Course Overview

This cross-disciplinary programme, unique in Ireland, provides students with a firm foundation in the study of European—including Irish—cultures, languages and societies from the Classical period to the end of the Middle Ages. The course’s interdisciplinary requirements encourage students to view the past in a multidimensional way while they learn core linguistic and other technical skills necessary for academic research in the Antique and Medieval worlds.

Applications and Selections

Applications are made online via the University of Galway Postgraduate Applications SystemSelection is based on applicants’ academic records, academic references stating their potential for completing a research project, as well as samples of applicants’ written work.

Who Teaches this Course

Please click here for details of who teaches this course. 

researcher
Mr. Conor Newman
MA
Senior Lecturer
Archaeology Department
Quadrangle
NUI, Galway
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researcher
Dr Kieran Denis O'Conor
Senior Lecturer
Dept. of Archaeology
Room 213
Arts/Science Building
NUI Galway
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researcher
Dr Jacopo Bisagni
PhD
Lecturer Above The Bar
Classics
NUI Galway
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researcher
Prof. Michael Clarke
B.A., D. Phil.
Professor
Department of Classics
NUI, Galway
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researcher
Dr Pádraic Moran
Ph.D.
Lecturer in Classics
Arts & Sciences Building
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
NUI Galway
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Requirements and Assessment

Assessment varies according to each module and includes essays, projects, presentations and exams. A dissertation (15,000 words) must be submitted in August.

Key Facts

Entry Requirements

A Second Class Honours, Grade 1 BA, or a GPA of 3.3, or equivalent international undergraduate degree (at NFQ Level 8) in a relevant subject. Selection is based on applicants’ academic records, academic references stating their potential for completing a research project, as well as samples of applicants’ written work.


Additional Requirements

Duration

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

Next start date

September 2023

A Level Grades ()

Average intake

15

QQI/FET FETAC Entry Routes

Closing Date

You are advised to apply early, which may result in an early offer; see the offer round dates

NFQ level

Mode of study

ECTS weighting

90

Award

CAO

Course code

MA-MEDA

Course Outline

This programme has four core modules:  

  • Latin   (taken at a level commensurate with the student’s prior experience)
  • Research Perspectives: Students will attend Research Labs in the Centre for Antique, Medieval, and Pre-Modern Studies, which provide a forum for staff and graduate students from all subjects involved to come together in order to present works-in-progress and debate research issues 
  • Palaeography : An introduction to scripts and manuscripts written from the first to the fifteenth centuries combining self-directed learning with curated online materials and team-taught workshops 
  • Antiquities and Medievalisms: An examination of the object of study from its roots to its re-appropriations, this module explores how post-antique and post-medieval cultures have shaped the popular understanding of those two worlds.  

In addition 

  • Students will choose two electives: at least one module in Language and/or Literature (Early English, French, Irish, Norse, etc.). No prior knowledge of these languages is required. They may also choose modules from Archaeology, Classics, History and other subjects represented in the CAMPS community. 
  • Students will produce a minor dissertation (15,000 words) under the direction of a supervisor.

 

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.
Subject
Some courses allow you to choose subjects, where related modules are grouped together. Subjects have their own required number of credits, so you must take all that subject's required modules and may also need to obtain the remainder of the subject's total credits by choosing from its available optional modules.
Optional
A module you may choose to study.
Required
A module that you must study if you choose this course (or subject).
Required Core Subject
A subject you must study because it's integral to that course.
Semester
Most courses have 2 semesters (aka terms) per year, so a three-year course will have six semesters in total. For clarity, this page will refer to the first semester of year 2 as 'Semester 3'.

Year 1 (90 Credits)

Optional MV532: Aspects of Old & Middle Irish Literature 1 - 5 Credits - Semester 1
Optional MV537: Aspects of Late Antiquity 1 - 5 Credits - Semester 1
Optional MV539: Aspects of Old Norse & Icelandic Languages & Literature 1 - 5 Credits - Semester 1
Optional MV520: Aspects of Medieval History 1 - 5 Credits - Semester 1
Optional MV522: Aspects of medieval Archaeology 1 - 5 Credits - Semester 1
Optional MV524: Aspects of Medieval & Middle French Literature 1 - 5 Credits - Semester 1
Optional MV526: Aspects of Old & Middle English Literature 1 - 5 Credits - Semester 1
Optional MV528: Aspects of Old & Middle High German Literature 1 - 5 Credits - Semester 1
Optional MV530: Aspects of Medieval Italian Literature 1 - 5 Credits - Semester 1
Optional MV6112: Medieval Latin for Beginners - 10 Credits - Semester 1
Optional MV6113: Intermediate Medieval Latin A - 5 Credits - Semester 1
Optional MV560: Dissertation (History) - 30 Credits - Semester 1
Optional MV562: Dissertation (French) - 30 Credits - Semester 1
Optional MV561: Dissertation (Archaeology) - 30 Credits - Semester 1
Optional MV565: Dissertation (Italian) - 30 Credits - Semester 1
Optional MV563: Dissertation (English) - 30 Credits - Semester 1
Optional MV569: Dissertation (Classics & Late Antiquity) - 30 Credits - Semester 1
Optional MV564: Dissertation (German) - 30 Credits - Semester 1
Optional MV567: Dissertation (Old & Medieval Welsh) - 30 Credits - Semester 1
Optional MV566: Dissertation (Old & Middle Irish) - 30 Credits - Semester 1
Optional MV504: Old & Middle English - 10 Credits - Semester 1
Optional MV505: Old High & Middle High German - 10 Credits - Semester 1
Optional MV506: Grammar of Old & Middle Irish 2 - 10 Credits - Semester 1
Optional MV507: Grammar of Old & Middle Irish I - 10 Credits - Semester 1
Optional MV509: Medieval & Middle French - 10 Credits - Semester 1
Required MV6116: Sources & Resources for Medieval Studies - 10 Credits - Semester 1
Required MV6111: Palaeography - 10 Credits - Semester 1
Optional MV6101: Supervised Dissertation Research (Archaeology) - 5 Credits - Semester 2
Optional MV6103: Supervised Dissertation Research (Old and Middle Welsh) - 5 Credits - Semester 2
Optional MV6104: Supervised Dissertation Research (Old and Middle Irish) - 5 Credits - Semester 2
Optional MV6105: Supervised Dissertation Research (Italian) - 5 Credits - Semester 2
Optional MV6106: Supervised Dissertation Research (History) - 5 Credits - Semester 2
Optional MV6107: Supervised Dissertation Research (German) - 5 Credits - Semester 2
Optional MV6108: Supervised Dissertation Research (French) - 5 Credits - Semester 2
Optional MV6109: Supervised Dissertation Research (English) - 5 Credits - Semester 2
Optional MV6102: Supervised Dissertation Research (Late Antiquity) - 5 Credits - Semester 2
Optional MV540: Aspects of Old Norse & Icelandic Languages & Literature 2 - 5 Credits - Semester 2
Optional MV515: Sources of Early Irish History - 5 Credits - Semester 2
Optional MV538: Aspects of Late Antiquity 2 - 5 Credits - Semester 2
Optional MV521: Aspects of Medieval History 2 - 5 Credits - Semester 2
Optional MV525: Aspects of Medieval & Middle French Literature 2 - 5 Credits - Semester 2
Optional MV527: Aspects of Old & Middle English Literature 2 - 5 Credits - Semester 2
Optional MV529: Aspects of Old & Middle High German Literature 2 - 5 Credits - Semester 2
Optional MV531: Aspects of Medieval Italian Literature 2 - 5 Credits - Semester 2
Optional MV533: Aspects of Old & Middle Irish Literature 2 - 5 Credits - Semester 2
Optional MV6114: Intermedate Medieval Latin B - 5 Credits - Semester 2
Optional MV6115: Advanced Medieval Latin B - 5 Credits - Semester 2
Optional MV523: Aspects of Medieval Archaeology 2 - 5 Credits - Semester 2

Why Choose This Course?

Career Opportunities

Many graduates of this programme pursue research at doctoral level and beyond. Others have gone into careers in cultural and heritage development, library and museum studies, publishing and the book trade, print journalism, research consultancies, financial services, the civil service, teaching, and administration. 

Who’s Suited to This Course

Learning Outcomes

Transferable Skills Employers Value

On completion of this course, students will have demonstrated competence in:

  • Critical thinking
  • Analytical reasoning
  • Communication
  • Active listening
  • Writing
  • Self-awareness and reflection
  • Synthesis of multiple sources of information
  • Research skills
  • Teamwork
  • Organisation through project management and time management
  • Intellectual adaptability
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Ability to learn a second language

Work Placement

Study Abroad

Related Student Organisations

Course Fees

Fees: EU

€7,190 full-time; €3,630 part-time p.a. 2023/24

Fees: Tuition

€7,050 full-time; €3,525 part-time p.a. 2023/24

Fees: Student levy

€140 full-time; €105 part-time p.a. 2023/24

Fees: Non EU

€17,780 p.a. 2023/24


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


What Our Students Say

Julia

Julia Warnes |   MA Medieval Studies

Medieval Studies is ideal because of its interdisciplinary nature...One of it's most encouraging aspects is that the faculty have been so supportive and they really take an interest in the students. Galway is a great city to meet new people and make lifelong friends. Probably the number one word I would use to describe the place is "welcoming". NUI Galway is a great place to study, with it's high academic standards and supportive student environment.
Kenneth

Kenneth Coyne |   Hardiman PhD Fellow in History, NUIG

It is a wonderful course because one can study a wide range of disciplines on an introductory level and proceed quickly onto a higher level. . . . [Although] my main focus was History and Latin . . . I learned so much from the modules I took in Palaeography, Old French and Archaeology [that] is a constant benefit to me in the course of my current research

Downloads

  • Postgraduate Prospectus 2023

    Postgraduate Prospectus 2023 PDF (20.6MB)

  • Medieval and Antiquity Brochure

    Medieval and Antiquity Brochure PDF (2.4MB)