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History (MA)

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MA in History at NUI Galway

Course Overview

Watch course video presentation here.

This master’s programme enables you to develop a sophisticated understanding of the challenges of interpreting the past. Specialists in modern, early modern and medieval history introduce you to a range of historical sources, reflecting on their uses and limitations. You will learn to evaluate ways in which historians, politicians and the media interpret the past. You will develop research and analytical skills, using the techniques of the history profession to present your findings. 

Students may take the programme on a full-time [one year] or part-time [two year] basis. Part-time students take the programme over a two-year period, completing their research dissertation in Year Two. Some of the taught modules will be available in the evening.

Learning objectives

Students will acquire graduate employment skills, including written and oral communication skills, analytical skills, and problem-solving skills. 

On successful completion of this programme students will be able to:

1. Understand the mentalities of people in other historical periods.

2. Write and speak critically about the nature of historical change.

3. Use a wide range of historical source material—from estate rolls and depositions to newspapers and oral evidence.

4. Convey a critical awareness of the relationship between current events and political, social, economic and cultural processes in the past.

5. Organise and present their work in an effective manner.

6. Complete an original historical research project.

7. Work effectively in group settings.

Students will complete two core taught modules, three optional modules and a research dissertation of c.20,000 words. The topic of the dissertation will be chosen by the student in consultation with an academic supervisor, who will providing one-to-one support and expertise in the student’s chosen field of enquiry. N.B. Post-graduate diploma students are not required to do a dissertation.

Applications and Selections

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

Selection will be based on applicants' academic record and academic references testifying to their enthusiasm for the subject and their ability to carry out a research project.

Who Teaches this Course

This programme draws widely on the expertise of the History staff.

researcher
Dr Róisín Healy
M.A., PhD.
Senior Lecturer
Dept. of History
Room 415, Tower 1
Arts/Science Building
NUI Galway
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researcher
DR KEVIN O'SULLIVAN
BA Ph.D
LECTURER
History
Room 413, Tower 1
Arts/Science Building
Central Campus
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researcher
Dr. John Cunningham
MA, PHD, H.DIP.ED, DIP.GAEILGE
Lecturer Above The Bar
Dept. of History
Room 413, Tower 1
Arts/Science Building
NUI Galway
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researcher
Dr Laurence Marley
B.A, M.A, H Dip, PhD.
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researcher
Prof Enrico Dal Lago
PhD
Established Professor of History
Department of History, School of History and Philosophy
University of Galway
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Requirements and Assessment

All modules are assessed by coursework. Modes of assessment include projects, essays, reviews, reports and oral presentations. A final dissertation involving original research is an essential component of the programme (except for those taking the post-graduate diploma).

Key Facts

Entry Requirements

A Second Class Honours BA degree or equivalent with a H2.1 or GPA of 3.3 in History is normally required. Different criteria may apply to mature applicants.

Selection will be based on applicants' academic record and academic references testifying to their academic ability and enthusiasm for history. An applicant’s active engagement with history outside of the academic context may also be taken into consideration

The same entry requirements and application procedure are in place for both the MA and PDip programme.

Additional Requirements

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Duration

1 year, full-time; 2 years, part-time

Next start date

September 2024

A Level Grades ()

Average intake

15

QQI/FET FETAC Entry Routes

Closing Date

Please see the offer round dates for further information.

NFQ level

Mode of study

ECTS weighting

MA—90, PDip—60

Award

CAO

Course code

MA-HIS; PGD-HIS

Course Outline

Students taking the MA and the Postgraduate Diploma in History follow the same taught programme but only MA students write a dissertation.

CORE COURSES

(Must be taken by students on all three branches of the programme):

  • Sources and Resources  (15 ECTS)
  • Historical Debates & Controversies  (15 ECTS)

OPTIONAL COURSES 

Each student must take three courses (30 ECTS) from the list below:

  • Studies in Local History (10 ECTS)
  • Studies in the History of Imperialism and Colonialism (10 ECTS)
  • Irish Politics North and South (10 ECTS)
  • NGOs & The Making of the Twentieth Century World (10 ECTS)
  • People on the Move: Studying Migration (10 ECTS)
  • Digital Archives and Heritage 10 (10 ECTS)
  • Irish Contacts with Europe, 1770–1973 10 ECTS

How are these modules delivered?

Most of these are taught through weekly two-hour seminars with a strong emphasis on student participation in discussion. HI6062 People on the Move: Studying Migration’ may be taken on-line, in the classroom, or blended learning format. It is available also for MA students in the University of Limerick.

How are these assessed?

The five taught modules of the programme are assessed by a range of coursework assignments, mainly essays, but including portfolios, projects, and presentations

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

Students on the full-time programme will take two core modules and one optional module in Semester One, and two optional modules in Semester Two. During Semester Two students will work on their research dissertation with a research supervisor of their choice and attend occasional seminars on dissertation related topics

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)

Required HI6104: Making History: evidence and interpretation


Semester 1 and Semester 2 | Credits: 15

With a view to the development of the student as a historian, the module has a practical focus. It encompasses thesis design, research methods, oral presentations and responding to oral presentations, as well as engagement with primary sources. Students will participate in at least one field trip, actively engage in the weekly History Seminar, make a formal presentation, respond to scholarly presentations, and critically assess selected primary sources for History. A number of students may opt to take a work experience placement in lieu of the primary sources assignment.
(Language of instruction: English)

Learning Outcomes
  1. to prepare a proposal for an academic thesis
  2. to give an oral presentation based on their own original research
  3. to critically engage with a historiography related to their academic interests
  4. to critically assess primary source materials for History
  5. to make a logical historical argument while observing scholarly conventions in referencing
Assessments
  • Continuous Assessment (100%)
Teachers
Reading List
  1. "The Pursuit of History: Aims, Methods and New Directions in the Study of History" by John Tosh
    Publisher: Routledge
  2. "Comparison and History" by Deborah Cohen and Maureen O'Connor
    ISBN: 0415944422.
    Publisher: Routledge
  3. "History in Practice" by Ludmilla Jordanova
    ISBN: 97817809333.
    Publisher: Bloomsbury
  4. "The Oral History Reader" by R.Perks & A.Thomson
    Publisher: Taylor & Francis
  5. "Customs in Common: Studies in Traditional Culture" by Edward Palmer Thompson
    Publisher: New Press
The above information outlines module HI6104: "Making History: evidence and interpretation" and is valid from 2023 onwards.
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.

Required HI503: Historical Debates & Controversies: Studies in Historiography


Semester 1 and Semester 2 | Credits: 15

This team-taught module examines perceptions of History as a discipline and methodological approaches to different periods and themes. It looks at perceptions of the groups, issues, events and periods considered worthwhile subjects for historical investigation and explores the role of ideology in framing historical questions. Each year the module addresses a number of specific historical fields and some of the major debates animating their history-writing to demonstrate the dynamic nature of history as a discipline. The particular field covered may vary in individual years owing to availability of staff members to teach their specialisms. Perennial questions will include: why do historians disagree? Is “value-free History” possible? Why do certain historical topics and come into and go out of fashion?
(Language of instruction: English)

Learning Outcomes
  1. show awareness of the dynamic and evolving nature of historical scholarship over time
  2. identify methodological approaches relating to different historical periods
  3. demonstrate knowledge of the different views about how and to what extent we can gain knowledge about the past
  4. understand the interplay between ideology and wider cultural perceptions in the framing of historical questions, now and in the past
  5. write essays showing how such debates are reflected in the history-writing of specific events, movements or issues from the past
Assessments
  • Continuous Assessment (100%)
Teachers
Reading List
  1. "History: Why It Matters" by Lynn Hunt
    Publisher: Polity
  2. "Why History Matters" by John Tosh
    Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
  3. "Historiography: An Introduction" by Eileen Ka-May Cheng
    Publisher: Continuum
The above information outlines module HI503: "Historical Debates & Controversies: Studies in Historiography" and is valid from 2023 onwards.
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.

Required HI509: Dissertation


15 months long | Credits: 30

All students carry out original research and produce a dissertation of 15,000-20,000 words. Students may research an area of their choice as long as the project they envisage allows them demonstrate the competencies being tested and an appropriate supervisor in the area is available.

Learning Outcomes
  1. tbc
Assessments
  • Research (100%)
Teachers
The above information outlines module HI509: "Dissertation" and is valid from 2018 onwards.
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.

Optional HI6103: Friends, Family, and Foes: The Relationships that Shape Technological Creativity


Semester 1 | Credits: 10

While we often think of technological invention largely as undertaken by a single individual [the heroic inventor], the reality is that most inventors do their best work while interacting with others. In some cases, it's assistants or patrons [friends], sometimes it's wives or siblings [family], and other times it is rival inventors [foes]. The purpose of this class would be to look at a variety of inventions to understand the social and emotional dynamics that shape technological creativity, and ultimately, how we can 'write back into history' the wives, assistants, and investors who played critical roles in technological change. Students need not have any background in science or engineering, only a keen curiosity to understand how creativity happens.
(Language of instruction: English)

Learning Outcomes
  1. Understand theoretical approaches to the history of invention and innovation.
  2. Analyse how personal relationships shape the creative process
  3. Interrogate both secondary and primary source materials.
  4. Understand the importance of class, gender, geography, and ethnicity in shaping technological creativity.
  5. Develop an appreciation for how material culture can contribute to history.
  6. Carry out a short independent research project resulting in an essay or website.
  7. Present written work which is well-organised, well-argued and well-presented
  8. Participate in a student-led class
Assessments
  • Continuous Assessment (100%)
Teachers
Reading List
  1. "Tesla: Inventor of the Electrical Age" by W. Bernard Carlson
    ISBN: 978-069116561.
    Publisher: Princeton
  2. "The Wright Brothers" by David McCullough
    ISBN: 978-147672875.
    Publisher: Simon & Schuster
  3. "The Alchemy of Us: How Humans and Matter Transformed One Another ‎" by Ainissa Ramirez,
    ISBN: 978-02625422.
    Publisher: MIT Press
  4. "The Last Lone Inventor: A Tale of Genius, Deceit, and the Birth of Television" by Evan I. Schwartz
    ISBN: 978-006093559.
    Publisher: Harper Perennial,
  5. "Powers Of Two: How Relationships Drive Creativity" by Joshua Wolf Shenk,
    ISBN: 978-054433446.
    Publisher: HarperOne
The above information outlines module HI6103: "Friends, Family, and Foes: The Relationships that Shape Technological Creativity" and is valid from 2022 onwards.
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.

Optional HI588: Studies in Regional Identities


Semester 2 | Credits: 10

This module introduces students to concepts of regional identities and explores various interpretive approaches to regional identity. Students will examine the role of history, language and religion in the construction and perpetuation of regional identity and will consider the relationhip between regions and nation states. This is a team-taught module. While the content may varyording to the availability of staff from year to year, it will include Irish and European case studies.
(Language of instruction: English)

Learning Outcomes
  1. Explain theoretical approaches to the history of regional identities
  2. Outline and discuss the factors leading to the emergence of regional identities in specific case studies
  3. Discuss the role of History in the construction and perpetuation of regional identities
  4. Examine the relationship between specific regions and nation states
  5. Identify and use critically appropriate primary sources for the study of regional identities
  6. Be able to able to relate case studies to appropriate conceptual frameworks
  7. Assess the relative merits of historians' arguments regarding specific case studies
  8. Discuss regional history in coherent essays presented in a scholarly manner
Assessments
  • Continuous Assessment (100%)
Teachers
Reading List
  1. "Imagined communities" by Benedict Anderson
    ISBN: 0860910598.
    Publisher: Verso
  2. "The Congested District Board Of Ireland, 1891-1923: Poverty and Development in the West of Ireland" by Ciara Breathnach
    ISBN: 1851829199.
    Publisher: Four Courts Pr Ltd
  3. "An Agenda for Regional History" by Lancaster, Bill, Newton, Diana and Vall, Natasha (eds.)
    Publisher: Newcastle
  4. "Frontiers, Regions nad Identities in Europe" by Ellis Steven G. and Esser, Raingard, with Hean-Francois Berdah, Jean-Francois and Reznik, Milos
  5. "The construction of nationhood" by Adrian Hastings
    ISBN: 9780521625449.
    Publisher: Cambridge ; Cambridge University Press, 1997.
  6. "The Invention of Tradition" by Eric Hobsbawm (Editor), Terence Ranger (Editor)
    ISBN: 1107604672.
    Publisher: Cambridge University Press
  7. "Rodney Hilton's Middle Ages" by [edited by Christopher Dyer, Peter Coss, and Chris Wickham]
    ISBN: 9780199542109.
    Publisher: Oxford ; Oxford Journals, Oxford University Press, c2007.
  8. "Occasional Paper: The Development of the Gaeltaht as a Bilingual Entity" by Ó Tuathaigh, Gearóid
  9. "Religion and national identity" by edited by Robert Pope
    ISBN: 070831662X.
    Publisher: University of Wales Press
  10. "Nineteenth-century Britain" by Keith Robbins
    ISBN: 0192851225.
    Publisher: Oxford ; Oxford University Press, 1989.
The above information outlines module HI588: "Studies in Regional Identities" and is valid from 2023 onwards.
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.

Optional HI546: Studies In The History Of Colonialism And Imperialism I


Semester 1 | Credits: 10

This course introduces students to some of the key thinkers and concepts in the writing of British imperial history. The work of scholars such as J. A. Hobson, Ronald Robinson and Jack Gallagher, Peter Cain and Tony Hopkins, Chris Bayly, Alan Lester and John Darwin will be discussed. Concepts such as finance imperialism, informal empire, the official mind, gentlemanly capitalism, colonial knowledge, imperial networks, and bridgeheads will be examined from a critical perspective. Full use of on-line journals and other e-resources will be encouraged. Students will be asked to read key texts, undertake wider reading and research to help put these key texts in context, comment on their readings, and present their own ideas as the basis for class discussion and debate. Course assessments will be linked closely to the core texts studied.
(Language of instruction: English)

Learning Outcomes
  1. Describe different historical theories concerning the origins and nature of British overseas expansion during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries
  2. Critically evaluate the merits of these theories, with reference to a range of examples drawn from the history of the British empire
  3. Identify inter-disciplinary trends in the history of the modern British empire; Present ideas in a persuasive, logical and scholarly fashion through written assignments
  4. Apply scholarly conventions in the citation of relevant literature or primary sources
Assessments
  • Continuous Assessment (100%)
Teachers
Reading List
  1. "The Empire Project" by John Darwin
    ISBN: 9780521317894.
    Publisher: Cambridge University Press
  2. "Empire" by Stephen Howe
    ISBN: 9780192802231.
    Publisher: Oxford ; Oxford University Press, 2002.
  3. "The British Empire" by Philippa Levine
    ISBN: 0582472814.
    Publisher: Harlow, England ; Pearson Longman, 2007.
  4. "The lion's share" by Bernard Porter
    ISBN: 0582772524.
    Publisher: Harlow, Essex, England ; Pearson/Longman, 2004.
  5. "The Oxford history of the British Empire" by Wm. Roger Louis, editor-in-chief
    ISBN: 9780198205654.
    Publisher: Oxford University Press
  6. "The Oxford history of the British Empire" by Wm. Roger Louis, editor-in-chief
    ISBN: 9780198205647.
    Publisher: Oxford University Press
  7. "The Oxford history of the British Empire" by Wm. Roger Louis, editor-in-chief
    ISBN: 9780198205661.
    Publisher: Oxford University Press
  8. "British imperialism, 1750-1970" by Simon C. Smith
    ISBN: 052159930X.
    Publisher: Cambridge University Press
The above information outlines module HI546: "Studies In The History Of Colonialism And Imperialism I" and is valid from 2017 onwards.
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.

Optional PI6103: Knowledge and Value in Modernity


Semester 1 | Credits: 10

This module will examine the issues of value and knowledge in the historical context of modernity. Attention will be given to such issues as the character of human subjectivity, the relation between mind and world, objectivity, the status of natural science and human values, and the character of modern culture. A range of modern philosophers will be discussed, including Hume, Kant and Nietzsche. Attention will also be given to the intersections between modern and contemporary arguments
(Language of instruction: English)

Learning Outcomes
  1. Discuss the defining features of modernity
  2. Discuss the role of natural science in modern philosophy
  3. Examine arguments with regard to the nature of mind and world in modern philosophy
  4. Discuss arguments with regard to the status of human value in modern philosophy
Assessments
  • Continuous Assessment (50%)
  • Department-based Assessment (50%)
Teachers
Reading List
  1. "The Nietzsche Reader" by Ansell Pearson, Keith and Large, Duncan (eds)
    Publisher: Blackwell
  2. "Hume, David, A Treatise of Human Nature" by Edited by L. A. Selby-Bigge, revised by P.H. Nidditch
    Publisher: Clarendon Press
  3. "Kant, Immanuel, Critique of Pure Reason" by Edited by P. Guyer, and A. Wood
    Publisher: Cambridge University Press
  4. "The Cambridge Companion to Kant and Modern Philosophy" by Guyer Paul
    Publisher: Cambridge University Press
  5. "Projection and Realism in Hume's Philosophy" by Kail, P.J.E
    Publisher: Oxford University Press
  6. "Nietzsche and Morality" by Leiter, Brian and Sinhababu
    Publisher: Oxford University Press
The above information outlines module PI6103: "Knowledge and Value in Modernity" and is valid from 2023 onwards.
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.

Optional HI6106: Issues in Irish Local History


Semester 1 | Credits: 10

Drawing on monographs, general studies, and archival sources, this module invites students to consider how different social groups experienced the profound changes that transformed urban and rural communities across Ireland from the mid-eighteenth through the early twentieth century. Although the course traces political developments, it pays equal attention to socioeconomic and cultural issues, including the shift from high fertility to sexual restraint; patterns of emigration, consumption and social unrest; improvements in education and literacy; linguistic change; changing devotional practices and cultural ‘revival’ in the late 1800s
(Language of instruction: English)

Learning Outcomes
  1. will be familiar with the major sources for Irish local history
  2. critically analyse major social, cultural and political developments in Ireland, c.1750-1920s
  3. engage in a critical fashion with the historiography of the period covered by the module
  4. demonstrate an advanced capacity to discuss orally and in writing the key topics in the history of the period
  5. have an understanding of the development and application of research methods
Assessments
  • Oral, Audio Visual or Practical Assessment (30%)
  • Research (70%)
Teachers
The above information outlines module HI6106: "Issues in Irish Local History" and is valid from 2023 onwards.
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.

Optional SP6120: Irish Politics, North and South


Semester 2 | Credits: 10

The course examines government structures, political ideologies, party politics and political conflict in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The island of Ireland, divided between two political jurisdictions and shared by two competing national projects, provides a richly distinctive context in which to examine the changing character of political action and the contemporary power of nationalism and the nation-state in a post-crisis, globalised, and culturally diverse Europe.
(Language of instruction: English)

Learning Outcomes
  1. Demonstrate familiarity with political contexts and government structures in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland
  2. Discuss political ideologies and party politics in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland party.
  3. Critically analyse scholarship on Irish politics.
  4. Apply theories of peace and conflict to Irish politics.
  5. Complete projects that are well presented, correctly referenced, and cogently argued.
Assessments
  • Continuous Assessment (100%)
Teachers
Reading List
  1. "Politics in the Republic of Ireland" by Coakley and Gallagher
    Publisher: Routledge
  2. "Northern Ireland Politics" by Aughey and Morrow
    Publisher: Routledge
  3. "Dynamics of political change in Ireland" by O Dochartaigh, Hayward, Meehan
    Publisher: Routledge
The above information outlines module SP6120: "Irish Politics, North and South" and is valid from 2023 onwards.
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.

Optional HI6101: Youth in transition: 1870-1970


Semester 2 | Credits: 10

This module will address the history and experience of youth in Ireland, Europe and the wider world from 1870-1970. Adopting a transnational approach, it will investigate the history of work, school, popular culture, teenage culture and changes to the concept of childhood and youth. With regard to the State, the importance of 'moral' concerns will be addressed - most critically at turning points like the First and Second World Wars. Class, gender, ethnicity, and religion will also be addressed.
(Language of instruction: English)

Learning Outcomes
  1. Understand the changes to youth and youth culture in Ireland, Europe and the wider world from 1870-1970
  2. Adopt a transnational approach to the history of youth
  3. Utilise a wide range of primary and secondary materials
  4. Complete a range of continuous assessment
Assessments
  • Continuous Assessment (100%)
Teachers
Reading List
  1. "Transnational Histories of Youth in the Twentieth Century" by Richard Ivan Jobs, David M. Pomfret (eds)
    Publisher: Palgrave MacMillan
  2. "Youth and history" by [by] John R. Gillis
    ISBN: 0127852646.
    Publisher: Academic Press
  3. "Adolescence in Modern Irish History" by Catherine Cox and Susannah Riordan (eds),
    Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
The above information outlines module HI6101: "Youth in transition: 1870-1970" and is valid from 2016 onwards.
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.

Optional DJ6125: Investigating Miscarriages of Justice


Semester 2 | Credits: 10

This module will give students an introduction to the wrongful treatment of people by the state and powerful institutions and the investigative journalism techniques that can be used to highlight and report on gross injustices in Ireland and internationally.
(Language of instruction: English)

Learning Outcomes
  1. Demonstrate an understanding of the fundamental causes of miscarriages of justice.
  2. Showcase applied investigative journalism skills.
  3. Employ research and investigative skills and communicate effectively.
  4. Display an understanding of the complex nature of working independently and as part of a team on a multifaceted long-form investigation.
  5. Demonstrate awareness of critical failings in the justice system.
  6. Display knowledge of how advanced DNA testing can unearth and potentially prevent miscarriages.
Assessments
  • Continuous Assessment (100%)
Teachers
Reading List
  1. "Betrayal: The Crisis in the Catholic Church" by Investigative Staff of the Boston Blobe
    ISBN: 978031627153.
    Publisher: Back Bay Books
  2. "The Framing of Harry Gleeson" by Kieran Fagan
    ISBN: 9781848892460.
    Publisher: The Collins Press
  3. "Convicting the innocent: where criminal prosecutions go wrong" by n/a
    ISBN: 978067406611.
    Publisher: Harvard University Press
  4. "Maamtrasna" by Jarlath Waldron
    ISBN: 9780946130078.
    Publisher: Edmund Burke Publisher
The above information outlines module DJ6125: "Investigating Miscarriages of Justice" and is valid from 2020 onwards.
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.

Optional HI6100: NGOs and the Making of the 20th Century World


Semester 2 | Credits: 10

In the 20th century NGO's emerged as one of the key building blocks of the contemporary world. This module introduces the historiography, key concepts and methodologies in the study of transnational action. How did NGOs operate? How should we study them? What can they tell us about the growing inter-connectedness of the modern world? The second part of the module puts these concepts into practice through a series of focused case studies, from Amnesty INternational to the Ante-Apartheid Movement.
(Language of instruction: English)

Learning Outcomes
  1. Demonstrate knowledge and informed understanding of the historiography, key concepts and methodologies involved in the study of NGOs in the twentieth century
  2. Show familiarity with a range of primary source documents relevant to the course, and develop skills allowing them to analyse documents of this type in depth.
  3. Give an oral presentation based on their reading and research.
  4. Develop a discreet project and write an accompanying scholarly essay appropriate to an MA student.
Assessments
  • Continuous Assessment (100%)
Teachers
Reading List
  1. "The politics of expertise: how NGOs shaped modern Britain" by Matthew Hilton, James McKay, Nicholas Crowson and Jean-François Mouhot
  2. "Global Community: the role of international organisations in the making of the contemporary world" by Akira Iriye
  3. "Activists beyond borders: advocacy networks in international politics" by Margaret Keck and Kathryn Sikkink
The above information outlines module HI6100: "NGOs and the Making of the 20th Century World" and is valid from 2018 onwards.
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.

Optional PI6102: Political values in the modern world


Semester 2 | Credits: 10

This course will look at the ways in which political values interact with the modern world. It will begin with an introduction to central political and ethical theories along with exploration of key distinctions that tend to be relied upon, whether implicitly or explicitly. It will then focus on current issues in political theory, concentrating on themes such as justice, equality, freedom, toleration, and genetics. it will look at how these themes are contested in modern diverse democracies.
(Language of instruction: English)

Learning Outcomes
  1. distinguish and understand different political concepts and theories
  2. distinguish and understand different ethical concepts and theories
  3. analyse the role of different political and ethical distinctions in practice
  4. analyse current national and global political issues in the light of 1,2 and 3
  5. effectively participate in class discussion and present work to peers
  6. successfully research and write an MA quality essay
Assessments
  • Continuous Assessment (100%)
Teachers
Reading List
  1. "A companion to Contemporary Political Philosophy" by Goodin & Petit (eds),
  2. "A companion to ethics" by Singer, P. (ed),
  3. "Contemporary Political Philosophy" by Kymlicka, W.
  4. "Liberals and communitarians" by Mulhall, S. & Swift A.,
  5. "Multicultural Citizensip" by Kymlicka, W.,
  6. "From Chance to Choice" by Buchanan, Brock, Daniels & Wikler,
The above information outlines module PI6102: "Political values in the modern world" and is valid from 2022 onwards.
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.

Optional HI580: Irish Contacts with Europe, 1770-1973


Semester 2 | Credits: 10

This module addresses a neglected aspect of Ireland’s transnational past – its engagement with continental Europe after the extensive emigration that followed the early modern conquest of Ireland and before Ireland’s entry into the EEC in 1973. Students will evaluate the small, but growing, body of scholarship on Irish links with the continent and identify avenues for future research by means of analysis of primary sources, such as newspapers, travel accounts, diplomatic documents and memoirs. Key questions will include the movement of people to and from different parts of the continent, domestic responses to nationalist movements abroad, involvement in continental wars and diplomatic relations after independence.
(Language of instruction: English)

Learning Outcomes
  1. Locate and analyse primary sources relating to Irish contacts with the continent
  2. Evaluate secondary literature on the topic
  3. Present their findings orally in class
  4. Complete a substantial piece of scholarly work on the topic
Assessments
  • Continuous Assessment (100%)
Teachers
Reading List
  1. "Irish Communities in early modern Europe" by Marian Lyons and Thomas O’Connor
  2. "Ireland and Europe, 1919-1948" by Dermot Keogh
  3. "Ireland and Europe in the Nineteenth Century" by Colin Graham and Leon Litvack
  4. "Ireland and the French Enlightenment, 1700-1800" by Graham Gargett and Geraldine Sheridan
  5. "Das Deutschlandbild der Iren, 1890-1939" by Joachim Fischer
The above information outlines module HI580: "Irish Contacts with Europe, 1770-1973" and is valid from 2019 onwards.
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.

Why Choose This Course?

Career Opportunities

The MA provides an excellent foundation for doctoral studies in History, and also for those intent on pursuing independent research. Graduates of the programme have found employment in areas such as teaching, public administration, research, library and archives services, cultural and heritage development, tourism, print and electonic media, and party politics. Career benefits from the programme should accrue to those already employed in such areas.

Who’s Suited to This Course

Learning Outcomes

Transferable Skills Employers Value

Work Placement

Study Abroad

Related Student Organisations

Course Fees

Fees: EU

€7,640 p.a. full-time; €3,855 p.a. part-time (including levy) 2024/25

Fees: Tuition

€7,500 p.a. full-time; €3,750 p.a. part-time 2024/25

Fees: Student levy

€140 p.a. full-time; €105 p.a. part-time 2024/25

Fees: Non EU

€18,500 p.a. (€18,640 including levy). 2024/25

 

Postgraduate Diploma Full-TIme: EU 7,140 p.a. (including levy) 2024/2025


Student levy €140—payable by all students and is not covered by SUSI.  Further detail here.

Find out More

Dr John Cunningham
Discipline of History
T: +353 91 495 642
E: john.cunningham@universityofgalway.ie 

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