About BA (Honours) in English, Media & Cultural Studies

What is English, Media and Cultural Studies?
Our programme specifically combines the study of English Literature, Media, and Cultural Studies. On this stimulating and intellectually challenging programme, you will analyse film, media, news, cultural identities, globalisation, creative writing, poetry, drama, prose and popular cultures, including entertainment, music, performance, politics and Irish studies.

As you can imagine, this is a large body of work, but, with small class sizes, you will learn about the contemporary world and be prepared for a wide variety of real-world contexts when you graduate.

Aims and Objectives

The programme will teach you:

• in-depth knowledge of a wide range of literary works, media texts, films, television and visual cultures
• key aspects of a range of media sectors and genres
• how different cultures work and how people experience them
• strong critical and analytical thinking skills
• highly-developed written communication skills
• the knowledge and skills required for post-graduate study.
• understand the emergence of the field of Cultural Studies as a blend of social theory, media studies and literary criticism.

What will I be able to do when I graduate?

You have many options. Employment beckons in the culture and knowledge sectors, as well as publishing, advertising, public relations, and traditional media and broadcasting. Critical thinking and effective communication skills are also highly sought after by employers in every business sector.

You will also be eligible to apply for the Higher Diploma in Education, to teach in Second Level schools.

You can also study for a career in a variety of interdisciplinary programmes, in areas such as Development Studies, Community Development, or Racial and Ethnic Studies, Performance Studies, Arts Production and Management, and Doctoral Studies.

Past graduates have gone on to careers in Human Rights Law, Business and Management, Journalism, Film and Television, Teaching, Academic Research, Publishing, Insurance, Politics and Activism, Performance, Technology, Fashion, Librarianship, Public Service, International Relations and Entertainment.

What modules will I study?

• Year 1: Modern English Literature, Introduction to Critical Theory, Introduction to Cinema & Cultural Studies, Introduction to Media Studies, Visual Culture, Writing Studies I & II (Literature and the city, Scriptwriting); Book Club/Cine club.


• Year 2: Critical Theory, Film Studies I & II (Europe/Hollywood and Irish cinema), Political Economy & Globalisation, 19th Century Literature, English Renaissance, Popular Culture, Writing Project I & II (Creative Writing, News Media Writing).


• Year 3: I20th Century Irish Writing, Cultural Identities I & II (Gender & the Body/ race, Class Equality), Contemporary Cinema, Research Methods, Modernism, TV Drama, Community Research Project.


• Year 4: Political Cultures & Identities in Ireland I & II, Contemporary Anglophone Literature (UK, non-Western, Irish), Dissertation.

Electives

Sample of elective modules which may be offered: Censorship in the Media, American Literature, Technology & Cultures, Alterity and Cinema, Gothic Images in Film and Literature.

What are the Entry Requirements?

Leaving Certificate Examination (or equivalent) with a minimum of grade C3 in 2 higher level (or common) level papers one of which must be English, together with Grade D3 in 4 other subjects, one of which must be a language, e.g. Irish, French, etc.

Applicants with FETAC awards require distinctions in 3 (of 8) modules. FETAC Links for this programme are:

ECHSX Cultural and Heritage Studies
ELAXX Liberal Arts
ELESX Language and European Studies

We welcome applications from mature students, who must apply to the CAO

Quote: “This is an excellent, well-designed and engaging programme with unique features in the Irish context.” – Stephanie McBride, External Examiner

Student profile: Eve Geddie

As a Leaving Certificate student, I was attracted to the EMCS degree because of its strong English literature element. I knew little about media and cultural studies but by the end of the four years, I was completely hooked.

With young and enthusiastic lecturers who knew us all by name, our class did not suffer from the formality and anonymity so typical of student-lecturer relationships in the larger universities. As the first year of this degree we experienced some administrative hiccups which were outweighed by the benefits of our lecturers unwavering attention. The degree provided me with a unique perspective and enabled me to discover my passion for social justice.

Following graduation, I spent a year gaining experience in the human rights field and secured a place on the E.MA Degree in Human Rights and Democratisation, studying in both Italy and Belgium. For my MA thesis, I applied the critical analysis learned in IADT to the issue of prisoners’ human rights and was awarded with publication by the E.MA council.

I now work in Brussels as a project officer for the European NGO PICUM - The Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants. In this position, I rely heavily on the skills I received in IADT such as research, writing, analysis and critical thinking.

There are many career routes open to EMCS graduates; I have classmates working in such diverse sectors as creative writing, teaching, journalism, fashion and social policy.