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History of Welfare & Medicine in Society

MA (NFQ Level 9)

This course is available through the following application route(s)

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Medicine, illness and welfare occupy a central place in all our lives. The MA in the History of Welfare and Medicine in Society is designed to enable you to understand the place of medicine and welfare in society and history (c1750-1980) and engage with critical debates through various media including film, literature, and art, amongst others.This innovative MA programme considers themes such as eugenics; migration; institutionalisation and patients’ experiences, analysed through social, gender, class and post-colonial history.

 

  • 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.

 

The programme explores the main trends within welfare and medical history from social history, gender history, post-colonial history to individual experiences of poverty, and of illness throughout history. You will explore how medicine and welfare regimes and policies overlapped with culturally constructed conceptions of femininity and masculinity, and race and ethnicity. 

 

  • The MA has a reputation for excellence taught by lecturers with international profiles.
  • Modules are taught through seminars. You will develop expertise in presenting, analytical thinking, effective communication, and writing with clarity and precision.
  • The dissertation, at the core of the MA, allows you to engage your own research-based interests.

About This Course

 

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 include:

  • 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.
  • 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 are:

  • 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. Students of the MA have the opportunity to receive additional training in the development of funding applications if they decide to pursue a PhD.

The MA qualification from School of History and Archives gives you a broad-based knowledge and expertise that will provide you with theoretical and practical skills you need for the long-term development of your career. You will be equipped to excel in numerous careers that value critical thinking, writing and time- and project-management skills. Since the establishment of the MA in 2007, Graduates of the Programme have entered a range of employment opportunities in:

  • Accountancy
  • Media
  • Law
  • Academia
  • Teaching
  • NGOs
  • Arts
  • Graduates of the programme have been very successful in securing funding to pursue PhDs in the field at Irish, British, and European institutions.

 

Below is a list of all modules offered for this degree in the current academic year. Click on the module to discover what you will learn in the module, how you will learn and assessment feedback profile amongst other information.

Incoming Stage 1 undergraduates can usually select an Elective in the Spring Trimester. Most continuing undergraduate students can select up to two Elective modules (10 Credits) per stage. There is also the possibility to take up to 10 extra Elective credits.

Module Type Module   Trimester Credits
Stage 1 Core Modules
HIS42690 Delving into the Archives Autumn  10
Stage 1 Core Modules
HIS42020 Disseminating History Spring  10
Stage 1 Core Modules
HIS42940 Body, Disease and Society Spring  10
Stage 1 Core Modules
HIS42880 Dissertation Year-long (12 months)  30
Stage 1 Options - A)3 of:
Students select modules worth a total of 30 credits. It is recommended that students balance their workload between the first and second trimester. Modules can be chosen in consultation with the Programme Director.
ENG32380 Sexuality and the State in Irish Drama and Culture Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - A)3 of:
Students select modules worth a total of 30 credits. It is recommended that students balance their workload between the first and second trimester. Modules can be chosen in consultation with the Programme Director.
HIS31440 Ireland in the long 1960s Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - A)3 of:
Students select modules worth a total of 30 credits. It is recommended that students balance their workload between the first and second trimester. Modules can be chosen in consultation with the Programme Director.
HIS32350 Alcohol, Drugs & Society Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - A)3 of:
Students select modules worth a total of 30 credits. It is recommended that students balance their workload between the first and second trimester. Modules can be chosen in consultation with the Programme Director.
HIS32730 The Digital Humanities Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - A)3 of:
Students select modules worth a total of 30 credits. It is recommended that students balance their workload between the first and second trimester. Modules can be chosen in consultation with the Programme Director.
HIS41780 Origins of Modern Diplomacy Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - A)3 of:
Students select modules worth a total of 30 credits. It is recommended that students balance their workload between the first and second trimester. Modules can be chosen in consultation with the Programme Director.
HIS42660 Historiography and Historical Debate in Twentieth-century Ireland Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - A)3 of:
Students select modules worth a total of 30 credits. It is recommended that students balance their workload between the first and second trimester. Modules can be chosen in consultation with the Programme Director.
HIS42860 The Body in Modern Warfare Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - A)3 of:
Students select modules worth a total of 30 credits. It is recommended that students balance their workload between the first and second trimester. Modules can be chosen in consultation with the Programme Director.
HIS42380 Research Collaboration Autumn and Spring (separate)  10
Stage 1 Options - A)3 of:
Students select modules worth a total of 30 credits. It is recommended that students balance their workload between the first and second trimester. Modules can be chosen in consultation with the Programme Director.
HIS31310 Madness and Civilisation Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - A)3 of:
Students select modules worth a total of 30 credits. It is recommended that students balance their workload between the first and second trimester. Modules can be chosen in consultation with the Programme Director.
HIS42490 Landscape and Environment in Ireland, 1500-1800 Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - A)3 of:
Students select modules worth a total of 30 credits. It is recommended that students balance their workload between the first and second trimester. Modules can be chosen in consultation with the Programme Director.
HIS42590 De Valera's Ireland Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - A)3 of:
Students select modules worth a total of 30 credits. It is recommended that students balance their workload between the first and second trimester. Modules can be chosen in consultation with the Programme Director.
HIS42840 Modern Asia Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - A)3 of:
Students select modules worth a total of 30 credits. It is recommended that students balance their workload between the first and second trimester. Modules can be chosen in consultation with the Programme Director.
HIS42950 How the West came to rule Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - A)3 of:
Students select modules worth a total of 30 credits. It is recommended that students balance their workload between the first and second trimester. Modules can be chosen in consultation with the Programme Director.
HIS42960 Themes in the History and Anthropology of Southeast Asia Spring  10

Simone Doyle 
MA student, 2021

'From the end of my 2nd year as an undergraduate I had an idea for a thesis. The moment I discussed it with the MA co-ordinator, I knew the MA in the History of Welfare and Medicine in Society was for me. It was the perfect fit. This MA gave me the opportunity to further my research, organization, analytical and public speaking skills. This programme allowed me greater autonomy to research, share and develop the topics I was interested in. I also gained valuable experience working with archival material. The  academic staff are incredibly helpful, supportive and knowledgeable. Because of all this and the great working relationship with lecturers, I was inspired to continue my research. This MA gave me invaluable skills to study further and pursue career options in academia and in related areas. It was one of the best decisions I’ve made.'

 

Dr Jane Hand  
Research Fellow, University of Warwick
MA Student, 2011

The MA in History of Welfare and Medicine in Society was the perfect fit for me. It allowed me to develop my interests in the history of medicine and equipped me with the exciting research skills I needed to undertake further postgraduate study in this area. The lecturers are very enthusiastic about their areas of expertise and I found this really inspiring. Their commitment encouraged me to continue with further postgraduate study, before embarking on a career in academia. The MA was invaluable in preparing me for my career in research and introduced me to a lively and engaged community of researchers that have enriched my working life.  
                                                                                                                                                                                                                

 

History of Welfare & Medicine in Society (Z240) Full Time
EU          fee per year - € 9330
nonEU    fee per year - € 22600

History of Welfare & Medicine in Society (Z241) Part Time
EU          fee per year - € 4660
nonEU    fee per year - € 11300

***Fees are subject to change

Tuition fee information is available on the UCD Fees website. Please note that UCD offers a number of graduate scholarships for full-time, self-funding international students, holding an offer of a place on a UCD graduate degree programme. For further information please see International Scholarships.  

 

  • ​A primary degree in an appropriate field such as a Bachelor of Arts, or in a cognate discipline such as medicine and nursing. You must supply details of any third level institutions you have attended and professional qualifications you have attained.
  • Excellent academic grades 2H1 or an equivalent of a UCD GPA 3.2  NFQ Level 8.  Transcripts will be required
  • You will be asked to complete a supporting statement outlining your reasons and motivation for wishing to undertake the course
  • Two academic references from referees who are in a position to assess your intellectual ability, maturity and motivation.
  • Candidates whose first language is not English are normally expected to have achieved an overall 6.5 in IELTS or equivalent with no individual band lower than 6.
  • Students meeting the programme’s academic entry requirements but not the English language requirements, may enter the programme upon successful completion of UCD’s International Pre-Master’s Pathway programmes. Please see the following link for further information: https://www.ucd.ie/alc/programmes/pathways/int%20pmp/
You may be eligible for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), as UCD recognises formal, informal, and/or experiential learning. RPL may be awarded to gain Admission and/or credit exemptions on a programme. Please visit the UCD Registry RPL web page for further information.

Full Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EU) applicants: Yes

Part Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EEA) applicants: Yes


The MA in the Social & Cultural History of Medicine 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. The MA is popular among health-care professionals keen to understand historical contexts in their profession, but also invites students from a range of academic backgrounds. While some background in the history of medicine and welfare is helpful, it is not mandatory. 


General application route(s) for Irish/UK/EU applicants* for International (non-EU) applicants* to History of Welfare & Medicine in Society:

ROWCLASS Apply to   Application Type  
showAudience-audienceEU showAudience-audienceInt Z240
History of Welfare & Medicine in Society
Master of Arts
Full-Time
Commencing September 2024
Graduate Taught Closed
showAudience-audienceEU showAudience-audienceInt Z241
History of Welfare & Medicine in Society
Master of Arts
Part-Time
Commencing September 2024
Graduate Taught Closed
showAudience-audienceEU showAudience-audienceInt Z240
History of Welfare & Medicine in Society
Master of Arts
Full-Time
Commencing September 2025
Graduate Taught Apply
showAudience-audienceEU showAudience-audienceInt Z241
History of Welfare & Medicine in Society
Master of Arts
Part-Time
Commencing September 2025
Graduate Taught Apply
* you can change options at the top of the page