The MA Geography is aimed at students who wish to develop a deeper understanding of key geographical ideas and themes including but not limited to historical geography, environment, and human geography while studying in Ireland. We encourage students to embrace opportunities to develop their critical thinking skills, undertake independent research in an area of specialist interest such as historical geography or other areas of human geography and environment, and enhance their geospatial skills set.
UCD Geography Masters offer exciting and engaging courses that explore sustainability, geopolitics, power and inequalities, and GIS. These Masters programmes offer students the possibilities of engaging with key world issues in ways that seek to shape their future, alongside the future of the planet. They appeal both to those who feel that they are more focused on science-based issues, and those who have more social science or Arts interests. Offering practical skills, such as the ability to use GIS (Geographical Information Systems), students create and deliver their own research project with experts in key areas of interest, and engage in hands-on learning, including overseas field trips.
A Geography Masters at UCD offers you a plurality of possibilities to engage your experience and current learning, giving you advanced skills and expertise that will develop your career opportunities, taking you the next level in new and exciting directions for shaping the future. You will study a cutting edge research-led curriculum with leading international experts in Geography.
The Masters are one year, full-time or two-year, part-time, postgraduate courses, and involve lectures, seminars, extensive reading and supervised research. Students on these programmes will take compulsory modules in research design and geographical analytical techniques, as well as a fieldwork module relevant to their area of study. Some of the programmes then require students to select a certain number of credits worth of optional modules from a menu of available courses, including – in some cases – modules offered by other schools that further promote interdisciplinary study. Finally, students are required to complete a 30-credit dissertation.
The MA Geopolitics & the Global Economy equips students with an in-depth understanding of critical political geographies and geopolitics, international relations, war and diplomacy as well as global economic processes. The programme is designed to enhance conceptual understanding, analytical abilities, and practical skill sets through small group teaching, appraisal of up to date readings, and student engagement with geopolitics through face to face interviews with political elites and diplomat practitioners. To this end, high-level fieldwork in Brussels’ sites of geopolitics (the European Commission, European Parliament, Diplomatic Embassies and Representations) is offered exclusively for students on this programme. More about the programme.
The MSc Critical Geographies: Power and Inequality will offer students a robust critical analysis of power relations and inequalities that define our contemporary and past worlds, in search of improved futures. This Master's offers a unique opportunity to engage with critical geographies, as the only taught Masters of its kind globally. It offers hands-on, in the field learning with a choice of field trips, including a Global South option. The programme seeks to work with students to engage and use their understandings and experiences in ways that develop their analytical, intellectual and practical skills. More about the programme.
The MSc Geospatial Data Analysis equips students with practical and applied skills in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) for social and environmental sciences. It provides them with a solid theoretical, conceptual and methodological understanding of GIS and RS that covers legislative requirements and ethical considerations. The programme includes guest speakers from research and industry, exposing students to potential career opportunities in the area. The focus of the programme is on gaining applied skills on spatial data management, visualization, analysis and interpretation within the wider context of sustainable development. Students will have the opportunity to tailor the application of geospatial technologies to their research and career needs from a range of subject areas. More about the programme.
The MSc Risk, Resilience and Sustainability offers students a critical comprehension of Risk, Resilience and Sustainability, three keywords of our time. Risk permeates our day-to-day lives. Concepts such as ‘critical infrastructure’ underpin government initiatives to prepare, and manage for, global challenges such as climate change, natural disasters, ecological uncertainty, and extreme social inequity. Geography as a discipline offers expertise in the environment (e.g. hazards such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, cyclones, floods and other environmental hazards) and the societal dimensions of risk, resilience and sustainability and is well placed to offer an interdisciplinary framework through these paradigms. More about the programme.
All our Taught Masters programmes are offered full-time and part-time.
The full-time programmes are one-year in length beginning in September and finishing in the following August. Students must accumulate a total of 90-credits, of which 30-credits are associated with an independent research thesis. In semester 1 of the programme, students will develop a formal research proposal and be assigned a supervisor to oversee the completion of the research project.
The part-time option is taken over 2 years and students must accumulate a total of 90-credits, of which 30-credits are associated with an independent research thesis.
Additionally, the MSc Geospatial Data Analysis and the MSc Risk Resilience and Sustainability are offered as 60-credit diplomas. The Diploma option runs from September to the end of May, involves two semesters of taught courses and there is no final thesis. This may be particularly suitable for those returning to study or who wish to undertake Continuing Professional Development to support their personal, academic or career goals.