MA in History

at University College Cork

This 12-month course consists of two parts – a six-month taught component, which overlaps with an ongoing research phase, culminating in a 20,000-word dissertation. The part-time option will be taught during weekday working hours over 2 years
 

Part I

In Part I, students take the following compulsory modules:

• HI6075 Making History Public

• HI6076 Changing Directions in History: Transformative Historians and their Work
   

Students also take 20 credits of their choice from one of the following streams:
 

Medieval and Renaissance History

• HI6090 The Insular World in Text and Image (10 credits)

• HI6077 The Classical Revival  1250-1500 (5 credits)

• HI6078 New Worlds, Ancient Texts (5 credits)   
               

Modern Ireland

• HI6074 Debates in the Irish Revolution (10 credits)

• HI6087 Healthcare in Ireland, 1750-present (10 credits)

• HI6082 Female Activism and Feminism in Ireland, c. 1860-1985 (10 credits)
   

Media and History

• HI6081 History on Screen: Film, Television and History (10 credits)

• HI6084 From Wireless to the World Wide Web: Radio as Historical Source (10 credits)

• HI6083 Radicalism, Dissent and the Print Media in Modern Ireland (10 credits)
   

European and International History

• HI6026 US Foreign Policy and Contemporary History (10 credits)

• HI6045 War and Peace: the European State System from 1648 to 1990 (10 credits)

• HI6086 Booms and Busts: Key Issues in International Finance since 1700 (10 credits)
   

Students take an additional 10 credits from any stream or they may choose:
 

• HI6063 Work Placement and Portfolio (10 credits)
   

Part II

In Part II, students work closely with an academic supervisor to complete a 20,000-word dissertation on a topic of their choosing that normally reflects their specialist interests.
 

Given that this MA is delivered by a large and dynamic School, there are ample opportunities for discretionary engagement in field trips, conferences, seminars and other related activities.

To be considered for admission to the MA in History programme, an applicant will normally possess a Second Class Honours Grade I in a primary honours degree (NFQ, Level 8) or equivalent in History, or a cognate/suitable subject (normally in the Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences or Law). For North American students a cumulative GPA of 3.3 is normal.
 

Candidates who hold a primary degree in History or a cognate/suitable subject with a Second Class Honours Grade II will also be considered (normally in the Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences or Law), as will those with a GPA between 2.7 and 3.2. These applicants will be requested to provide additional information, documentation, samples of work and/or be interviewed by a Selection Committee.

In exceptional circumstances, under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), professional experience in a relevant and related field (e.g. working in publishing, journalism, the heritage industry, archives etc.) may be accepted as compensating for the absence of an undergraduate degree awarded at a grade lower than Second Class Honours Grade II. Admission of such applicants will be subject to the approval of the College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences.
 

Minimum Requirements and Accepted English Language Tests & Examinations

The minimum English language entry requirements for admission onto a postgraduate programme at UCC are outlined below. These requirements are for postgraduate applicants whose first language is not English. If Gaeilge (Irish) is your first language these requirements do not apply to you.
 

There are a small number of programmes with a higher minimum English language entry requirement and we list these below under Programmes with a Higher Minimum English Language Requirement.

IELTS*    

• 6.5 Overall

• 6.0 Individual Skills (academic version)
   

TOEFL iBT    
 

• 90 Overall

• Listening 20

• Reading 19

• Speaking 21

• Writing 20

 

The EU fee for this course is €6,130; €3,130 (Year 1 Part-time); €3,130 (Year 2 Part-time).
 

The Non-EU fee for this course is €16,400.

Our graduates of History can be assured that the past record of their predecessors in gaining employment is second to none. UCC’s School of History is committed to delivering degrees designed to develop students’ skills to respond effectively to the demands of the world of work. 
 

The careers and workplace prospects for History graduates are excellent, which reflects the wide applicability of the discipline’s skills and its high standards.  Contrary to popular perceptions, an MA in History does not necessarily lead to employment in the teaching profession, academia, libraries, research, archives, and so forth. It could do so, but the versatility of History graduates is well-known.
 

Past MA graduates work in all walks of life nationally and across the globe, not least in government, multinational firms and international organisations. Many have risen to positions of national and international responsibility and influence (entrepreneurs, top-level management,  marketing managers, advertising, ambassadors, writers, politicians, museum directors, professors, technologists, think tanks etc.).
 

Why? The innovative teaching and assessment regime offered by the School instills practical transferable skills (e.g. web displays, blogging, report writing, presentations, portfolios) supplementing the core strengths of the discipline (e.g. analysis, source criticism, inquiry-driven, meticulousness, information management, synthesis, clarity, breadth, and depth of perspectives).
 

Depending on individual choice, other skills may be cultivated such as conference planning and delivery, event planning, financial management, team building, leadership, negotiation, representation of collective interests etc. Optional engagement with the History Postgraduate Association, the Historical Society and School events (seminars, conferences, symposia) add additional competencies.
 

 Occupations associated with an MA in History?
 

Our graduates have a strong record of success in the following fields:
 

• Broadcasting and the media

• Central and local government (Ireland, the UK, and Europe)

• Civil Service (Ireland, the UK, and Europe) and Public Service

• Diplomacy and statecraft (Department of Foreign Affairs)

• Heritage and museums

• International and regional organisations (UN, EU etc.)

• Journalism

• Librarianship, archives, and information management

• Non-governmental organisations

• Politics (local, national and European)

• Policy research and formulation

• Public relations

• Publishing

• Teaching and universities (Ireland and the world)
   

Many of our graduates succeed in other fields too:
 

• Conference and exhibition managers and organisers

• Business and entrepreneurship

• Customer service occupations

• Event planning and delivery

• Law

• Management

• Marketing and sales professionals

• University management and administration (in Ireland, UK, USA etc.)
   

Students often progress to successful PhD study in all areas of History becoming tenured university lecturers and researchers in Ireland, the UK, US, Canada, Australia, Europe and elsewhere.
 

What are our graduates doing?
 

• Janine Hildebrandt specialised in Medieval History and is now permanently employed in project management in Germany.

• Katriona Burke specialised in Medieval History and now works with the Office of Public Works in Ireland.

• Fiona McCarthy who worked in Medieval History is now a second-level teacher. There are many examples of this career path.

• Paul Flynn, who studied International Relations, now works in the British Cabinet Office in London.
   

Several MAs work in various government departments including the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Finance, and Department of Agriculture.
 

Many who studied media history at MA level are involved in the broadcasting and media professions in various capacities (editing of RTÉ Radio 1 programme ‘The Media Show’, programme director of Cork Film Festival, sub-editor of The Cork Independent, journalism, TV researcher, book editor).
 

Numerous MA holders have won Irish Research Council Government of Ireland PhD Scholarships and have gone on to complete PhDs at UCC, or elsewhere in Ireland, the UK and the US. Several have proceeded to academic careers. For instance, Tomás O’Sullivan worked on Early Christian Ireland, and following a PhD, is now a professor at the University of St. Louis. Another, Dr. Caroline Connolly, was a lecturer at the University of Kent but has now moved to lecture in the Communications Department of Dublin City University.