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Undergraduate Teaching


Medical history is taught as part of undergraduate [Medicine, Culture and Society; Sexuality and Society; Madness and Civilization; Gender Sexuality and Family] and postgraduate programmes.


MA Programme


A Masters Programme in Social and Cultural History of Medicine is available in the School of History and Archives at UCD. (Apply here). This programme is designed for high calibre graduates who want to pursue an innovative history MA degree. It is suitable for graduates with a BA degree or a primary degree in the Humanities or in a cognate field such as medicine or nursing. While some background in the history of medicine and welfare is helpful, it is not mandatory.

What will I learn?

The MA is designed to enable students to engage at a high level with critical debates within the history of medicine and welfare from the early modern period to the twentieth century.

Course Objectives:

  • You will acquire the practical and conceptual skills needed for an academic and non-academic workplace.

  • You will develop an understanding of the importance of the history of medicine and welfare in Ireland and internationally, and its contribution to the field of social, gender, and post-colonial history.

  • You will also develop an insight into patients’ experiences of illness throughout history and of the relationship between history and the development of current health policy.

  • Through the development of presentations skills, the peer-review of students’ work and engaging in lively intellectual debates, you will develop core skills for the workplace.

  • You will graduate with a MA from a leading international School of History and Archives, and from a centre of excellence in medical history giving you a competitive advantage.

    • Jane Hand

    MA Graduate Testimonial #1

    MA in Social and Cultural History of Medicine Graduate (2011) and Wellcome Trust MA Scholarship recipient Jane Hand discusses her experience of the MA course.

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    How will I benefit?

    The programme is recognised and highly regarded by employers, academics and funding bodies. It will also accelerate your long-term career objectives as it enhances the marketability of your qualification.

    Programme Strengths:

  • The MA in the Social and Cultural History of Medicine is taught by a combination of experienced academic staff from a variety of backgrounds in Irish history, British and European history, and Classics.

  • The MA provides students with a unique opportunity to engage with an international network of medical historians. They are encouraged to participate in events organized by the Centre for the History of Medicine in Ireland. These include a lively seminar series, workshops, and outreach and media activities (see www.ucd.ie/historyarchives/body).

  • The MA provides a historical context for those working in health-care. Students on the MA come from diverse academic backgrounds and pursue different careers.

    • David Durnin

    MA Graduate Testimonial #2

    Listen below to MA in Social and Cultural History of Medicine Graduate (2010) and current IRCHSS-funded PhD student David Durnin as he discusses his experience of the MA course.

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    What is the programme about?

    Medicine, illness and welfare occupies a central place in all our lives. The MA is designed to enable students who want to understand the place of medicine and welfare in society and history (c1750-1980) and to engage with some critical debates. Students will have the opportunity to explore themes through various media including film, literature, and art, amongst others.

  • How did culture and society respond to disease, health campaigns, new medical theories and innovations? Is there a relationship between medicine, welfare, ethnicity and identity?

  • How is medical and lay knowledge of sickness and therapeutics formed?

  • Can an understanding of these questions help in the development of current public health policy?

  • The MA provides a comprehensive understanding of historical methodologies and their potential application to current debates about disease and welfare.

  • The practical skills – project-management, writing with clarity and precision, and communication skills – garnered are essential for a range of careers including teaching, all forms of media, politics and academia.

    • Apply for the MA programme here.
    Des Bates

    MA Graduate Testimonial #3

    MA in Social and Cultural History of Medicine Graduate (2010) and Wellcome Trust MA Scholarship recipient Des Bates discusses his experience of the MA course.

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    PhD Programme


    The PhD is a three to four year programme of independent but supervised research, which makes an original contribution to a historical subject. There is a lively cohort of PhD students associated with the Centre for the History of Medicine in Ireland at UCD. At present, David Durnin [‘The War Away from Home’: Irish Medical Migration during the Great War Era], Alice Mauger [The great class which lies between: Provision for the non-pauper insane in Ireland, 1830-1900] and Kirsten Mulrennan, [Giving a Voice to the Silent: Issues in Archiving Medical Records in Ireland and the UK: Access, Ethics, and Representation] are undertaking doctoral research. Nigel Farrell [Epidemic Disease in Mid-Nineteenth Century Belfast] and Sean Graffin [A Comparative History of Nurses from the Belfast Royal Victoria Hospital and the Glasgow Royal Infirmary 1900-22] are attached to the Centre in UU.

    All members of staff associated with the Centre welcome enquiries from students wishing to enrol in a PhD programme.

     


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