Program Overview

Music and Dance

The University of Limerick offers a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music and Dance, which can be taken as a joint honors combination. This four-year program is designed to develop students' performance, academic, and vocational skills.

About the Course

The course is designed to produce graduates with a broad range of skills that can be employed in a number of professional contexts. Great emphasis is also placed on the development of transferable vocational skills, enabling students to access a diverse range of less obvious career pathways.

Entry Requirements

Applicants are required to hold at the time of enrollment the established Leaving Certificate (or an approved equivalent) with a minimum of six subjects, which must include:

• Two H5 (Higher level) grades
• Four O6 (Ordinary level) grades or four H7 (Higher Level) grades Subjects must include Mathematics, Irish or another language, and English.

Course Structure

The BA Irish Music and Dance is a four-year programme. Six or seven semesters are spent in Limerick; one is spent on the Cooperative Education programme, which provides work experience, and another is spent either in Limerick or off-campus on the Study Abroad programme.

Modules

Modules are subject to change, but the current structure includes:

• Year 1:
  • Semester 1: Critical Encounters with Irish Music and Dance
  • Semester 2: Critical Encounters with Western Arts Music and Dance
• Year 2:
  • Semester 3: Students select 2 modules from:
    • Irish Music and Dance Studies
    • Performing Arts Technology
    • Critical Encounters with World Music and Dance
  • Semester 4: Cooperative Education Work Placement
• Year 3:
  • Semester 5: Erasmus/Exchange placement with a partner institution abroad
  • Semester 6:
    • Research Skills: Ethnomusicology/ Ethnomusicology/ Ethnochoreolgy/ Arts Practice
    • Students select 1 module from:
      • Contextualising and vocational Studies 3
      • Critical Encounters with Global Pop
• Year 4:
  • Semester 7:
    • Professional Skills for the Performing Artist
    • World Music and Dance Survey 1
    • Arts and Health
  • Semester 8:
    • Classical Music Studies
    • Other modules to be selected

Fees and Funding

Student course fees are broken into three components: Student contribution, Student Levy, and Tuition Fees. The current student contribution is set at 2,500, and the Student Levy is 104. Tuition Fees vary depending on residency, citizenship, and course requirements.

Career Opportunities

This subject is designed to produce graduates with a broad range of skills that can be employed in a number of professional contexts. Graduates can pursue careers in music, dance, education, and related fields.

Follow-on Study

Graduates can pursue further study in areas such as:

• Master of Arts in Irish Music Studies
• Master of Arts in Irish Dance Studies
• Master of Arts in Ethnomusicology
• Master of Arts Music Therapy

Student Profile

Sarah Fox, a current student, shares her experience of studying Music and Irish at the University of Limerick. She highlights the flexibility of the program, the expertise of the tutors, and the opportunities for performance and composition.