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MA Irish Folklore & Ethnology

MA (NFQ Level 9)
Scholarships Available

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

Duration:
1 Year
Attendance:
Full Time
Delivery:
On Campus
NFQ Level:
9 (90 credits)
Level:
Graduate Taught
Award:
Master of Arts
Next Intake:
September
Country Specific Entry Requirements:
Visit the UCD Global Undergraduate Entry Requirements webpage.
Other School Leaving Requirements:
See www.ucd.ie/admissions
Curricular information is subject to change.

Duration:
2 Years
Attendance:
Part-Time
Delivery:
NFQ Level:
9 (90 credits)
Level:
Graduate Taught
Award:
Master of Arts
Next Intake:
September
Country Specific Entry Requirements:
Visit the UCD Global Undergraduate Entry Requirements webpage.
Other School Leaving Requirements:
See www.ucd.ie/admissions
Curricular information is subject to change.

Apply Now

The MA Irish Folklore and Ethnology is a recently established programme which offers students the chance to acquire in-depth knowledge of a unique and vibrant aspect of Irish culture  –  that of oral tradition and folklore, representing the history and heritage of Ireland at vernacular level. Modules are available on a wide range of topics, including research theories, the study of oral narrative (storytelling), traditional music and song, fieldwork and archival methods, social tradition, popular belief systems, material culture, folk medicine, and Irish and European ethnology. The programme also offers students the opportunity to complete a Masters thesis or, for a limited number of students and where suitable work is available, the possibility of an internship in a related cultural body such as the National Folklore Collection or the Irish Traditional Music Archive.

The programme includes:

  • Training in original archival and fieldwork research and methods.
  • Access to the specialist library and archive holdings of the National Folklore Collection.
  • An opportunity for the student to pursue their research interests in the preparation and writing of a Master’s thesis on a subject of their choice, under the guidance of a member of the teaching staff in Irish Folklore,


          or

  • the possibility of an internship, for a limited number of students and where suitable work is available, in a related cultural body such as the National Folklore Collection.

About This Course

Given the nature and reach of the subject, graduates in Irish Folklore and Ethnology can be found across a broad range of occupations and organisations, including heritage institutions, tradition archives, musuems and cultural bodies. Graduates have also found employment in teaching, research, the media and journalism. The MA in Irish Folklore and Ethnology can also act as a pathway to higher degrees in Irish Folklore, involving further in-depth research of a chosen topic.

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
 IRFL40130 Advanced Research 1 Autumn  10
Stage 1 Core Modules
 IRFL40190 Advanced Research 2 Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - 1)1 of:
Students must complete either the Dissertation or Work Placement. Please consult a member of the teaching staff in Irish Folklore for further advice.
IRFL40250 Work placement and Report Summer  30
Stage 1 Options - 1)1 of:
Students must complete either the Dissertation or Work Placement. Please consult a member of the teaching staff in Irish Folklore for further advice.
IRFL40260 Dissertation Summer  30
Stage 1 Options - A)40CR:
Choose 40 credits of option modules, including at least 20 credits in Irish Folklore.
Module selection is subject to advice and agreement from a member of the teaching staff in Irish Folklore.
ARCH41250 Nature & Culture: A bridge Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - A)40CR:
Choose 40 credits of option modules, including at least 20 credits in Irish Folklore.
Module selection is subject to advice and agreement from a member of the teaching staff in Irish Folklore.
IRFL40120 Folklore and Folkloristics Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - A)40CR:
Choose 40 credits of option modules, including at least 20 credits in Irish Folklore.
Module selection is subject to advice and agreement from a member of the teaching staff in Irish Folklore.
IRFL40160 The Life Cycle Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - A)40CR:
Choose 40 credits of option modules, including at least 20 credits in Irish Folklore.
Module selection is subject to advice and agreement from a member of the teaching staff in Irish Folklore.
IRFL40170 The Narrative Art Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - A)40CR:
Choose 40 credits of option modules, including at least 20 credits in Irish Folklore.
Module selection is subject to advice and agreement from a member of the teaching staff in Irish Folklore.
IRFL40200 Collectors of Music & Song Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - A)40CR:
Choose 40 credits of option modules, including at least 20 credits in Irish Folklore.
Module selection is subject to advice and agreement from a member of the teaching staff in Irish Folklore.
ARCH40850 Practical Experimental Archaeology Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - A)40CR:
Choose 40 credits of option modules, including at least 20 credits in Irish Folklore.
Module selection is subject to advice and agreement from a member of the teaching staff in Irish Folklore.
CULP40310 Cultural Policy 2: Ireland Spring  5
Stage 1 Options - A)40CR:
Choose 40 credits of option modules, including at least 20 credits in Irish Folklore.
Module selection is subject to advice and agreement from a member of the teaching staff in Irish Folklore.
IR40480 An Béal Beo Spring  5
Stage 1 Options - A)40CR:
Choose 40 credits of option modules, including at least 20 credits in Irish Folklore.
Module selection is subject to advice and agreement from a member of the teaching staff in Irish Folklore.
IRFL20050 Healers and Healing Spring  5
Stage 1 Options - A)40CR:
Choose 40 credits of option modules, including at least 20 credits in Irish Folklore.
Module selection is subject to advice and agreement from a member of the teaching staff in Irish Folklore.
IRFL20100 Oral history and tradition Spring  5
Stage 1 Options - A)40CR:
Choose 40 credits of option modules, including at least 20 credits in Irish Folklore.
Module selection is subject to advice and agreement from a member of the teaching staff in Irish Folklore.
IRFL30100 Popular religion and belief Spring  5
Stage 1 Options - A)40CR:
Choose 40 credits of option modules, including at least 20 credits in Irish Folklore.
Module selection is subject to advice and agreement from a member of the teaching staff in Irish Folklore.
IRFL40110 Aspects of Ethnology Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - A)40CR:
Choose 40 credits of option modules, including at least 20 credits in Irish Folklore.
Module selection is subject to advice and agreement from a member of the teaching staff in Irish Folklore.
IRFL40140 Interpreting the Oral Text Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - A)40CR:
Choose 40 credits of option modules, including at least 20 credits in Irish Folklore.
Module selection is subject to advice and agreement from a member of the teaching staff in Irish Folklore.
IRFL40180 Calendar Custom Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - A)40CR:
Choose 40 credits of option modules, including at least 20 credits in Irish Folklore.
Module selection is subject to advice and agreement from a member of the teaching staff in Irish Folklore.
IRFL40220 Internship in Archival Methods Spring  10

Luke Murphy 
MA Graduate

This MA offers an opportunity students to spend a great deal of time in the National Folklore Collection, one of the richest tradition archives in the world with the possibility of completing a work placement there in the summer semester. The MA allowed me to undertake independent research while still being taught through lectures and seminars dealing with a wide range of topics, with the added advantage of accessing and researching the wealth of material housed in the National Folklore Collection.

MA Irish Folklore & Ethnology (Z253) Full Time
EU          fee per year - € 9515
nonEU    fee per year - € 22600

MA Irish Folklore & Ethnology (Z254) Part Time
EU          fee per year - € 4755
nonEU    fee per year - € 11300

***Fees are subject to change

Tuition fee information is available on the UCD Fees website.

Irish Folklore offers a number of scholarships for graduate students in the subject, including the Máire Mac Neill Scholarship, the Onfel and Isobel Thomas Scholarship (for students wishing to incorporate a course of study at a Scandinavian university as part of their MA studies), and the Dónall Ó Móráin Bursary (for students wishing to pursue their studies on an aspect of Folklore pertaining specifically to the Irish language).  For further information please see http://www.ucd.ie/icsf/en/study/scholarshipsawards/ .

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.

In the normal course, entry requirements will consist of an undergraduate degree in the Arts, Humanities or Social Sciences with a minimum 2.1 or an equivalent of a UCD GPA of 3.08 (NFQ Level 8). The School may also consider applicants with equivalent qualifications/professional experience for the Pathway Programme.

Applicants are required to submit original academic transcripts.

Applicants are also required to submit two references, preferably both relating to academic performance.

For applicants with equivalent professional qualifications, applicants will be required to submit a focussed statement of 500 words stating why this particular programme is right for the candidate at this point in their career (to be part of the online application).

Applicants whose first language is not English are required to submit evidence of their language proficiency. Applicants will have reached an overall 7 in IELTS with no individual band lower than 6.5, or equivalent. The School is willing to consider applicants who achieve IELTS 6.5 if they attend a five-week pre-sessional language course offered by the UCD Applied Language Centre. 

A basic reading knowledge of the Irish language is recommended for MA students. This can be acquired concurrently with the student’s MA studies.
 

These are the minimum entry requirements – additional criteria may be requested for some programmes 

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. Any exceptions are also listed on this webpage.

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: No


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 



This degree is aimed at students who want to explore Irish vernacular culture and popular tradition at graduate level, as part of their career development, as a pathway to further study, or for their own personal interest.


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General application route(s) for Irish/UK/EU applicants* for International (non-EU) applicants* to MA Irish Folklore & Ethnology:

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Z253
MA Irish Folklore & Ethnology
Master of Arts

Full-Time
Commencing September 2026
Graduate Taught
Apply
showAudience-audienceEU showAudience-audienceInt
Z254
MA Irish Folklore & Ethnology
Master of Arts

Part-Time
Commencing September 2026
Graduate Taught
Not available to International applicantsApply
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