Arts and Celtic Studies

UCD's College of Arts and Celtic Studies is an excellent choice for graduate study.

With Ireland's most extensive and dynamic concentration of humanities scholars, UCD has particular strengths in areas such as Celtic and Irish studies, Irish literature, history and heritage, folklore and archaeology as well as in fields such as music, linguistics, medieval studies, film studies, art history, classical studies and European languages, literatures and cultures. Research in the humanities at UCD is conducted both within the UCD College of Arts and Celtic Studies' eight Schools as well as in inter-disciplinary centres and institutes. UCD boasts a wide range of academic expertise in the arts and humanities and more information on staff specialisms can be accessed through the website.

Graduate research at UCD is further enhanced by the university's impressive research and archival infrastructure in the humanities. The National Folklore Collection at UCD is one of the largest folklore repositories in the world, Cartlann na gCanúintí (The Modern Irish Dialect Archive) has a unique collection of twentieth-century Irish language source material, while UCD Archives contain an unrivalled collection of material relating to Ireland's political history and the formation of the Irish state. The UCD Humanities Institute of Ireland (HII) supports leading edge inter-disciplinary and programmatic research whilst the HII's Irish Virtual Research Library and Archive is a pioneer in the field of humanities and ICT through its innovative programme of enabling interactive electronic access to UCD's archival collections. The UCD Ó Cléirigh Institute for the Study of Irish History and Civilisation provides a focus for Irish medieval studies while the UCD Clinton Institute for American Studies is inter-disciplinary in its research focus.

Please click on the icon below to view the Arts and Celtic Studies Taught Prospectus. (Published January 2012).  If you would like to receive a print copy of this prospectus, pleas email us at graduatestudies@ucd.ie

UCD School of Archaeology

UCD School of Archaeology is the leading archaeological research and teaching institution in Ireland, with a highly successful record in project and scholarship awards; the most extensive publication record and the largest archaeological postgraduate research community on this island. 

UCD School of Archaeology’s 3 major Research Themes (Ireland and the World; Landscape and Environment; Materialising Identities)aim to provide the home for research collaborations in projects, grant applications, the organisation of annual research seminars and conferences and an integration of staff and postgraduate research and undergraduate teaching

UCD School of Art History & Cultural Policy

The School offers a range of dynamic postgraduate programmes in Art History and Cultural Policy.  Our MA in Art History has the theme Cities: Art, Architecture and Aspiration and explores issues of urban identity and myth making during different eras in Venice, Rome, Dublin, New York, and elsewhere.  The School is also the centre for the only MA in Cultural Policy and Arts Management within Ireland.  It provides professional training for managers and leaders in the arts and heritage fields.  At PhD level we offer supervision in a range of diverse subject areas.

UCD School of Classics

The MA in Classics is suitable for graduates with degrees in Classics (Greek & Roman Civilization, Greek, or Latin) or related subjects (e.g. Philosophy, History, Archaeology) who want a deeper understanding of the ancient world. It emphasizes student participation, and students not only deepen their understanding of the ancient world but also develop transferable skills of research, group discussion, oral presentation, and academic writing. Students have the opportunity either to begin Greek or Latin or to study them at a more advanced level. UCD School of Classics also offers two research degrees, the MLitt in Classics and the PhD in Classics, both of which may be taken full-time or part-time. UCD School of Classics is a friendly and lively community, which puts on a wide range of events (e.g. Dublin Classics Seminar, Classical Society, workshops in the Classical Museum).

UCD School of English Drama & Film

The School of History and Archives

The School of History and Archives at University College Dublin has over thirty members of staff whose combined specialist interests cover a large geographical area and wide chronological range.  Building on its strong tradition of excellence in individual research, the School has nurtured particular concentrations of expertise with centres focusing on Irish studies, the history of medicine, the history of the media and war studies.  The School takes pride in fostering a challenging intellectual environment that promotes active learning and collegiality between students and staff, and offers a range of graduate courses that is unparalleled in Ireland.  Within the MA in history, students can choose between nine different thematic and chronological options. In addition, the School offers unique specialist Masters courses in the history of the Media, the Social and Cultural History of Medicine, and Medieval History. The School’s MA in Archives and Records Management is the only professionally accredited course of its kind in Ireland, which provides a recognised qualification for those wishing to work as archivists. The varied research interest of staff also enables the school to nurture a similar range of research in its research Masters and structured PhD programme. Each doctoral student within the school benefits from the close supervision and support of a primary supervisor and a dedicated Doctoral Studies Panel. The School houses significant and unique archival deposits, which represent an in-house resource of exceptional importance for research in all aspects of Irish history. All graduate programmes are available on either a full-time or a part-time basis.

School of Irish, Celtic Studies, Irish Folklore and Linguistics

The UCD School of Irish, Celtic Studies, Irish Folklore and Linguistics offers postgraduate students a wide range of choices in language, literature and culture on taught Diploma and Masters programmes, and in MLitt and PhD research degrees. The School’s staff, who are leading scholars and specialists in their disciplines, teach and supervise students, helping them to master particular subject and topic areas, and to become active and proficient members of their chosen intellectual and professional communities. Postgraduates in Folklore and Irish benefit additionally from the School’s unique collection of manuscript and printed material, which complement the University Library and general archives.

The School of Languages & Literatures

The School of Languages & Literatures is a vibrant research community and provides prospective graduate students with a wealth of study options, including an array of mono- and interdisciplinary taught Masters, which may be taken full- or part-time, as well as research degrees, in the shape of the MLitt and PhD, for suitably qualified candidates.

UCD School of Music

The Master in Musicology (MMus) is the only designated master’s degree in musicology in Ireland. We offer an innovative modular programme, which allows students to pursue a wide range of interests, working closely with some of the leading musical scholars in the country.

The Humanities Institute of Ireland

The HII showcases UCD’s expertise and scholarship in the humanities to develop international distinction that enhances the vitality and richness of Ireland’s cultural and intellectual experience.

The HII aims to develop the critical mass and international visibility of interdisciplinary research in the humanities at UCD by acting as a laboratory for the study of culture and the human experience. It complements research undertaken within related UCD Schools and research institutes while concurrently providing a neutral space for the delivery of interdisciplinary or post disciplinary research that transcends the intellectual boundaries of a particular subject or discipline. The HII will develop as a driving force for knowledge creation and transfer within UCD and in the context of the humanities and social sciences in Ireland and Europe.

The HII forms a key component within UCD’s strategic mission to develop as a leading European research intensive university. It constitutes a vibrant and creative space for interdisciplinary research in the arts and humanities in Ireland. Within UCD, the HII acts as a creative hub for interdisciplinary enquiry and discussion in the humanities and cognate social sciences. It provides both a physical and intellectual space for research clusters/projects, groups and centres. The HII serves as a dynamic and innovative environment for graduate students affiliated to HII member programmes and centres.

UCD Clinton Institute for American Studies

The UCD Clinton Institute was established in 2003 to provide a focus for research and postgraduate teaching in the field of American Studies. It offers Masters and PhD degrees in the field and also runs a programme of activities devoted to advancing academic research and public discussion about the United States. Drawing on many disciplines the Institute offers a dynamic and wide-ranging coverage of American politics, culture and society.

Through our research, teaching and programme of conferences, seminars, international exchanges and scholarships the Institute promotes American Studies nationally and internationally. It works to bring together existing work on American themes at Irish universities, build international research networks, and also develop links with cultural, diplomatic and business organisations with interest in the US.

The Institute is ideally located to focus particular attention on transatlantic issues, including US relations with Irish and Western Europe. It provides researchers, teachers and policy-makers with a forum for understanding changing relations between the US and European nations in their historical complexity and in relations to contemporary ideological, political and intellectual debates.