Structure of the ba degree
structur na ceime ba

The length of the full-time day programme leading to the Degree of Bachelor of Arts is three years although, prior to entering their final year, students may apply to do the B.A. International, a four-year programme, which offers students the opportunity to study for a year abroad.

Department of History in the Faculty of Arts

History has been included within the curriculum of the University since its foundation, although the first Professor of History was not appointed until 1914. The Department has, at present, a full-time teaching staff of thirteen, and courses on medieval and modern history treat of aspects of the histories of Ireland, Britain, Continental Europe, the United States of America, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Many of the courses are thematic, and compare developments across time and space. The Department offers a full degree programme in Irish as well as in English and admits students to research programmes leading to the degree of Ph.D.

Aims of the Programme

The ambition of the History Department is to promote an interest among students in the lives of people in past times, and to bring students to understand the forces that impacted upon these peoples' lives, and the ways in which they, in turn, moulded their environment. Students of History will be brought to realise that our world did not take on its current appearance by chance, but is the product of specific developments and of choices made by people in the past.

Students of History will ask questions of evidence from the past, and in the course of doing so they will acquire skills that will prove valuable for life. These include the ability to analyse historical sources, to test the accuracy of an argument against the available evidence, and to evaluate conflicting interpretation. Students of History will also be taught how to seek information, whether in the library or on the world-wide web, and how to organise material into a coherent argument both through tutorial discussion and written assignments.

Thus the study of history enriches every other discipline taught in the Faculty of Arts.

History as a First Year Subject

Entry Requirements:
All matriculated students can opt for History as a First Year subject. Students who have not studied History in school are at no disadvantage; much more important is a willingness to read widely, a capacity for independent thinking, and the ability to express your thoughts succinctly.

Subject Choices:
History may be taken with any other three subjects (except Spanish, Applied Maths and Maths Physics, which are in the same subject-group as History). A knowledge of languages is particularly beneficial for students of History at more advanced levels.

Course Content:
The first-year course offers a broad introduction to the discipline of history, providing a good ground for students who have never previously studied history and allowing those who took history at school to build upon their earlier studies. Topics in the first year course may vary from year to year. Follow the link for the current first-year course.

An Ghaeilge & an Stair:
Tá cúrsa iomlán trí mheán na Gaeilge ar fáil ón gCéad Bhliain ar aghaidh. Tá billeog eolais faoi leith ar fáil faoin gcúrsa Staire.

History For The B.A. Degree

Students wishing to continue with History in Second Year must obtain a clear pass (40%) in the subject at the First Arts examinations, and pass the Arts examinations as a whole.

Second and Final Year (B.A.) Courses:
There is an increasing element of choice open to History students as they proceed into their Second and Final years of study. Students take five modules each year. Second-year students are obliged to take one Colloquium (10 ECTS) and four Lecture Modules (5 ECTS). Over the year the student takes at least one module in each of the special areas of medieval, early modern and modern history. Final-year students take one Seminar (10 ECTS) and four lecture modules (5 ECTS). Choice of lecture modules is open. Staff provide courses in the history of Ireland, Britain, continental Europe, North America, Australasia, Africa and Asia. These courses cover the period from the Middle Ages to the present day. Themes include the role of women, slavery, the Irish famine, science, religion and nationalism. Follow the links for information on the current 2nd and Final Year courses.

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