Program Overview

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Heritage and Folklore Studies - Dip

Course Fact File

• Code: DHFS
• Duration: 2 years
• Teaching Mode: Part-Time
• Qualifications: Dip
• NFQ Level: Level 6/7
• NFQ Award Title: Special Purpose
• Fees: €1,750 per academic year
• Closing Date: 29 August 2025
• Next Intake: September 2025
• Venue: Hybrid classes online, fieldtrips in person
• Start Date: September 2025

Course Outline

The Diploma in Heritage and Folklore Studies provides its students with the skills and knowledge to become informed, independent researchers into folklore, local history, culture, and traditions. By working with experts in a variety of fields, you will learn to apply the approaches used by historians, folklorists, Celtic scholars, archaeologists and geographers. You will critically engage with medieval tales, prehistoric monuments, historic documents, maps, museum collections, landscapes, and more. This two-year course blends the flexibility of part-time, online instruction (weekly) with the hands-on experience of site-based workshops and tours around Munster. The course will encourage you to learn and research independently and to develop analytical skills which will support your research project in year two. These diverse experiences, under a range of disciplines, will align throughout your studies under one unifying theme: the significance of locality and region to tradition.

Modules

Year 1

• CC1801: Celtic Ireland
• AD1051: Studying Folklore: The Sayings and Doings of Common People
• AD1052: Historical Geography
• HI1801: Aspects of Modern Irish History

Year 2

• AD2866: The Irish Medieval Church
• AD2868: Local Food Studies: History, Tradition and Identity
• AR1012: Archaeology of Ireland: An Overview
• AD2874: Research Project on Local and Regional Studies
• AD2875: Community Memory - Influences and Dynamics

Course Practicalities

The programme is normally taught one evening per week (expected to run on Thursdays 6:30pm until 9:30pm), with teaching and fieldtrips occurring on some Saturdays. Students will incur some minor costs for field trips. All field trips are based in Munster. Students are expected to attend all Saturday classes and fieldtrips.

IT Requirements

• You will need access to a laptop or desktop computer running a modern supported operating system with all software updates.
• Some of UCC’s services (e.g. the Canvas Virtual Learning Environment) link to an external site and also have mobile apps for iOS and Android Devices that you may wish to use as part of your studies. However, we recommend using your desktop web browser for submission of assessments.
• You should always use the most current version of your preferred browser. In general, we recommend the Chrome Web browser (Important Note: Internet Explorer will not work with Canvas).
• We recommend a reliable broadband connection with at least 2Mbps or more.
• You will require an Office suite of software (Microsoft Office or equivalent) and a PDF reader. You should always use the latest version of this software. All UCC students will have access to Office 365 which includes software such as Word/Excel/Powerpoint etc. once registered.

Assessment

There are no formal written examinations; all work is evaluated on a continuous assessment basis. This incorporates a range of learning techniques including essays, fieldtrip/fieldwork reports, literature/sources review, document study, oral presentation, poster presentations and a research project.

Staff

Staff from the School of History, Department of Folklore and Ethnology, Department of Early and Medieval Irish, Department of Archaeology, Department of Geography, and Adult and Continuing Education.

Why Choose This Course

This course gave me the opportunity to pursue my passion for the history of Midleton and East Cork. The lecturers provided wonderful support and guidance throughout and there was a great dynamic in the class, which made it very sociable. Importantly, the course provided the academic basis that enabled me to go on and complete the MA in Local History in UCC. I would recommend this course to anyone with an interest in the history and heritage of their local area.

If you are thinking of working or volunteering in the Irish heritage or tourism sector, this course will be of great benefit. It also provides a solid academic grounding if you want to pursue your studies at degree or higher diploma levels. Diploma graduates may apply for 15 credit exemption from first year of the BA degree in UCC. Depending on experience, diploma graduates may also qualify for the Local History MA (School of History) in UCC.

Requirements

• Applicants must be at least 18 years of age by 1 January of the year of application and demonstrate personal or professional interest in the related disciplinary fields. This may be demonstrated by a short statement accompanying the application to explain why the applicant would like to do the course.
• English Language Requirement: All applicants whose first language is not English must have attained IELTS Level 6 or the equivalent TOEFL score.

Fees and Costs

€1,750 per academic year

How To Apply

To apply for this course, follow the steps below:

• Log into the Application Portal
• Click Apply Online
• Select Start a new Adult & Continuing Education Application
• On the 2nd tab Academic Level, select the following options:
  • Academic Level: Adult Continuing Education (ACE at UCC)
  • Course Type: ACE Part-time Courses
  • Academic Programme: The course title you are applying for.
• During your online application, you will be required to upload the following documents:
  • Birth Cert or Passport
  • Passport Photograph
  • English Language Test Report [if applicable]