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Courses
Courses
Choosing a course is one of the most important decisions you'll ever make! View our courses and see what our students and lecturers have to say about the courses you are interested in at the links below.
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University Life
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About NUI Galway
About NUI Galway
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Research & Innovation
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Business & Industry
Guiding Breakthrough Research at NUI Galway
We explore and facilitate commercial opportunities for the research community at NUI Galway, as well as facilitating industry partnership.
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Alumni, Friends & Supporters
Alumni, Friends & Supporters
There are over 90,000 NUI Galway graduates Worldwide, connect with us and tap into the online community.
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Community Engagement
Community Engagement
At NUI Galway, we believe that the best learning takes place when you apply what you learn in a real world context. That's why many of our courses include work placements or community projects.
English and Drama (Diploma)
Course Overview
The Diploma in English & Drama aims to introduce students to the fundamentals of literary analysis. Students learn to deal with issues of genre and style, to apply diverse critical perspectives and to recognise the ways in which literature and theatre functions in society.
Through a detailed study of poets, the programme explores relationship between form, content and culture in poetic art. In its focus on drama, the course analyses selected plays playing close attention to issues such as theatrical practice, spectatorship and the social function of theatre. This diploma also introduces students to the world of fiction, to its formal and thematic properties and looks at facets of fiction writing such as characterisation, plot, setting and diction.
This course offers a broad overview of the field, demonstrating the many ways in which English and Drama Studies form a basis for a spectrum of critical thinking and cultural analysis. It also entails the study of specific literary and theatrical areas. Students taking this specialism will refine, develop and/or acquire skills in close reading and critical analysis, improve and enhance oral and written expression, and emerge with an expanded sense of imaginative and cultural possibility.
Applications and Selections
Applications for this course will open in April 2023.
Who Teaches this Course
Requirements and Assessment
All modules in the Diploma are individually assessed. The assessment for each module takes the form of essays, written assignments or presentations during the semester.
Key Facts
Entry Requirements
There are no specific entry requirements for the Diploma in English and Drama.
Entry requirements for part-time students can be found in our FAQs section (i.e. age, english language requirements etc.).
Additional Requirements
Duration
2 years, part-time
Next start date
2023
A Level Grades ()
Average intake
20
Closing Date
TBC
NFQ level
7
Mode of study
Blended learning
ECTS weighting
30
Award
CAO
Course code
Course Outline
There are six modules on offer within the course structure and student are required to take three modules each year.
Year 1
Victorian Literature 1832 - 1901
Poems, Stories and Politics – An Introduction to the Study of Literary Texts
Theatre Histories 1
Year 2
Old English Poetry
Gothic Literature
Theatre Histories 2
Alternative modules may be on offer in year 1 or year 2 due to the variety of specialisms on offer in each Diploma cycle.
Classes will be held approximately one Saturday per month.
Why Choose This Course?
Career Opportunities
Students of the course may progress to the . It would also benefit those who work in a related area.
Who’s Suited to This Course
This Diploma is intended for adult learners who are interested in English and Drama and is equally attractive to graduates and non-graduates alike. Students graduating with this diploma should have acquired an appreciation of the cultural and expressive resources of literature and drama and an ability to think critically about literary text and drama. It could be seen as a first step towards degree-level studies or to work in related arts and education fields. It may be of particular interest, but not exclusively so, to first and second level teachers and others interested in the contribution of English and Drama to education, local studies, heritage and tourism.
Learning Outcomes
Work Placement
Study Abroad
Related Student Organisations
Course Fees
Fees: EU
Fees: Tuition
Fees: Student levy
Fees: Non EU
A fees scholarship of up to 30% may be available for students who wish to upskill for the purposes of re-employment. Students must be registered as unemployed and in receipt of one of the following: Job-seekers Benefit, Job-seekers Allowance, One-parent family allowance, Disability allowance, Community Employment Scheme or signing for social insurance contribution credits. Please download the for more information.
Find out More
Course Administrator
Tel: 091 492144
Fax: 091 525051
E-mail: artspt@nuigalway.ie
What Our Students Say

Lorna Fitzpatrick | Current Student
I decided to do this course for personal development, rather than professional reasons. I had been out of education for a long time and felt it was the right time to go back and study a subject that I was interested in. I was initially interested in an English Literature course, but it was adapted to English and Drama the year I applied. However, I found that the drama modules were a nice diversion from the English, and the modules covered were interesting. Our lecturers also teach on the full-time day courses, therefore we received personal tutoring from some brilliant academics. I hope to go on and finish the BA next year at NUIG. I would advise people who are unsure of workloads to look at the diploma first in order to ascertain the time you can give to the course, particularly if you work full-time. For me, I was glad to complete the diploma first; it helped me to manage my time and gave me an idea of how much work was required going forward. Finally, I have been studying with a great group of people and have made some good friends through this course. It wasn’t easy at times, but has definitely been rewarding for me, both academically and socially.