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English (MA) [full-time/part-time]

MA (English) [full-time/part-time]

Please note that the applications for English (MA) will be closing on 10th May 2025.

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Course Overview

Watch course video presentation here.

The MA in English is ideal for students who wish to build on the foundations of their undergraduate degrees by pursuing more advanced studies in English at postgraduate level, yet who also wish to retain the intellectual breadth of addressing a variety of literature, past and present. This MA offers an intensive specialist training in the study of literary texts and theories, and students explore sources as diverse as vellum manuscripts, serialised novels, contemporary bestsellers, digital texts or films.

The MA in English has two main strands: the taught classes (from a wide selection of modules) and the independent research project (the dissertation). This two-fold dimension enables students to develop their knowledge and skill with the guidance of lecturers in the taught coursework and to develop a substantial autonomous research and writing project.

English at NUI Galway has a number of particular research strengths in areas such as Medieval and Early Modern Studies, Nineteenth-Century Literature, Book History, Theatre History, and Colonialism and Travel Writing. The MA in English allows students to take advantage of these and other areas while also pursuing their own topics of individual interest.


Applications and Selections

Applications are made online via the University of Galway Postgraduate Applications System. 

IELTS score of 7.0 or equivalent at least is expected, if applicable.

Who Teaches this Course

Dr. Elizabeth Tilley

M.A., Ph.D.
Tower 1
3rd Floor
Discipline of English
T: Ext. 2581
E: Elizabeth.Tilley@nuigalway.ie
researcher
Dr Fiona Bateman
Ph.D
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researcher
Dr Dermot Burns
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researcher
Prof Daniel Carey
BA, D.PHIL
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researcher
Dr Clíodhna Carney
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researcher
Prof Marie-Louise Coolahan
Personal Professor
Dept. of English
Tower 1 Arts Science Building
University of Galway
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researcher
Prof Patrick Lonergan
BA., MA., PhD.,
Professor of Drama and Theatre Studies
E: patrick.lonergan@universityofgalway.ie
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researcher
Dr John Kenny
BA, Phd
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researcher
Dr Adrian Paterson
B.A., M.Phil, M.St.,D.Phil.
Lecturer Above The Bar
English
Room 502 Tower 1
Arts/Science Building
University of Galway
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researcher
Dr Muireann O'Cinneide
B.A.,M.Phil.,D.Phil.,PGDip
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researcher
Dr Andrew Ó Baoill
B.Sc., MA., PhD
Lecturer Below The Bar
Discipline of English
School of English and Creative A
NUI Galway
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researcher
Dr Charlotte McIvor
BA, PhD.
Senior Lecturer
Drama & Theatre Studies
O'Donoghue Centre
Drama Theatre and Performance
University of Galway
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researcher
Dr Frances McCormack
PHD, MA, BA
Lecturer Above The Bar
College of Arts Social Sciences
Tower 1 Arts Science Building
University of Galway
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researcher
Dr Lindsay Reid
BA, MA, PhD
Senior Lecturer
English
College of Arts Social Science
and Celtic Studies
University of Galway
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researcher
Dr Irina Ruppo
BA, MPhil, PhD
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researcher
Prof Sean Ryder
M.A.,Ph.D
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researcher
Dr Justin Tonra
B.A.,M.A.,Ph.D
Academic Integrity Officer
CELT
University of Galway
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Requirements and Assessment

Key Facts

Entry Requirements

BA in an Arts, Humanities or Social Sciences discipline with a minimum result of H2.2 overall, with a H2.1 in English, or an equivalent international qualification (e.g., BA with minimum GPA of 3.0 for North American applicants). IELTS score of 7.0 or equivalent if applicable.

(Please visit this website for detail of any supporting documents that may be required when applying to this course.)

Additional Requirements

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Candidates who do not meet the minimum entry criteria are encouraged to contact the programme director to discuss eligibility under the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) process. Such candidates may be interviewed to ascertain their suitability for the programme.


Further information is available from the Programme Director and on the University’s Recognition of Prior Learning website.

Duration

1 year full-time | 2 years part-time

Next start date

September 2025

A Level Grades ()

Average intake

15

QQI/FET FETAC Entry Routes

Closing Date

Please view Review Dates.

NFQ level

Mode of study

ECTS weighting

90

Award

MA

CAO

Course code

MA-ENG

Course Outline

Students take one core taught module (Writing and Research). In this module students study some indispensable works of literary theory and criticism, develop their critical thinking and refine their skills in writing, research methods and the use of libraries and other scholarly resources. Students learn how to design, revise and carry out a credible dissertation plan. Students choose a further five elective taught modules from a wide range of options in the areas of literature (e.g., Shakespeare, Old and Middle English, American literature, Dickens, travel literature), literary theory (e.g., narratology) and cultural and social theory as well as in the cognate areas of film studies, drama, Irish studies, digital humanities and journalism (e.g., textual studies, book history, colonialism, film theory, Beckett, Wilde, digital film, Irish modernity). The coursework takes place during term, and work on the dissertation spans the second semester for full-time students, or fourth semester for part-time students, and the summer after coursework has been concluded. The dissertation is 15,000 words long and is submitted in early August.

Modules potentially on offer each year include ones on Book History, Literature & Colonialism, Introduction to Digital Humanities, Cinema & Politics, Textual Studies, Medieval Aesthetics and Poetic Art, Thinking About Theatre, Young Ireland to the Free State: Writing in English 1849–1922, Critical Approaches, Representations of the Book in Literature and Film, Early Modern Print and Manuscript Cultures, Approaches to Culture & Colonialism, Travel Literature, Aspects of Old and Middle English Literature, Irish Drama and Theatre, The Nineteenth-Century Century Literary Marketplace, Nineteenth Century Periodicals and Serial Fiction, and Literature of North America, among others.

Module details for full-time course

Module details for part-time course

Curriculum Information

Curriculum information relates to the current academic year (in most cases).
Course and module offerings and details may be subject to change.

Glossary of Terms

Credits
You must earn a defined number of credits (aka ECTS) to complete each year of your course. You do this by taking all of its required modules as well as the correct number of optional modules to obtain that year's total number of credits.
Module
An examinable portion of a subject or course, for which you attend lectures and/or tutorials and carry out assignments. E.g. Algebra and Calculus could be modules within the subject Mathematics. Each module has a unique module code eg. MA140.
Optional
A module you may choose to study.
Required
A module that you must study if you choose this course (or subject).
Semester
Most courses have 2 semesters (aka terms) per year.

Year 1 (90 Credits)

RequiredEN529: Dissertation


15 months long | Credits: 30

Learning Outcomes
  1. To be confirmed
Assessments
  • Research (100%)
Teachers & Administrators

Click a name to search for their researcher profile. Note: Only teachers publish research profiles.

The above information outlines module EN529: "Dissertation" and is valid from 2018 onwards.
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.

RequiredEN6116: Writing and Research


Semester 1 and Semester 2 | Credits: 10

This module will run over the academic year (in both semesters) and will enable students on the MA in English to make the transition from undergraduate-level scholarship to a postgraduate expertise in research and writing.
(Language of instruction: English)

Learning Outcomes
  1. Make efficient use of libraries, electronic resources, special collections and archives to find, evaluate, and classify sources for the purposes of their research project.
  2. Be capable users of an efficient note-taking system.
  3. Write bibliographies and use a reference system in their writing successfully and with ease.
  4. Produce a feasible research proposal and plan a substantial research project.
Assessments
  • Continuous Assessment (100%)
Teachers & Administrators

Click a name to search for their researcher profile. Note: Only teachers publish research profiles.

The above information outlines module EN6116: "Writing and Research " and is valid from 2020 onwards.
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.

OptionalEN601: Writing Workshop: Poetry


Semester 1 | Credits: 10

The primary aim of this workshop is the generation of new work in poetry by students. This will be the result of readings in poetry in a wide variety of forms from various traditions, weekly exercises and projects.
(Language of instruction: English)

Learning Outcomes
  1. To be confirmed
Assessments
  • Continuous Assessment (100%)
Teachers & Administrators

Click a name to search for their researcher profile. Note: Only teachers publish research profiles.

The above information outlines module EN601: "Writing Workshop: Poetry" and is valid from 2015 onwards.
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.

OptionalFR6101: Language, Gender and Power


Semester 1 | Credits: 10

Over the last number of decades, there has been a strong interest in the relationship between language, gender and power both as an academic and a popular topic. This module provides students firstly with an understanding of how language as a social entity intersects with gender and sexuality, and subsequently how power can be disseminated through language. It addresses the use of language to categorise the gender/ sexuality world and to create and display gender/sexual identities. It includes discussions on the constructions and representations of femininity/masculinity, non-binary gender identities, sexual violence, sexual harassment and motherhood/ fatherhood in a range of discourse types. Students explore a selection of texts and examples from a variety of sources including print media, advertising, health promotion and internet media and are introduced to key theoretical frameworks for the analysis of language, gender and power including traditional sociolinguistic approaches, discourse analysis, critical discourse analysis and corpus linguistics.
(Language of instruction: English)

Learning Outcomes
  1. Think critically about the relationship between language, gender and sexuality
  2. Reflect on how power relations can be disseminated through language
  3. Apply the different theoretical and methodological frameworks used for the analysis of language, gender and power in a range of different contexts
  4. Engage in the process of investigation of language, gender and power related issues through their own selection and analysis of texts
Assessments
  • Department-based Assessment (100%)
Teachers & Administrators

Click a name to search for their researcher profile. Note: Only teachers publish research profiles.

Reading List
  1. "Language and Gender" by Penelope Eckert,Sally McConnell-Ginet
    ISBN: 9781107029057.
    Publisher: Cambridge University Press
  2. "Language, Society and Power" by Annabelle Mooney,Betsy Evans
    ISBN: 9780415786249.
    Publisher: Routledge
  3. "Language and Gender" by Mary Talbot
    ISBN: 9781509530090.
    Publisher: Polity
  4. "Researching Language, Gender and Sexuality" by Helen Sauntson
    ISBN: 9781138637368.
    Publisher: Routledge
The above information outlines module FR6101: "Language, Gender and Power" and is valid from 2021 onwards.
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.

OptionalEN527: Literature Of North America


Semester 1 | Credits: 10

This course examines current trends in contemporary North American writing of the past ten years within a cultural and theoretical context .
(Language of instruction: English)

Learning Outcomes
  1. identify the themes and concerns in contemporary North American literature
  2. discuss how North American novelists engage with historical events and their own lived experience to provide a critique of their society, with reference to issues such as gender, race, and class.
  3. relate these contemporary novels to the tradition of writing from which they came and consider them in the historical context of the American novel.
  4. present close readings of the novels and describe them in terms of writing style, narrative voice, genre, use of language, and intertextuality.
Assessments
  • Continuous Assessment (100%)
Teachers & Administrators

Click a name to search for their researcher profile. Note: Only teachers publish research profiles.

Reading List
  1. "The Sellout" by Paul Beatty
  2. "The Things they Carried" by Tim O'Brien
  3. "The Virgin Suicides" by Jeffrey Eugenides
  4. "The Ice Storm" by Rick Moody
  5. "The Submission" by Amy Waldman
  6. "My Year of Meats" by Ruth Ozeki
  7. "Station Eleven" by Emily St John Mandel
  8. "A Complicated Kindness" by Miriam Toews
  9. "Winter's Bone" by Daniel Woodrell
The above information outlines module EN527: "Literature Of North America" and is valid from 2022 onwards.
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.

OptionalFM6101: Ireland on Screen


Semester 1 | Credits: 10

This module provides students with an overview of Irish cinema from the early twentieth century to the present. It includes an analysis of the major films produced and the discourses concerning cinema in Ireland over the past one hundred years. Among the questions the module examines are: what are the major traditions of representing Ireland in cinema? How have indigenous filmmakers responded to these representations? What are the distinctive characteristics of contemporary Irish film culture?
(Language of instruction: English)

Learning Outcomes
  1. Comprehend the major issues and debates surrounding ‘national cinema’.
  2. Recognise patterns in the representation of Ireland in international cinema.
  3. Recall the major developments in the history of cinema in Ireland and examine key texts.
  4. Analyse the major themes apparent in contemporary Irish cinema.
  5. Evaluate the challenges and advantages of film-making in Ireland today.
Assessments
  • Department-based Assessment (100%)
Teachers & Administrators

Click a name to search for their researcher profile. Note: Only teachers publish research profiles.

Reading List
  1. "Irish national cinema" by Ruth Barton
    Publisher: Routledge
  2. "Contemporary Irish Film: New Perspectives on a National Cinema." by Werner Huber & Sean Crosson
    Publisher: Braumüller
The above information outlines module FM6101: "Ireland on Screen" and is valid from 2016 onwards.
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.

OptionalEN672: Environmental Literature: Nature and Narration


Semester 1 | Credits: 10

This module examines how literary texts, with their emphasis on storytelling, narrative, and style, help shape and communicate environmental awareness to global audiences. Drawing from the expanding field of ecocriticism, which has gained prominence in literary criticism since the early 1990s, the course will explore the historical significance of global ecological concerns and their influence on literature. It will focus on works that incorporate the natural environment as a fundamental element of textuality, while addressing emerging conceptual resources that offer new ways to re-think the field. The course adopts a key-word approach, examining concepts such as the Anthropocene and Technoscene, Petroculture and Energy Humanities, Blue Humanities and Hydrofiction, Waste/Trash Culture, Transcorporeality, Multinaturalism and indigenous ecologies, Extinction and Animalism, as well as activism and ecological hope. The module will explore how language and narrative style function in the literary representation of the ongoing planetary crisis.
(Language of instruction: English)

Learning Outcomes
  1. Demonstrate an understanding of how literary texts address global environmental issues.
  2. Engage with Environmental Humanities theories, such as the Anthropocene, Energy Humanities, and Indigenous Ecologies, to interpret a range of literary works.
  3. Show understanding of the ways in which literary language and style are adopted in addressing the current planetary crisis.
Assessments
  • Continuous Assessment (100%)
Teachers & Administrators

Click a name to search for their researcher profile. Note: Only teachers publish research profiles.

Reading List
  1. "The Shock of the Anthropocene" by Christophe Bonneuil,Jean-Baptiste Fressoz
    ISBN: 9781784785031.
    Publisher: Verso Books
  2. "The Companion Species Manifesto: Dogs, People, and Significant Otherness" by Donna J. Haraway
    ISBN: 9780971757585.
    Publisher: Prickly Paradigm Press
  3. "Extraction Ecologies and the Literature of the Long Exhaustion" by Elizabeth Carolyn Miller
    ISBN: 9780691205267.
    Publisher: Princeton University Press
  4. "Literature for a Changing Planet" by Martin Puchner
    ISBN: 9780691213750.
    Publisher: Princeton University Press
  5. "Animal's People" by Indra Sinha
    ISBN: 9780743259200.
    Publisher: Simon & Schuster (UK)
  6. "Why the moon travels" by Oein DeBhairduin
    ISBN: 9781916493506.
    Publisher: SKEIN PRESS
  7. ""They Saw a Thylacine" in Endangered: Three Plays." by Sarah Hamilton and Justine Campbell
    ISBN: 978192500587.
    Publisher: Currency House Inc
  8. "Three Short Plays" by Wole Soyinka
    ISBN: 9780199110865.
    Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
  9. "Origins of the Syma Species" by Tares Oburumu
    ISBN: 9781496237026.
    Publisher: U of Nebraska Press
  10. "Hum" by Jamaal May
    ISBN: 9781938584022.
    Publisher: Alice James Books
The above information outlines module EN672: "Environmental Literature: Nature and Narration" and is valid from 2025 onwards.
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.

OptionalEN6125: WB Yeats and the Cultural Revolution


Semester 1 | Credits: 10

As the commemorations for Yeats2015 proved, the 1923 Nobel Prize winner for Literature, W.B.Yeats, is known and still read worldwide as a poet. His ability to write ‘like God’, to quote the critic John Carey, is nowhere better exemplified than in the books of poetry through which he built his reputation. A close-reading reconsideration of these monuments are at the heart of this class, and structure the way in which his work is considered. But as central part of Ireland’s most important artistic family, he was also a politician, journalist, editor, printer, a dramatist and director who accepted the Nobel Prize on behalf of a theatre, and an incessant collaborator whose work with musicians, ballet dancers, artists, stage-designers, folklorists, broadcasters (including with prenaturarally talented lovers, family, and friends) proved extraordinarily protean and productive. If even now he remains (especially in Ireland) a divisive figure, it was here he helped created a cultural revolution with worldwide and contempory ramifications. This class encourages students to engage anew with Yeats’s written work and cultural impact, and forge projects of research, drawing on class readings, and NUI Galway’s James Hardiman Library for books and letters, for little magazines and Cuala Press holdings in Special Collections, for Abbey, Gate, and Lyric Theatre archives, and Galway County’s wider cultural resources Thoor Ballylee and Coole Park.
(Language of instruction: English)

Learning Outcomes
  1. Practice close readings of selected poetry, plays, essays and criticism.
  2. Evaluate the context and production of the arts in modern Ireland.
  3. Pursue independent research in library resources and archives.
  4. Discuss and respond to the analysis of literary texts and cultural criticism.
  5. Plan and compose extensive academic written appraisals synthesizing arguments and producing new ideas.
Assessments
  • Research (100%)
Teachers & Administrators

Click a name to search for their researcher profile. Note: Only teachers publish research profiles.

Reading List
  1. "The Major Works" by W.B.Yeats
    ISBN: 9780199537495.
    Publisher: Oxford
  2. "Yeats's Poems" by W.B.Yeats
    ISBN: 0333675185.
    Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
  3. "Selected Plays" by W.B.Yeats
    ISBN: 978014018374.
    Publisher: Penguin
  4. "Literature, Modernism and Dance" by Susan Jones
    ISBN: 9780199565320.
    Publisher: Oxford University Press
  5. "Yeats and the Visual Arts" by Elizabeth Bergman Loiseaux
    ISBN: 0815629958.
    Publisher: Syracuse University Press
  6. "Ireland: A Social and Cultural History 1922-2002" by Terence Brown
    ISBN: 0007125761.
    Publisher: Harper
  7. "Untwisting the Serpent: Modernism in Music, Literature and the Other Arts" by Daniel Albright
    ISBN: 0226012549.
    Publisher: University of Chicago
  8. "Black Riders: The Visible Language of Modernism" by Jerome McGann
    ISBN: 0691015449.
    Publisher: Princeton University Press
The above information outlines module EN6125: "WB Yeats and the Cultural Revolution" and is valid from 2025 onwards.
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.

OptionalEN6143: Media for Social Change


Semester 2 | Credits: 10

Through this module students will gain an understanding of the history, ethos, and operation of media for social change. Students will explore a range of forms, from social movement activism, to community media, to innovative online activity.
(Language of instruction: English)

Learning Outcomes
  1. Evaluate and critically discuss significant concepts and scholarly work related to media for social change.
  2. Apply scholarly work to practical case studies, both from the literature and personal research.
  3. Conduct original research, and prepare a scholarly paper based on that research.
  4. Reflect critically on the impact of pedagogy on the learning process.
  5. Work collaboratively with a team, using both in-person and remote/virtual modalities.
Assessments
  • Continuous Assessment (75%)
  • Oral, Audio Visual or Practical Assessment (25%)
Teachers & Administrators

Click a name to search for their researcher profile. Note: Only teachers publish research profiles.

Reading List
  1. "Fissures in the Mediascape" by Clemencia Rodríguez
    ISBN: 1572733691.
    Publisher: Hampton Press
  2. "Radical Media" by John D. H. Downing
    ISBN: 1452238243.
    Publisher: SAGE
  3. "Alternative Media" by Chris Atton
    ISBN: 1849202907.
    Publisher: SAGE
The above information outlines module EN6143: "Media for Social Change " and is valid from 2023 onwards.
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.

OptionalFM6119: Film, Politics, and Colonialism


Semester 2 | Credits: 10

This module considers the significance of film as a mode of cultural production, the politics of representation, and the role of ‘national’ cinema. The films viewed and analysed address subjects including colonial history, marginal groups, conflict, resistance, gender, and postcolonial realities. Students will consider aspects of those films including genre, theme, and narrative structure. The political and historical circumstances of their production will also be discussed and analyzed.
(Language of instruction: English)

Learning Outcomes
  1. Understand the language of film and be able to deconstruct and read a film critically.
  2. Analyse the politics of representation, with reference to the historical and social context of films under discussion, including the effects of colonialism and postcolonialism.
  3. Explore ideas about film and politics which provide theoretical and analytical tools that can be deployed in the specific media practices involved in advocacy, for example the application of postcolonial theory to film texts.
  4. Demonstrate understanding of the relationship between film and politics, and the difference between propaganda and entertainment.
Assessments
  • Department-based Assessment (100%)
Teachers & Administrators

Click a name to search for their researcher profile. Note: Only teachers publish research profiles.

Reading List
  1. "Questions of Third Cinema" by Jim Pines
  2. "Inventing Vietnam: The War in Film and Television" by Michael Anderegg
    Publisher: Temple UP
  3. "Irish Film: The Emergence of a Contemporary Cinema" by Martin McLoone
    Publisher: BFI
The above information outlines module FM6119: "Film, Politics, and Colonialism" and is valid from 2020 onwards.
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.

OptionalEN547: Literature And Colonialism


Semester 2 | Credits: 10

The course analyses literature in relation to colonial power structures and considers the relationship between political power and literary representation. Students will read a wide range of literary texts as well as postcolonial criticism. By the end of the course, students will be encouraged to consider how ideas concerning literary representation relate to present-day debates about representation and power in a modern globalised world.
(Language of instruction: English)

Learning Outcomes
  1. By the end of the module, students will be able to demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of a wide geographical range of literature relating to the British Empire and its former colonies.
  2. By the end of the module, students will be able to identify characteristics of key literary genres and to place those characteristics in relation to the workings of colonial and postcolonial discourse.
  3. By the end of the module, students will be able to make connections between older modes of colonial discourse and more modern debates regarding cultural discourses of race, power and knowledge through close analysis of relevant literature.
Assessments
  • Continuous Assessment (100%)
Teachers & Administrators

Click a name to search for their researcher profile. Note: Only teachers publish research profiles.

Reading List
  1. "Empire Writing" by Elleke Boehmer
    ISBN: 9780199555598.
    Publisher: OUP Oxford
  2. "Colonial Discourse and Post-Colonial Theory" by Laura Chrisman,Patrick Williams
    ISBN: 9781315656496.
The above information outlines module EN547: "Literature And Colonialism" and is valid from 2022 onwards.
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.

OptionalEN6141: SERVICE LEARNING: LITERARY STUDIES IN THE COMMUNITY


Semester 2 | Credits: 10

Service-learning experiences are about shaping, reshaping, and challenging narratives, whether it is recognizing and challenging our own subjective narratives, or learning about new narratives and synthesizing our own stories as they intersect with others in the community. As such, the pedagogies of service-learning and literary studies overlap in many ways. Reading, writing, and community-engaged practices are profoundly context-dependent activities: As a pedagogy, service learning is education that is grounded in experience as a foundation for learning and on the significance of critical reflection intentionally designed to enable learning to transpire. Moreover, literary studies and writing embrace many transferable skills that are compatible with practices of context-based engagement. In this module, we will explore service-learning from core foundational principles and definitions to specific English Studies approaches. This service learning module offers students the opportunity to develop responsible citizenship skills by addressing issues beyond the classroom and in the local community. Students work within the local community through a one-hour per week, semester-long placement in a local primary school in order to develop practical skills and experience in the field of literary studies and creative writing, during which they learn to apply theoretical information to real life issues. In addition to attending a two-hour reflective seminar per week, students will spend one hour supporting children with their reading and writing in a teacher-supervised classroom at a local primary school. Garda Clearance requirement It is a requirement of this course that all students taking it comply fully with the university's Garda vetting procedures regarding working with children. Full details on how to obtain this clearance will be provided before the seminar begins.
(Language of instruction: English)

Learning Outcomes
  1. Explain the significance of service learning scholarship, including the importance of public engagement, citizenship, and social justice
  2. Integrate the literary and theoretical content of the module with their experiences/activities on service learning placement though reflection in class and individual study time.
  3. ‘Read’ both literary and life experiences as part of their textual study and course work, analysing the ways in which literature does and does not reflect their actual experiences, including the ability of literature to imagine possibilities for enriching human lives.
  4. Produce reflective, critical, and creative writing and oral discussion that articulates connections and dissonances between the reading of literature and theoretical texts, and service learning experiences.
  5. Produce course projects or papers that benefit community partners, for example public writing and research, oral presentations, performances, fundraising letters/videos/social media productions, blogs, websites, etc.
Assessments
  • Continuous Assessment (100%)
Teachers & Administrators

Click a name to search for their researcher profile. Note: Only teachers publish research profiles.

Reading List
  1. "Teaching English Creative" by Cremin
    Publisher: Routledge
  2. "Democracy and Education" by John Dewey
    Publisher: New York, The Free Press
  3. "Service-Learning and Literary Studies in English" by Grobman, L
    Publisher: New York: Modern Language Assoc. of America
  4. "A Kestrel for a Knave" by Barry Hines
    ISBN: 9780141184982.
    Publisher: ePenguin
  5. "Service-Learning Essentials" by Jacoby, B., & Howard,
    Publisher: San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons,
The above information outlines module EN6141: "SERVICE LEARNING: LITERARY STUDIES IN THE COMMUNITY" and is valid from 2022 onwards.
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.

OptionalEN671: Literature for Children and Young Adults in the 21st Century


Semester 2 | Credits: 10

The focus of this course is an in-depth analysis of selected children’s fiction and YA novels written in the 21st century. In this course, the students will appraise each text individually and comparatively. The main issues under scrutiny will include but are not limited to: - The evolution of the literary genres of children’s fiction and YA fiction - Gender politics - Power abuse - Injustice - The representation of oppression
(Language of instruction: English)

Learning Outcomes
  1. Demonstrate an understanding of the paradigms of the genre of children’s fiction and YA fiction
  2. Engage with the theories related to children’s fiction and YA fiction with a range of selected primary texts.
  3. Construct a coherent and well-informed textual analysis of the primary texts.
  4. Interpret and exploit secondary sources.
Assessments
  • Continuous Assessment (100%)
Teachers & Administrators

Click a name to search for their researcher profile. Note: Only teachers publish research profiles.

Reading List
  1. "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne COLLINS
    ISBN: 978140713208.
    Publisher: Scholastic
  2. "A Very Large Expanse of Sea" by Tahereh MAFI
    ISBN: 9781405292603.
    Publisher: Electric Monkey
  3. "The Miseducation of Cameron Post" by Emily DANFORTH
    ISBN: 978014138916.
    Publisher: Penguin
  4. "A Land of Permanent Goodbyes" by Atia ABAWI
    ISBN: 978039954683.
    Publisher: Philomel Books
  5. "The Girl of Ink & Stars" by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
    ISBN: 9781910002742.
    Publisher: Scholastic Limited
  6. "Politics and ideology in children's literature" by Aine McGillicuddy
    ISBN: 978184682526.
    Publisher: Four Courts Press
  7. "The Gothic in Children's Literature: Haunting the Borders" by Anna JACKSON
    ISBN: 978041596036.
    Publisher: Routledge
  8. "Female Rebellion in Young Adult Dystopian Fiction (Studies in Childhood, 1700 to the Present)" by Sara K. DAY
    ISBN: 978147243149.
    Publisher: Routledge
The above information outlines module EN671: "Literature for Children and Young Adults in the 21st Century" and is valid from 2025 onwards.
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.

OptionalEN573: Travel Literature


Semester 2 | Credits: 10

Narratives of travel constituted one of the most popular publishing genres of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. This course examines the literary conventions, genres, and modes of representing otherness that characterised this disparate body of texts. We will make particular used of Early English Books Online which makes available virtually everything printed from 1475-1700.

Learning Outcomes
  1. To be confirmed
Assessments
  • Continuous Assessment (100%)
Teachers & Administrators

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The above information outlines module EN573: "Travel Literature" and is valid from 2015 onwards.
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.

Why Choose This Course?

Career Opportunities

The taught coursework on this programme will enable students to extend their knowledge of English beyond the boundaries of their undergraduate experience and to develop a range of important and transferable skills that will serve them well in the job market, or in further education, for example on a PhD programme. Students will learn how to achieve a regular habit of research and writing, meet deadlines, give persuasive, well-researched talks and presentations, use libraries and resources effectively, articulate ideas to others, work in a team, write well, and revise, edit and improve drafts of written work. These are valuable skills that will translate easily into a wide range of careers. Graduates of this programme are well placed to succeed in arts administration, teaching, creative writing, PR, research, broadcasting, publishing, journalism, non-fiction writing and marketing. 

Who’s Suited to This Course

Learning Outcomes

Transferable Skills Employers Value

Graduates of the MA in English will be able to: 

  • Demonstrate a breadth of understanding of a range of approaches to the study of literary texts and other cultural artefacts 
  • Evaluate received knowledge and articulate their own contribution to the existing scholarship 
  • Select and apply a variety of critical approaches to the study of literature 
  • Retrieve, select, sift, and deploy a range of sources to support original arguments 
  • Apply enhanced critical thinking and analytical skills to their object of study 
  • Plan, manage, and execute a substantial independent study project 
  • Reflect deeply on a range of research perspectives, topics, and approaches related to the object of study 
  • Exhibit the ability to self-assess and self-direct 

 

Work Placement

Study Abroad

Related Student Organisations

Course Fees

Fees: EU

€7,890 full-time; €4,070 part-time (including levy) p.a. 2025/26

Fees: Tuition

€7,750 full-time; €4,000 part-time p.a. 2025/26

Fees: Student levy

€140 full-time; €70 part-time p.a. 2025/26

Fees: Non EU

€19,000 p.a. (€19,140 p.a. including levy) 2025/26


For 25/26 entrants, where the course duration is greater than 1 year, there is an inflationary increase approved of 3.4% per annum for continuing years fees.

Postgraduate students in receipt of a SUSI grant – please note an F4 grant is where SUSI will pay €4,000 towards your tuition (2025/26).  You will be liable for the remainder of the total fee.  A P1 grant is where SUSI will pay tuition up to a maximum of €6,270. SUSI will not cover the student levy of €140.

Note to non-EU students: learn about the 24-month Stayback Visa here. 

What Our Students Say

Madeline

Madeline Stephens |   Student

The decision to pursue the MA in English at NUI Galway was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Not only has it allowed me to further explore my areas of interest, but it has challenged me to become a better student, scholar, and world citizen. The course has allowed me to be surrounded by other students who share a love for literature and has allowed me to explore works of great authors in new and interesting ways. From our core module to our electives, the MA in English has prepared me to continue my advancement in understanding the subject while also giving me the tools to make a real impact in my chosen field. Whether you are from Ireland or an International Student like myself, NUI Galway is a school known for its quality of education and advanced curriculum. Taking on an MA in English was something that I always dreamt of doing, and NUI Galway made that a possibility. I am so grateful for the experiences I have had, the friends and connections I have made, and the knowledge I have received. J.R.R. Tolkein wrote, "All we have to decide is what to do with the time given to us", and choosing this course is time well spent.

What Our Graduates Say

Aimee

Aimee McDermott |   Graduate

I thoroughly enjoyed every part of the MA in English. It's the perfect course for anyone who has a passion for literature. The variety of modules available meant that I could create a course full of content that was specific to my personal interests and encouraged me devise my own research topics throughout. It also meant that everyone had different fields of study to bring to the table in group discussions. The small classes were the perfect environment for exploring various perspectives on texts and avenues of research, which could have been daunting at an undergraduate level. The best part about this course is the freedom to curate your own academic style alongside the constant awareness of support, encouragement, and guidance from the lecturers and academic staff involved in the programme.
Clare

Clare Robinson |   Graduate

I wholeheartedly recommend the Masters in English programme to prospective students. The course enabled me to refine my research skills beyond my expectations, particularly my ability to critical approach texts, write clearly and concisely, and engage in scholarship ethically. I particularly appreciated working with a group of diverse international and local students in cross-disciplinary classes. Our current course head Dr. Frances McCormack and our other instructors are genuinely kind and extremely supportive. Graduates of this programme will be prepared for whatever comes next, whether continuing your post-graduate studies or beginning a career outside academia.

2025 QS Subject Rankings: Top 150

English Language & Literature- Top 150‌

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