Programme Overview:
- Duration:
- 1 Years / 2 Years
- Attendance:
- Full Time / Part Time
- Mode of Delivery:
- Face-to-Face
- Next Intake:
- 2024/2025 September
- Contact Name:
- D'Arcey Jackson
- Contact Number:
- +353 (0)1 716 8371
- Fees:
- Fee Information
UCD is a university with real depth and breadth of expertise in medieval studies, located in a city with a rich medieval heritage. The study of the Middle Ages has flourished at UCD for over a century, and the MA Medieval Studies takes an interdisciplinary approach, offering modules across a variety of disciplines, including Archaeology, Art History, Classics, English, History, Languages, and Music. Classes are designed around small-group sessions in which students work with a specialist in the field and are allowed to develop their own areas of interest and research skills to produce a dissertation. UCD’s archives hold some of Ireland’s most important medieval manuscripts, and the library’s resources include the source collections and databases essential for medieval scholarship.
Our graduates progress to a wide range of interesting careers.
Many of our alumni work in international business, foreign affairs and Dublin's vibrant tech sector, where a background in the humanities is particularly valued. Other graduates work in senior positions across a diverse range of industries including education, the media, NGOs and the Arts, while some continue on to PhD research.
Curricular information is subject to change
Full Time option suitable for:
Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EEA) applicants currently residing outside of the EEA Region. Yes
Part Time option suitable for:
Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EEA) applicants currently residing outside of the EEA Region. No
Our students come from different academic backgrounds and choose a range of career paths. What they have in common is an interest in the medieval world, and an eagerness to explore different ways of investigating and understanding that world. We value an interdisciplinary approach to the Middle Ages: students are allowed to choose from relevant subjects in History, English, Irish, Archaeology, Languages, Classics and Music, from Ireland to Byzantium and from the fall of the Roman Empire to the dawn of the Renaissance. We use complementary learning and assessment methods, culminating in a research dissertation.
Students are introduced to research methods and skills in small groups, working with their peers; they attend classes on specialist subjects of their choice; they work with a supervisor on a dissertation subject. They are taught by specialists in their field and are encouraged to participate in the community of medieval scholars at UCD through seminars and reading groups. As such, it is a suitable preparation for intending to go on to a research degree or a professional career, or for those who simply want to extend their understanding of the medieval period.
Core modules include:
Approaching the Middle Ages
Dissertation
Option modules include:
Florence 1200-1400
Satan in the Middle Ages
History from Below: Rural Life
Sexuality and Society
Global History before AD 1000
Analysing Medieval History
Disseminating History
MA Medieval Studies (Z182) Full Time
EU fee per year - € 9100
nonEU fee per year - € 22600
MA Medieval Studies (Z183) Part Time
EU fee per year - € 4550
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.
These are the minimum entry requirements – additional criteria may be requested for some programmes
Graduate Profile
Shannon Lewis, Canada,Graduate
I chose to pursue my graduate education at UCD because it is one of the top universities in Ireland. Naturally, as a prospective history student I was drawn to Ireland because of the rich culture and long-standing history it has to offer. The MA in Medieval Studies offers modules in a wide variety of subjects within the confines of the medieval period, and as an interdisciplinary programme also allows students to branch out of the history department, giving me a truly unique and well-rounded learning experience. UCD is a modern university with hi-tech facilities and outstanding resources, yet the campus can only be described as a spacious green oasis hidden away from the hustle and bustle of city life, which I especially liked. The friendly and engaging university atmosphere makes it easy to feel part of the school community. It is a University that truly cares about its students and wants them to get the most out of their degree.
Krystal Carmichael, from Maine, USA, currently doing a PhD at UCD:
I knew very little about UCD before applying for a masters. What drew me here was the Medieval Studies MA, especially the interdisciplinary nature of the program. This gave me the opportunity to pick and choose modules according to my own interests, in subjects such as art history, palaeography, languages, and of course history. Having this all-around approach allowed me to develop a better understand of the Middle Ages, as well as providing essential skills for future research. On top of the academic advantages of this masters, I fully enjoyed the atmosphere and friendliness of everyone at UCD as a whole, but especially within the School of History, so much so that I decided to stay at UCD to complete a PhD.
The following entry routes are available:
* Courses will remain open until such time as all places have been filled, therefore early application is advised