MA in History

Programme Overview

The fully online Taught Master of Arts in History provides an opportunity for students to develop their abilities at postgraduate level through a mix of taught modules, participation in a dynamic research seminar, and completion of a research dissertation.

Key Features

• Duration: 1 year Full-Time / 2 years Part-Time
• Location: MIC Limerick / Online
• Assessment Methods: Primary source analysis, presentations, reading and discussion, essays, and minor thesis (20,000 words).

The programme, running from September to July, is delivered entirely by full-time faculty in the MIC Department of History. It consists of six taught modules in history and a 20,000-word dissertation. Teaching occurs in small, supportive groups where discussion and debate are encouraged. The programme is delivered fully online with a mixture of pre-recorded lectures, live online classes, and online tasks. Live classes take place on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays during the autumn and spring semesters, usually beginning at 4 PM. Continuous assessment is used for all modules, and the dissertation is due in August.

The programme is also available part-time, extending over two years.

Career Opportunities & Further Study

The Taught MA in History serves as an excellent stepping stone for further academic pursuits, such as a PhD in History. Other career pathways include:

• Teaching at various educational levels
• Careers in tourism, heritage, arts, museum and archives administration
• Research roles
• Work in documentary and radio research, publishing, journalism
• Roles within public service and private sector research and administration

Programme Content

The MA in History will be delivered online for the academic year with six modules offered annually. The indicative list of modules for 2025/26 includes:

• The Irish Revolution:
  • In-depth analysis of the period 1912-1927, focusing on the Home Rule crisis and the establishment of the Irish Free State and Northern Ireland. Engages with recent scholarship and a variety of primary source materials.
• The American Irish:
  • Examination of the reasons for Irish migration to the United States, social mobility patterns, and the interaction between Irish immigrants and host society.
• Research Methods in History:
  • Provides students with a critical understanding of various historical schools and methods. This module addresses theoretical questions and equips students with necessary research proposal and dissertation writing skills.
• Families and Communities in Ireland and Britain:
  • Exploration of family dynamics, marriage, domestic violence, and roles within the domestic economy in early modern Ireland and Britain.
• Violence, Law and Order in Eighteenth- and Nineteenth-century Ireland:
  • Investigation of violence and the law in Irish society during this period, focusing on interpersonal and collective violence and the effectiveness of law enforcement.
• Writing History:
  • Overview of major developments in history writing and critical questions regarding historical objectivity and interpretation.
• Dissertation:
  • A substantial written dissertation supervised by faculty, engaging with scholarly works and primary source material in the student's chosen historical field.

Entry Requirements

• Applicants must hold a primary degree in History or a cognate discipline with a minimum of a 2.2 honours.
• Those not meeting standard requirements may be considered for admission after consultation with the Programme Director.

NFQ Levels

• Postgraduate Certificates and Diplomas, as well as Master's degrees, are classified as Level 9 Minor and Major Awards, respectively, while PhDs are categorized as Level 10 Major Awards on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ), as conferred by the University of Limerick.

Mary Immaculate College (MIC), known in Irish as Coláiste Mhuire Gan Smál, is a university-level College of Education and the Liberal Arts in Limerick, Ireland, academically linked with the University of Limerick. Founded in 1898 by Bishop Edward Thomas O'Dwyer and the Sisters of Mercy for the professional education of Catholic primary school teachers, MIC is the oldest third-level institution in Limerick City.

The foundation stone was laid on 8 December 1898 on an 11-acre site jointly purchased by the Bishop and the Sisters of Mercy, with construction led by Dublin architect George Byrne and Limerick contractors Molloy. The College opened its doors to its first students on 21 September 1901, and was officially opened on 16 May 1902. From its original 75 young women enrolled in 1901, MIC has grown into a multi-campus institution with a student population of over 5,000.

Mission

Mary Immaculate College is a third-level Catholic College of Education and the Liberal Arts. The College community promotes excellence in teaching, learning and research at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and seeks to foster the intellectual, spiritual, personal and professional development of students within a supportive and challenging environment that guarantees the intellectual freedom of staff and students. In particular, the College seeks to foster in its students a spirit of justice and compassion in the service of others, together with an openness to the religious tradition and values of each individual.

The College promotes a sense of identity enriched by an awareness of its Catholic tradition, the cultures, languages and traditions of Ireland, and its special commitment to the Irish language. Mary Immaculate College respects cultural diversity and strives to promote equity in society, providing an environment where all have the freedom and opportunity to achieve their full potential.

Founding vision

MIC continues to embrace the founding vision of Catherine McAuley, who established the Sisters of Mercy as champions for the most marginalised in society, with the conviction that education was essential to that mission. This emphasis on social justice and educational inclusion remains central to the College's institutional identity as it has grown and diversified over more than 125 years.

Academic structure

MIC offers programmes across two faculties, Education and Arts, spanning Level 4 to Level 10 on the National Framework of Qualifications. Undergraduate programmes are offered in:

• Primary and Post-Primary Teaching (Bachelor of Education, Teaching Council-accredited)
• Liberal Arts, with a choice of 14 subjects across a flexible, wide-ranging programme
• Early Childhood Care and Education
• Psychology, including a Bachelor of Science in Psychology incorporating workplace experience
• Drama and English
• English Language and Literature

The MIC Thurles campus additionally offers post-primary teacher education programmes in Home Economics, Gaeilge, Mathematics, Business Studies, Theology and Religious Studies, and Accounting. Postgraduate study is available across both faculties at Diploma, Master's and PhD level, alongside professional development and lifelong learning programmes.

Campuses

MIC is a multi-campus institution with centrally located, state-of-the-art facilities in both Limerick City and Thurles, Co. Tipperary:

• MIC Limerick: the College's original and main campus on South Circular Road, home to the historic 1899 building that remains central to College life today, alongside a state-of-the-art Sports Complex completed in 2008 at a cost of €16 million, and the 510-seat Lime Tree Theatre, officially opened in October 2012
• MIC Thurles: incorporated into MIC in 2016, originally established as a second-level school in 1837 and later a major seminary, today offering seven undergraduate programmes delivered by staff from both the Faculty of Education and the Faculty of Arts, with on-campus accommodation and the O'Dwyer Library housing approximately 15,000 print resources

Both campuses are characterised by an informal, relaxed atmosphere and a close rapport between students and staff, with the amenities of city and town life on the doorstep.

Affiliation with the University of Limerick

MIC has been academically linked with the University of Limerick since a formal partnership was established in 1990, with UL becoming MIC's accrediting body. Degrees were conferred by the National University of Ireland until 1994, and by UL from 1995 onward. In 1999, MIC became the first Irish College of Education to offer a Bachelor of Arts degree programme. The first PhD was awarded by MIC in 2003. MIC is also a member of the Shannon Consortium, a collaborative framework alongside the University of Limerick and Technological University of the Shannon.

Student life and facilities

• Wired FM (Wired 99.9FM): Limerick's only licensed student community radio station, run in partnership with the Technological University of the Shannon
• Lime Tree Theatre: a 510-seat venue on the Limerick campus hosting theatre, music, comedy, traditional arts, school performances and conferences
• MIC Munster GAA Centre of Excellence and extensive College Sport opportunities, supported by the dedicated Sports Complex
• CRAFT Maker Space, supporting hands-on creativity and enterprise
• Mary Immaculate Students' Union (MISU), marking 25 years of representing the student body
• Clubs and Societies, Arts and Culture programming, and a strong Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Interculturalism (EDII) commitment
• Recognition as an Age Friendly Campus
• Careers Service, Study Abroad opportunities, and an Off-Campus Programme

Leadership and governance

The College's first six Presidents were members of the Sisters of Mercy, beginning with Sr Paul Quinlan in 1898, followed by Sr Veronica Cullinan, Sr Celsus Barry, Sr Loreto Ní Chonchúir, Sr Cabrini Moloney and Sr Angela Bugler. Professor Peadar Cremin, appointed in 1999, was the seventh President and the first lay person to hold the position. He was succeeded by Professor Michael A. Hayes in 2011 and Professor Eugene Wall in 2018, the ninth President in the College's history. Mary Immaculate College is currently led by Professor Dermot Nestor, President of the College, with the Bishop of Limerick serving as Chairperson of the Board of Trustees.