Irish and Global Conflict History - MA Programme content
Explore 20th-century Irish and international conflicts, and how they have helped shape the world that we live in today.
Key information
EU fees per year
€8,400
Non-EU fees per year
€19,200
NFQ Level
NFQ Level 9 Major
Duration
One year
Attendance
Full-time
Programme type
Taught
Delivery
In-person
Start date
September
Award
Masters
Key information
- Complete full-time in one year
- Delivered on campus
- Modules taught during autumn and spring semesters
- Submit a dissertation at the end of the summer semester
You will learn through a blend of
- Lectures, workshops, and hands-on activities
- Reflective practice and guided research
- Regular feedback from faculty and peers
Programme content
Core modules
- The Global Cold War (HI6793). This module challenges students to think critically about global conflict in the post-1945 era. It focuses on the Cold War, which dominated international life in the second half of the twentieth century. Students will examine key topics such as the nuclear arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union, as well as the proxy conflicts and wars of national liberation that raged across the Global South, notably in Asia (Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan). Part of the course will also be devoted to the study of diplomacy and conflict resolution. Case studies include the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, the Vietnam War, and the peaceful resolution of the Cold War in the late 1980s.
- Concepts and Methods (HI6131) This module introduces students to the various approaches to historical research. It will equip students with the intellectual and practical skills needed to conduct their own research, such as designing a dissertation topic; identifying key research questions, interpreting research material, negotiating primary source collections; and applying relevant conceptual frameworks in your analysis. The module includes an archival training workshop at the UL Special Collections in the Glucksman Library. In order to approach these generic historical skills, the module focuses on the twentieth century—exploring some of the most controversial historical topics, such as the origins of the First and Second World Wars, the Treaty of Versailles, and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.
- Exploring Legacies of Conflict (HI6794) This module provides an experiential and focused dimension to the MA in Irish and Global Conflict History. Students will be guided in accessing and assessing significant physical, graphic, and interpretive representations of warfare in modern history. We will visit key sites of conflict and specialised museums, archives, and memorials, for an immersive process of field research and informed reflection. This will enhance the ability of students to gain a deeper knowledge of complicated subject matter—a critical skill set of an advanced postgraduate scholar.
- Historical Research and Practice I (HI6211) provides an insight into the research techniques, historiographical concerns, and analytical approaches deployed by professional historians in research papers.
Books and journal articles needed for the course will be available online through the UL Glucksman Library.
For more information on each module, you can search the faculty, school and module code on UL’s Book of Modules.
Core modules
- MA History Research Seminar (HI6002) trains students in the techniques of organising and presenting research.
- The Irish Conflict, 1948-1998 (HI6302) This module examines the essential dynamics of the longest and most serious insurgency in post-1945 Western Europe. It explores the origins of the Northern Ireland conflict and the perspectives of the primary antagonists, focusing on key topics such as the development of the Republican movement in Ireland and abroad; civil rights agitation; constitutional opportunities and challenges; counterinsurgency; Ireland and the American connection; the hunger strikes; the peace process and the Good Friday Agreement. Irish, British and North American primary sources will be examined to gain insights into the major events of the conflict.
- Directed Reading I (HI6222) facilitates the development of skills of historical analysis through concentrated study of a specific topic that aligns with the research expertise of faculty.
- Historical Research in Practice II (HI6312) exposes students to the challenges of historical research, particularly in relation to project design, primary source analysis, and the presentation of research findings
Books and journal articles needed for the course will be available online through the UL Glucksman Library.
For more information on each module, you can search the faculty, school and module code on UL’s Book of Modules.
Core modules
- Dissertation (HI6795) identify a subject research area and actively engage with primary sources to develop and produce a dissertation.
Books and journal articles needed for the course will be available online through the UL Glucksman Library.
For more information on each module, you can search the faculty, school and module code on UL’s Book of Modules.
Area(s) of interest
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