MSocSc Youth Arts and Sports Education

at University College Cork

The Masters in Youth Arts and Sports Education is available on a full-time or part-time basis. All students take modules to the value of 90 credits.
 

For full-time students, the course is delivered over one calendar year (12 months) from the date of first registration for the programme.  The part-time option can be taken over two years with the course work completed in Year 1 (45 Credits) and the dissertation completed in Year 2 (45 Credits).
 

PART 1

Core Modules 

• ED6606 Well-being for Health (10 credits)

• SS6021 Creative Methodologies in Youth Arts Practice (10 credits)
   

Elective modules (Semesters I and II)

Students select 25 credits from the following, to include at least 5 credits from Sports Studies and at least 5 credits from Youth Arts. Modules are subject to a minimum quota and it is possible that not all modules will be available every year.
 

Sports Studies
 

• ED6604 Outdoor Learning (5)

• ED6605 Models of Physical Education (5)
   

Youth Arts
 

• DR6024 Directed Study in Theatre and Performance (5)

• DR6025 Special Studies in Applied Theatre (10)

• DR6026 Advanced Theatre Practice (10)

• MU6060 Community Music (5)

• SS6024 Art and Social Action (5)

• SS6029 Art and Development Education (5)
   

Applied Social Studies
 

• SS6315 Mental Health and Disability (10)

• SS6316 Children and Young People (10)

• SS6320 Conflict Transformation and Peace Building (10)
   

PART II

Dissertation
 

Students complete a Research Dissertation which develops their capacities to engage in original research on a topic of their choosing. Working with academic supervisors in a high-quality research environment, they will design and undertake interesting research that contributes to knowledge and practice in arts and/or sports education for young people.
 

SS6038 Dissertation (45 credits)

Students must complete a 20,000-word research dissertation and associated blog entries. The dissertation must be submitted on the first Friday in October of the academic year in which it is to be examined.
 

Students will also submit a 20,000-word research dissertation (SS6038, 45 credits).

Candidates should normally hold an honours primary degree with Second Class Honours Grade 2 (or equivalent) in any discipline.
 

Candidates with an honours primary degree lower than a Second Class Honours Grade 2 (or equivalent) or without a primary degree (NQF Level 8 award) are eligible to apply if they hold significant senior professional responsibility/experience in a related field. Such applicants may be invited for interview (which may be online or by phone) to satisfy the selection committee of their suitability for the programme under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). Admission of such applicants will be subject to the approval of the College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences.
 

All applicants will be asked to evidence their commitment to working with young people and to document any experience and training relevant to the programme as part of the written application process.
 

Strong references and personal statements are an important part of the application, as is relevant work experience.
 

• 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.

Graduates will develop diverse skills which are highly valuable in a range of organisational, educational, community contexts, including the ability:
 

• to design, plan, deliver, and evaluate arts and sports education projects with young people in community settings in ways that are mindful of ethical practice, principles of global education, sustainability, and the values of global citizenship;

• to act as effective and passionate advocates for young people and to make a positive impact in society through promoting young people’s rights;

• to devise and implement programmes that support young people’s developmental, cognitive, creative, physical, mental, and digital wellbeing;

• to engage in critical self-reflection on their capacities to contribute to positive social change in the lives of young people and in the local communities in which they are active;

• to contribute to knowledge and to impact on society through critical reflection and commentary on policies and practices relevant to young people’s lives.
   

Graduates will find employment in youth-centred work, whether engaging with young people generally or in activities that target hard-to-reach young people, who may be marginalised due to inequalities based on class and income, race and ethnicity, asylum-seeking or refugee status, sex, sexuality and gender, mental health, homelessness, physical and intellectual ability, etc. Graduates will also find work in cultural and sporting organisations that are interested in expanding opportunities for young people. Furthermore, the course helps students to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and to consider self-employment and social enterprise opportunities that are funded through government schemes, EU-level funding, international charities, and corporate sponsorship. Graduates may also be interested in careers in research or policy-making. Finally, graduates may be interested in pursuing PhD-level research.