Irish Language and European Law, MA

About Irish Language and European Law, MA - at University College Cork (UCC)

Overview

This course is open to Law graduates, or graduates who hold other legal qualifications, or whose degree contains a substantial component of law, with a very high standard of Irish at second level education (A in Leaving Cert Honours Examination or B2 TEG) and Law Graduates who have taken Irish language modules at third level. This course aims to revive and build on the student's previous Irish language experience to the extent that students are brought to a high standard (C1 TEG) during the course of the degree. The course offers students a specialised training in European Law, alongside gaining in-depth Irish language skills. Students spend part of the course in UCC and part of it on an intensive residential Gaeltacht week long course in the Waterford Gaeltacht, allowing students to immerse themselves in the language. Students graduate with a desirable qualification that is seen as a strategic combined language and law need in Europe.

Course Details

The MA in Irish Language and European Law will be run by the Department of Modern Irish in collaboration with the School of Law. This collaboration builds on an existing and highly productive arrangement between the two disciplines.

Part 1 of this course consists of two semesters at UCC, starting in September and finishing in May. During the two semesters students complete 60 credits in total. 25 credits are taken in core modules. 35 credits are taken in elective modules, with 25 credits allocated to a selection of law modules and 10 credits allocated to a selection of language modules.

Part 2 of this course consists of a 15 credit intensive and fully-subsidised residential Gaeltacht course over the summer months, and a 15 credit research project on a subject combining a joint Irish-language and Law topic.

The intensive Gaeltacht module will be a feature of the course that will exploit an active and growing strategic outreach engagement between UCC and the Irish-speaking areas in its hinterland, and serve to enhance the student experience of Irish as a living, European language. The intensive residential courses to be conducted over a week at Coláiste na Rinne, in the heart of the Waterford Gaeltacht, will be crucial to the course objective of the transition in the standard of Irish of the students from B2 to C1 in Teastas Eorpach na Gaeilge (TEG).

The course will benefit Law graduates by bringing their standard and qualifications to level 9 overall, and will fast-track these graduates into new employment opportunities by enabling them to annexe linguistic ability in Irish to their primary degree in Law. It will also enable them to begin adding a third language to their portfolio, should they chose to do so. Graduates will then be well placed to apply for positions within the European Commission and European Parliament, the strategic need for which has been identified by the Higher Education Authority, which is funding this programme. The programme will also prepare graduates for work in either of the legal professions as bilingual lawyers or advocates.

Fact File

Course Code: CKD49 Full-time

Course Title: Irish Language and European Law

College: Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences

Duration: 1 year Full-time

Teaching Mode: Full-time

Qualifications: MA

NFQ Level: Level 9

Costs: 2017/2018 Irish EU Fee: EUR 6,000 Full-time; A full-fees scholarship will be awarded to one candidate, limited to those who apply by 15th July via www.pac.ie/ucc

2016 Entry Requirements: Successful applicants will normally have an honours primary degree in Law (or a degree comprising a substantial component of Law) at 2.1 level (or the equivalent). Applications from graduates whose primary Law degree is at 2.2 level will be considered based on the information in a supplementary statement and interview/assessment. Applications will also be accepted from candidates holding a qualification as a barrister or a solicitor in Ireland or the United Kingdom. A degree in Irish is not necessary but a high standard of Irish is required (e.g. an 'A' at the Higher Leaving Certificate Level or equivalent (B2 Teastas Eorpach na Gaeilge)). Applicants will be further required to present for interview/assessment with the Department of Modern Irish.

Closing Date: See details in application procedure section below

Next Intake: 11 September 2017

Course Practicalities

The MA in Irish Language and European Law is taken full-time over 12 months. Part 1 within the first two semesters, Part 2 in the third semester. Conventional lecture hours of one per week per module will apply to the core and elective modules. The language modules also carry tutorial and conversation classes. The intensive residential Gaeltacht module (GA6027) consists of a week long course in the third semester.

Assessment

1. Written examinations in the case of the core and elective modules, with the Irish-language modules incorporating continuous assessment and oral components.

2. The 15-credit intensive Gaeltacht course (GA6027) will be assessed by in-class examinations.

3. The 15-credit research project (GA6028) will be assessed jointly by representatives of the Department of Modern Irish and School of Law.

Application Procedure

Application for this programme is on-line at www.pac.ie/ucc. Places on this programme are offered in rounds. The closing dates for each round can be found here. For full details of the application procedure click How to Apply.

Please note you will be required to answer specific additional/supplementary questions as part of the online applications process for this programme. A copy of this form is available to view here: CKD49AdditionalQuestions (176kB)

All required documentation must be either uploaded to your online application, or sent in hard copy to The Postgraduate Applications Centre, 1, Courthouse Square, Galway, immediately after an application is made.

Applications submitted by 15th July to www.pac.ie/ucc will be considered for the award of one full-fees scholarship.

Further Contact Information

Department Administrator: Siobhan Ní Dhonghaile
Email address: snid@ucc.ie
Telephone: 021 4902607

Notes about fees for this course

Costs: 2017/2018 Irish EU Fee: EUR 6,000 Full-time; A full-fees scholarship will be awarded to one candidate, limited to those who apply by 15th July via www.pac.ie/ucc

2016 Entry Requirements: Successful applicants will normally have an honours primary degree in Law (or a degree comprising a substantial component of Law) at 2.1 level (or the equivalent). Applications from graduates whose primary Law degree is at 2.2 level will be considered based on the information in a supplementary statement and interview/assessment. Applications will also be accepted from candidates holding a qualification as a barrister or a solicitor in Ireland or the United Kingdom. A degree in Irish is not necessary but a high standard of Irish is required (e.g. an 'A' at the Higher Leaving Certificate Level or equivalent (B2 Teastas Eorpach na Gaeilge)). Applicants will be further required to present for interview/assessment with the Department of Modern Irish.

Closing Date: See details in application procedure section below

Next Intake: 11 September 2017

Entry requirements for this course

Contact University College Cork (UCC) to find course entry requirements.

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