COURSE CURRICULUM

The MA in History at the University of Galway follows a structured curriculum for the current academic year, totaling 90 credits in Year 1, though specific modules and details may be subject to change. The program combines core training in historical research with a diverse range of optional subjects that allow students to tailor their studies according to their interests. Three required modules form the foundation of the degree. Making History: Evidence and Interpretation develops students’ ability to analyze and interpret historical sources critically. Historical Debates and Controversies: Studies in Historiography explores major scholarly arguments and methodological approaches, strengthening understanding of how history is written and contested. The Dissertation serves as a major independent research project, enabling students to apply their research skills to an in-depth study of a chosen topic under academic supervision. Alongside these core components, students select from a wide variety of optional modules that broaden thematic and methodological perspectives. Options include Ethics and Artificial Intelligence, which considers contemporary ethical challenges; Everyday Lives: An Intimate History of 20th Century Women, focusing on gendered experiences; and Resisting through Culture: Conflicts in Europe and Beyond, examining cultural responses to conflict. Other choices include Issues in Irish Local History, Social and Political Context of Activism and Advocacy, Race and Reparative Histories, Film, Politics, and Colonialism, and Irish Contacts with Europe, 1770–1973. Together, these modules offer students the opportunity to engage with Irish, European, and global themes while developing advanced analytical, research, and communication skills essential for academic and professional success.