Bachelor of Arts in European Studies

General Information

There is no such thing as a 'typical' European Studies student.The main qualities that you need for success in the field are (1) a healthy curiosity about how modern societies function (2) a taste for languages other than your own (3) an interest in other cultures and (4) an ability to think independently and argue coherently for your ideas. Neither do you have to know what you want to 'be' when you leave college in order to choose European Studies.The degree offers a very broad entrance into the worlds of Humanities, Languages and Social Sciences.There is plenty of scope for selfinvention in the process of engaging with your subjects - and many ways of moving forward once you have done so successfully.

Introduction

'Europe' is a fundamentally important dimension of our cultural, economic, legal, political and societal realities. Yet a developed understanding of this European dimension, and an ability to actively engage with it, are relatively rare qualities.An understanding of Europe requires knowledge of its historical origins, of its economic, legal and societal aspects, and of its political institutions.The BA in European Studies develops knowledge and understanding of all of these areas.The University of Limerick has long led the way in Ireland in this field, with the result that this degree is one of the most established European Studies degree programmes in Europe.The University's Centre for European Studies (CEUROS) is recognized by the European Union as a Centre of Excellence and has long-standing links with universities throughout Europe.

The BA in European Studies offers you a wide degree of choice between options in Politics, History, Economics and Law, as well as the opportunity to develop an indepth knowledge of French, German, Irish / Gaeilge and Spanish languages and cultures.You will thus be working across the humanities / social sciences boundary - with all of the potential for interdisciplinary understanding that this creates. Language teaching is done in small groups and many of the teachers are native speakers of the languages concerned. Language skills are further developed during the period of study abroad at one of our partner universities on the continent, completion of which is mandatory for students of the BA in European Studies.

Course Structure

The BA in European Studies is a four-year programme. Six semesters, including all of the first and final years, are spent in Limerick.A further two semesters, in the spring ofYear 2 and autumn ofYear 3, are spent offcampus on the Study Abroad programme and on the Cooperative Education programme, which provides work experience.

From the beginning of their degree programme students follow a core European Studies module stream, a scheme of language study in at least one continental European language (French, German or Spanish), and may either take two disciplinary subjects chosen from History, Sociology, Law and Economics,OR one such disciplinary subject and a second language (from French, German, Spanish or Irish / Gaeilge*) . Spanish is offered at Advanced and at Beginners' Level, with the streams being integrated inYear 3.

* NB: Students choosing Irish / Gaeilge must, therefore, also study a continental language.

The choice of courses in Year 1 include:

In the autumn semester of Year 2 students continue to study their chosen languages and disciplinary choices.The courses on offer in the autumn term of second year include:

The spring semester of Year 2 and the autumn semester of Year 3 are spent, respectively, on a Cooperative Education Placement and an External Academic Placement. Students return to Limerick for the spring semester of Year 3 to continue their studies in their chosen language(s) and disciplinary specialisms.At this stage students also have the possibility of taking an optional additional suite of TEFL (Teaching English as Foreign Language) modules which continues through to the end of Year 4. Courses on offer in the spring of Year 3 include:

The final year marks the culmination of studies and provides an opportunity to undertake both disciplinary and interdisciplinary studies by means of coursework and a final year project on a topic of particular interest to students. Students complete their language study and may choose from a wide range of elective courses.These currently include:

Entry Requirements

Basic entry requirements:Applicants are required at the time of enrolment to hold the Leaving Certificate (or an approved equivalent) with at least Grade C3 in two Higher Level subjects and a Grade D3 in four Ordinary or Higher level subjects (including English, Mathematics, and Irish or another language).

Additional language requirements: Applicants are required to hold at least the following in the Leaving Certificate (or an approved equivalent): Grade C3 in Higher Level French or German or Spanish. For Students taking the two-language option with Irish / Gaeilge, a Grade C3 in Higher Level Gaeilge is required. For Students taking Beginners' Spanish in this programme, a C3 at Higher Level in a language other than English is required.

We welcome applications from Mature Students.Application forms for mature student entry are available from the UL Admissions Office.

Career Prospects

Employers in all areas of business, professional and public life are increasingly looking for graduates who can combine language skills with knowledge of European affairs.As a European Studies graduate you will have exactly the combination of skills and experience that are most in demand from a wide range of employers. Our graduates have gone into business management with Irish and European companies. Many other of our former students are employed in public service either in Ireland or within the European Union.The banking and financial sectors recruit from among our students, as do the tourism and leisure industries.Other students have gone on to take higher degrees in European Studies at UL and Universities across Europe.All of these career opportunities are expanding rapidly and new possibilities will continue to open as the 'new' Europe develops over the coming years.

This programme is approved by the Teachers’ Registration Council for the purposes of registering as a secondary teacher.

Further Study

Many graduates of the BA in European Studies go on to do postgraduate work of one kind or another. For some this means university-based or other professional education – good examples being a postgraduate teaching qualification or a diploma/degree in journalism. For others, the European element predominates and this can lead naturally to one of the many related Masters degrees such as UL’s own MA in European Integration.The range of postgraduate study possibilities for European Studies graduates also includes a wide variety of research opportunities. Suitably qualified graduates will have the option of moving on to do in-depth research in areas of interest to them, leading to Masters and Doctoral qualifications in their field of specialisation.