserve, extend and project their power.
This module will be available as an option to students on MA Irish Studies, MA History and the Arts and Humanities MRes (AEL) programme.
Learning Outcomes
1. familiarity with the major themes and debates about kingship and colonisation in medieval Ireland
2. a critical appreciation of the disciplinary and interdisciplinary literature relating to these themes
3. an understanding of how the different disciplines in the module approach Ireland’s medieval past using different kinds of evidence and approaches
4. The ability to write an informed analysis of the problems discussed in the module
Skills
On completion of this module, students should have developed the following skills:
An ability to assess and extract information from relevant sources
An ability to develop and present a sustained argument addressing interdisciplinary themes
An ability to relate larger themes and debates in Irish Studies to the case study of kingship and colonisation in medieval Ireland
An ability to effectively organise and communicate findings using written formats
This is a Special Topic module offered by a visiting Fulbright Distinguished Scholar. The contents of the module, which will change on an annual basis, depending on the academic area of expertise of the Visiting Scholar, will examine an aspect of modern Irish literature. The specific module content will be announced as early as possible each academic year. Students who sign up for this module will, as normal, have the right to switch to another module if the content does not suit their academic plans.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students will achieve a detailed and complex understanding of an aspect of modern Irish Literature in English. Students will also acquire the ability to analyse a range of Irish literary texts, and further their understanding of appropriate historical and cultural contexts and particular critical approaches. Students will also be able to identify and analyse significant aspects of Irish literary texts and will have developed their skills in written and spoken argument with ability to draw on appropriate primary and secondary evidence.
Skills
Students will acquire and / or develop the skills of:
• close critical reading of primary material;
• the synthesis and weighing of different, sometimes competing, interpretations of literary texts;
• contextualisation of primary texts in relation to a range of historical and cultural narratives.
The Belfast/Good Friday Agreement put an end to armed conflict in Northern Ireland and set up institutions designed to govern a society and polity divided along unionist and nationalist lines. As the experience of Northern Ireland shows, governing in such a context is not easy. Stability and cross-community agreement can be hard to reach, which has occasionally led to the suspension of Northern Ireland’s institutions. Yet these institutions have endured despite repeated crises and are heralded by some as examples of post-conflict governance.
The module explores contemporary developments in Northern Irish politics and discusses institutional design and politics in a changing Northern Ireland. It addresses topics such as the development of Northern Ireland’s consociational model of government, how institutions like the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive perform their functions, how parties and identity shape politics and voting behaviour, North-South relations after Brexit, and Northern Ireland’s place in Europe.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this module, students
- Should be able to understand how Northern Ireland institutions work and how they compare to other devolved institutions
- Should demonstrate a critical understanding of the debates about consociationalism and the role it plays in the stability of Northern Ireland’s institutions and of its community divisions
- Should understand party competition and voting in Northern Ireland
- Should demonstrate an ability to write well, concisely
Skills
This module will assist in developing students’ skills in a number of important areas. These include:
Intellectual skills
• Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner
• Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments
• Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field
Professional and career development skills
• Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing
• Teamwork: ability to work with others in a team, negotiate conflicts and recognize different ways of learning
• Diversity: ability to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment
• Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon one’s own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development
• Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance
Technical and practical skills
• Information Technology: demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT
Organizational skills
• Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines
• Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information
• Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way
• Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments in innovative ways
Lectures presented in Conference format Seminar theme
1 Introduction to theory
2 Class Why use theory?
3 Culture Class
4 Gender Culture
5 Race and ethnicity Gender
6 Social history Race and ethnicity
7 Reading week
8 Urban/environmental history Social history
9 Political history Urban/environmental history
10 Preparation for group presentations Political history
11 Assessed student group presentations
Learning Outcomes
Students should acquire knowledge and understanding of key historical theories and theorists and will be able to apply these to written and oral work
Skills
Academic writing
Oral presentations
Group work
Critical thinking
This module focuses on the key qualitative and quantitative techniques used by anthropologists in their field research, including participant observation, interviewing, the use of archives and written information, the production of genealogies, the collection and analysis of numerical data, etc. Students will learn about the place of these methods in the history of the discipline, and about the key debates surrounding the relationship between the anthropologist and his or her informants in the field; through a series of practicals, the students will learn how to use these qualitative and quantitative methods themselves. Two of these exercises will be formally assessed.
Learning Outcomes
The module has two objectives: to teach students how to use the main methods of anthropological field research and to make them aware of the place such methods occupy in the discipline and its history.
Skills
Skills in literacy, the organisation of arguments, effective presentation of written work.
The module will evaluate the changing nature of intervention, from unilateral forceful intervention to multi-lateral intervention, to humanitarian intervention, and third party mediation. Focusing on state, intergovernmental and non-governmental actors’ interventions, it will look at various conflict intervention practices in all phases of conflict from conflict prevention to post-conflict peacebuilding.
Learning Outcomes
To acquire an overview, both historical and substantive, of various approaches to analysis of conflicts and of conflict transformation. The content will deal with different theories of conflict origins, conflict process, and conflict transformation, as well as examining the practices of different state and non-state actors after conflicts.
Skills
Emphasis will be placed on the development of analytic skills for identifying different types of conflict and alternative modes of intervention. Special attention will be given to questions of language, moral justification and power.
This module will explore the development of anthropological approaches to conflict, examining what social and cultural anthropologists have added to our knowledge of conflict. It will particularly examine issues of group identity and cohesion in relations to conflict. Examining theories of ethnicity and nationalism it will examine power and hegemony of the state. In relation to this there will be a focus upon aspects of remembering and social memory, on the use of rituals and symbols and of the way acts of violence are legitimised or delegitimised. The course will look at examples from Irish case studies but work on a comparative basis.
Learning Outcomes
This module will introduce students to the history and the key theoretical debates within the field of ethnomusicology. On completion of this module students will have:
* to develop a broad understanding of theories of group conflict
* to develop a broad understanding of mechanisms of group cohesion and conflict
* to explore the use of the concepts of identity, ethnicity, culture, community, border, symbol, ritual and tradition.
* to apply theories of identity politics to understanding nationalism and ethnicity
* to examine the legitimacy of violence and critically explore the notion of ‘terrorism’.
* To examine lessons from the Irish/British context and compare.
* to increase competency in research and the writing of academic papers
Skills
The course is designed to develop both subject-specific and transferable skills. These include:
* Advanced skills in understanding, evaluating and expressing anthropological arguments, especially concerning the relationship between theory and ethnography;
* Enhanced skills in group work (through seminars), in note taking, in presentation and in written argument;
* Library research skills;
* Critical reading;
* Advanced writing and oral presentation skills.
This module, will introduce postgraduate students to key themes in modern Irish history based on the current research interests of staff. These will vary according to the availability of staff but will include such themes as religion; culture and politics; migration; women and gender. Within each of these broad themes, students will examine major issues and developments over an extended period, engage with key historiographical debates and become familiar with the relevant source material. The small number of broad themes, which will be taught over successive weeks, will allow staff whose expertise lies in different periods to work together in exploring a particular theme; to showcase areas of current research strength; and facilitate a greater emphasis on approaches to history and historiographical developments.
Learning Outcomes
1. A broad understanding of major themes and debates in modern Irish history.
2. A critical appreciation of the secondary literature and historiographical debates relating to these themes.
3. A critical appreciation of the value of primary sources documents and the different ways they are used by historians.
4. The ability to write an informed and original analysis of the historical themes studied in the module.
5. An understanding of methodologies and approaches to Irish history, and how these have developed over time.
Skills
On completion of this module, students should have acquired the following skills:
An ability to assess information from primary and secondary sources
An ability to assess, develop and present a thesis
An ability to respond to the oral contribution of others in an informed and constructive manner.
The module will examine key figures and movements in Irish poetry through the twentieth and into the twenty-first century. It will begin with the study of Yeats, and assess the different ways in which Yeatsian influence pervades the century. Reactions against the Revival, in the work of modernists such as Devlin and MacGreevy will be considered, as well as the work of Kavanagh and MacNeice from the 1930s through to the 1960s. In the post-1969 period, particular attention will be paid to poetry from the North of Ireland, and the emergence of a generation of writers – Heaney, Longley, Mahon, Muldoon, McGuckian in the years of the Northern Irish ‘Troubles’. Recent poetry from Ireland, and the work of a younger generation – Morrissey, Flynn, Quinn, Wheatley and others – will provide an opportunity to assess the landscape of present-day Irish poetry.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the module, students will have: the ability to situate Irish poetry in its complex historical and political contexts; an understanding of the debates surrounding the politics of form in Irish poetry from Yeats to the present day; a refined and heightened grasp of the forms and themes of poetry; an awareness of the workings of literary influence in the Irish tradition; an understanding of the critical debates surrounding the reception of Irish poetry.
Skills
The following skills will be developed and enhanced through the module: the ability to analyse the nuances of poetic form through close reading of individual poems; the ability to relate poetry to its historical, social and political context; the ability to trace and analyse literary influences; the ability to assess and intervene in critical debate about Irish poetry.
The concepts that are at the heart of this core module (violence, terrorism, and security) can each have different meanings across time and at various political levels. The module provides a rigorous analysis of these terms, focusing particularly on the contested concepts of terrorism and security. It also examines state and international responses to the threats that contemporary violence poses both within states and internationally. Case studies are employed to illustrate the conceptual analysis. The varieties of motivation for terrorism, including nationalism, religion and the pursuit as well as defence of political power are critically examined.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will (a) Have acquired an understanding of the basic concepts of violence, terrorism and security (b) Have a detailed knowledge of a variety of manifestations of violence and terrorism and (c) Be able to critically discuss different responses to terrorism, situated on a spectrum from domestic to international measures.
Skills
During the course of the module students will be provided opportunities to engage in critical reasoning, identify and solve problems, analyse and interpret data and demonstrate independence of thought. To this end students will have to identify and process information from a range of sources, conduct two shorter pieces of independent research and show that they are able to appropriately structure and communicate their ideas in both written and oral form. In addition, students should be able to manage their time effectively, and critically assess the work of others.
This module aims to introduce key approaches to research design, while also introducing some of the contemporary debates in research in the social sciences and humanities. It will also provide students with an introduction to some of the key practical research skills they will find of use when designing and conducting their academic research. These skills are also those which students will find necessary as they continue their academic and research career.
Students will have a high degree of choice across workshops, enabling them to tailor the module content to their pathway of student and personal research goals. The workshops will address five key areas: Fundamentals of Research; Debates; Philosophy of Science/Epistemology; Qualitative Methods; and Quantitative Methods.
The broad aims of the module are to:
• Introduce students to the diversity of research approaches and debates;
• Heighten awareness of methodological issues facing researchers in the social sciences and humanities;
• Develop an awareness of interdisciplinarity and its potentials and challenges in research;
• Encourage students to develop their research skills through the selective use of this reading guide and their own search for appropriate literature on research design topics that are of interest to them.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will have:
• obtained a clear understanding of some central issues and methodological debates that are basic to social science and humanities research;
• been introduced to interdisciplinarity in research, and developed an understanding of how it relates to their own work;
• communicated this understanding in an analytically rigorous manner through assessed written work;
• demonstrated the kind of methodological awareness that will allow them to pursue their own research or coursework in an analytically rigorous and self-critical manner.
• been equipped with the intellectual capacity to defend a particular approach to their own research;
• started to make preparations for a research dissertation.
Skills
Intellectual skills
• Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner
• Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments
• Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field
Professional and career development skills
• Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing
• Diversity: ability to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment
• Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon ones own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development
• Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance
Technical and practical skills
• Information Technology: demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT
Organizational skills
• Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines
• Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information
• Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way
• Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments in innovative ways
The module will examine the purpose of historical research and writing, the main genres of historical writing, techniques of bibliographical research, footnoting, the handling of quantitative and non-quantitative evidence, and practical writing skills. An ancient history strand will include study of specialised methodologies relating to ancient writers and epigraphy.
Learning Outcomes
Students provide an understanding of the purpose, nature and specific techniques of historical research and writing.
Demonstrate an ability to locate relevant primary sources from a range of archives, both physical and virtual
- Development of the student’s understanding of the various methodologies used by professional historians
- Development of a deeper awareness of the value of inter-disciplinary study
- Demonstrate an ability to communicate to various audiences
Bibliographical research; handling of evidence, writing and referencing techniques.
An ability to communicate historical research to an academic and a non-specialist readership
An ability to apply a critical apparatus to a dissertation on a historical topic (bibliographical research; handling of evidence; writing and referencing techniques)
An ability to synthesise the aim and purpose of an academic seminar or workshop
An ability to reflect on personal development through attendance at seminars and workshops Improved verbal and oral skills
This module offers an introduction to quantitative and qualitative research methods and is designed for students with some basic knowledge but who seek further grounding. It is designed as preparation for undertaking postgraduate research and dissertation work. It also acts as preparation for the advanced quantitative and qualitative courses (SOC9060 and SOC9061).
Learning Outcomes
Students will acquire knowledge of how to develop research problems and of the principles of research design. They will have developed a critical awareness of alternative approaches to research. They will be able to comprehend and negotiate the ethical issues involved in research, including the uses of research and the social and political contexts of research. Students will develop a capacity to apply qualitative and quantitative methods to research problems and will understand the relationship between epistemological positions, theory and research design.
Skills
Skills acquired include: Ability to formulate testable hypotheses, research problems and questions. Knowledge of research resources including qualitative data sources, documentary data, statistical sources, textual and visual archives. Knowledge of how research data is collected.
The modern era is distinguished by the emergence of divergent interpretations of the nature of freedom, individual, social, and political. This course is devoted to exploring the nature of these different conceptions and the theories of freedom associated with them. Benjamin Constant famously contrasted the liberties of the ancients, i.e. collective political freedoms, with the liberties of the moderns, i.e. individual freedoms. Berlin’s canonical contrast between negative and positive liberty, while partly inspired by Constant, approaches the analysis of freedom in a different way, foregrounding the contrast between ‘freedom from’ and ‘freedom to’. Recent work on freedom, however, challenges these accounts by reviving an older, republican, conception of freedom as freedom from domination. Where libertarian theories typically consider the state to be the primary threat to freedom, the non-domination account understands the state to be a potential bulwark against domination by other social actors. In this way, its concerns overlap with those of the critical theorists who are similarly concerned with obstacles to freedom in social relations more generally, reflected in theories of alienation and disciplinary power. This course will combine analytical and genealogical approaches to the problem understating the complexity of freedom in the modern world. Topics will vary from year to year but may include: liberal and libertarian conceptions of individual freedom, the relation between individual and political freedom, populist and constitutionalist conceptions of collective freedom; freedom as non-domination and the problem of structural domination; dimensions and theories of autonomy: moral, social, and political; alienation and disciplinary power.
Learning Outcomes
1. Students will be familiar with the standard theoretical analyses of the nature of freedom, i.e. negative liberty, autonomy and non-domination. 2. Students will be familiar with the historical development of different currents of thought about freedom in the modern era. 3. Students will be familiar with debates about interpersonal and structural accounts of domination, alienation and oppression. 4. Students will be familiar with debates about the different dimensions of freedom: personal, social, and political and their relations to one another.
Skills
Intellectual skills * Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner. * Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments. * Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field. Professional and career development skills * Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing. * Teamwork: ability to work with others in a team, negotiate conflicts and recognize different ways of learning. * Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon one’s own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development. * Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance. Organizational skills * Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines. * Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information. * Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way. * Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments in innovative ways.
The module will study a core set of influential analytical perspectives through readings that demonstrate both continuities and shifts in anthropological enquiry. Topics covered include: anthropological and local perspectives; philosophical approaches in anthropology; new insights from studies of the self, narrative and the emotions; visual anthropology and ethnographic knowledge as part of the debate of ‘ways of seeing’; perspectives on environmentalism, materiality, affectivity, memory and subjectivity; cosmopolitanism as a political and moral condition.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module students will:
- be familiar with advanced understandings of anthropological perspectives
- become acquainted with recent writings in a variety of anthropological topics
- gain experience in debating intricate questions in a critical fashion at an advanced level
- have produced a critical essay involving critical understanding of texts and the development of an original argument
- be prepared for the main specialist areas available in Anthropological Studies at MA level
Skills
Skills in literacy, the organisation of arguments, critical reflection, effective oral and written presentation, independent research and writing of research essay.
This module introduces students to the advanced methods and skills required in postgraduate studies of literature. It is taught through a course of lectures and/or workshops which will address key research questions and paradigms in literary studies, including manuscript and print traditions, textual criticism, methodologies and evidence in literary scholarship. Students will apply these methods and debates to particular case studies within literature.
Learning Outcomes
On completing the module, students will be able to demonstrate a clear grasp of key issues in literary studies including the theory and practical implications of literary editing, literary terminology and the history of the book. They will be able to retrieve information about resources, methods and skills necessary to their chosen specialised field of postgraduate studies in English and identify their own needs in terms of the pursuit of advance literary research.
Skills
This module will develop skills in:
Written and oral communication and presentation
Advanced application of theories and methodologies
Students will also develop skills which will be important for further research, including tracing source material through internet retrieval.
Normally a strong 2.2 Honours degree (with minimum of 55%) in a relevant subject with evidence of study of Ireland, or equivalent qualification acceptable to the University.
Applicants who hold a 2.2 Honours degree below 55% in a relevant subject with evidence of study of Ireland (or equivalent qualification acceptable to the University), who can also demonstrate relevant professional experience will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Applicants may be required to submit a piece of written work in support of their application.
Applicants are advised to apply as early as possible and ideally no later than 15th August 2025 for courses which commence in late September. In the event that any programme receives a high number of applications, the University reserves the right to close the application portal prior to the deadline stated on course finder. Notifications to this effect will appear on the application portal against the programme application page.
International Students
Our country/region pages include information on entry requirements, tuition fees, scholarships, student profiles, upcoming events and contacts for your country/region. Use the dropdown list below for specific information for your country/region.
English Language Requirements
Evidence of an IELTS* score of 6.5, with not less than 5.5 in any component, or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University is required (*taken within the last 2 years).
International students wishing to apply to Queen's University Belfast (and for whom English is not their first language), must be able to demonstrate their proficiency in English in order to benefit fully from their course of study or research. Non-EEA nationals must also satisfy UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) immigration requirements for English language for visa purposes.
If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this degree programme, INTO Queen's University Belfast offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for admission to this degree.
Academic English: an intensive English language and study skills course for successful university study at degree level
Pre-sessional English: a short intensive academic English course for students starting a degree programme at Queen's University Belfast and who need to improve their English.
Students of the Institute of Irish Studies go on to pursue careers not only as scholars, but also in a wide range of occupations, including the media, in the heritage sector, public administration and in business.
Queen's postgraduates reap exceptional benefits. Unique initiatives, such as Degree Plus and Researcher Plus bolster our commitment to employability, while innovative leadership and executive programmes alongside sterling integration with business experts helps our students gain key leadership positions both nationally and internationally. http://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/sgc/careers/
Professional Opportunities
Our students have found employment in the media, in the heritage sector and tourism, in business and in university administration, particularly in study abroad services.
Prizes and Awards
International Scholarships
Information on scholarships for international students, is available at http://www.qub.ac.uk/International/International-students/International-scholarships/.
The MA Irish Studies has an annual Mary McNeill Scholarship for applicants from North America, worth £3000. For details, see https://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/IrishStudiesGateway/Study/
Graduate Plus/Future Ready Award for extra-curricular skills
In addition to your degree programme, at Queen's you can have the opportunity to gain wider life, academic and employability skills. For example, placements, voluntary work, clubs, societies, sports and lots more. So not only do you graduate with a degree recognised from a world leading university, you'll have practical national and international experience plus a wider exposure to life overall. We call this Graduate Plus/Future Ready Award. It's what makes studying at Queen's University Belfast special.
1EU citizens in the EU Settlement Scheme, with settled status, will be charged the NI or GB tuition fee based on where they are ordinarily resident. Students who are ROI nationals resident in GB will be charged the GB fee.
2 EU students who are ROI nationals resident in ROI are eligible for NI tuition fees.
3 EU Other students (excludes Republic of Ireland nationals living in GB, NI or ROI) are charged tuition fees in line with international fees.
All tuition fees quoted relate to a single year of study unless stated otherwise. Tuition fees will be subject to an annual inflationary increase, unless explicitly stated otherwise.
There are no specific additional course costs associated with this programme.
All Students
Depending on the programme of study, there may be extra costs which are not covered by tuition fees, which students will need to consider when planning their studies.
Students can borrow books and access online learning resources from any Queen's library. If students wish to purchase recommended texts, rather than borrow them from the University Library, prices per text can range from £30 to £100. Students should also budget between £30 to £75 per year for photocopying, memory sticks and printing charges.
Students undertaking a period of work placement or study abroad, as either a compulsory or optional part of their programme, should be aware that they will have to fund additional travel and living costs.
If a programme includes a major project or dissertation, there may be costs associated with transport, accommodation and/or materials. The amount will depend on the project chosen. There may also be additional costs for printing and binding.
Students may wish to consider purchasing an electronic device; costs will vary depending on the specification of the model chosen.
There are also additional charges for graduation ceremonies, examination resits and library fines.
How do I fund my study?
The Department for the Economy will provide a tuition fee loan of up to £6,500 per NI / EU student for postgraduate study. Tuition fee loan information.
A postgraduate loans system in the UK offers government-backed student loans of up to £11,836 for taught and research Masters courses in all subject areas (excluding Initial Teacher Education/PGCE, where undergraduate student finance is available). Criteria, eligibility, repayment and application information are available on the UK government website.