Visiting Students
The Archaeology Department is a vibrant and welcoming place and its staff members are leading scholars in their respective fields. We have always valued the very positive contribution that visiting students make to the learning environment, and to life generally, at UCC.
We teach a wide range of courses and almost all of them are available to visiting students. In addition we run two courses designed specifically for visiting students: The Early Start Programme in Irish Archaeology , which runs in late August/September and AR2111 Irish Archaeology: Prehistoric, ‘Celtic’ and Historic, which runs in the Spring term. Our courses are particularly popular with students of Anthropology, but we very much welcome the opportunity to introduce visiting students with no previous academic experience of Archaeology or Anthropology to this exciting field of study.
Dr Tomas Ó Carragáin (t.ocarragain@ucc.ie) is the designated academic advisor for visiting students within the Department. Any queries about eligibility or suitability of courses should be directed to him. For more general queries, and for information about applying to study at UCC as a visiting student contact the International Education Office (iso@ucc.ie), or see their website.
The Early Start Programme in Irish Archaeology (AR2220)
Our department was the first in UCC to offer an Early Start Programme to meet the particular scheduling needs of students from North America and Canada, though it is also open to students from elsewhere. For four weeks in late August and September participants take a pre-session course in the Archaeology of Ireland. Each year the classes are a mix of Anthropology students and students with no previous academic experience of Archaeology or Anthropology. Through illustrated lectures and several field excursions to sites around the country (including a two-day trip and a three-day trip), this programme provides the visiting student with a sophisticated understanding of the broad sweep of Ireland’s history: from initial settlement in the aftermath of the last Ice Age around 8,000 BC, to the 17th century AD when Ireland was incorporated into the wider world of the British Empire which by that time also included colonies in North America. A critical approach is taken to issues such as the role of people in transforming the Irish landscape; the ‘Celticisation’ of Ireland; the role of archaeology in constructing modern Irish identities; and Irish art and architecture, including the ‘golden age’ of Irish art in the early medieval period (AD 400-1169). Sites visited on the field trips include the Aran Islands, the Burren, Galway and Dublin cities, Newgrange passage tomb and the Rock of Cashel. When term begins some students choose to build upon what they have learned by choosing one or more of the additional modules in Irish Studies offered by, for example, History, Irish, English, Folklore and Music as well as Archaeology. For more details see this PDF.
AR2111 Irish Archaeology: Prehistoric, 'Celtic' and Historic
For visiting students who are at UCC during the Spring Semester / Period 2, we offer AR2111, which incorporates two field trips and provides a stimulating introduction to Ireland’s culture, history and landscapes. It is suitable for visiting students with no previous academic experience of Archaeology or Anthropology as well as students studying these subjects in their home universities. Through the study of artefacts, monuments, landscapes and texts, participants gain a sophisticated understanding of the broad sweep of Ireland’s history: from initial settlement in the aftermath of the last Ice Age around 8,000 BC, to the 17th century AD when Ireland was incorporated into the wider world of the British Empire which by that time also included colonies in North America. A critical approach is taken to issues such as the role of people in transforming the Irish landscape; the ‘Celticisation’ of Ireland; the role of archaeology in constructing modern Irish identities; and Irish art and architecture, including the ‘golden age’ of Irish art in the early medieval period (AD 400-1169). Sites visited on the field trips include Drombeg Stone Circle, Ballinacarriga castle and the world-famous Rock of Cashel.
Certificate in Irish Studies
Both the Early Start Programme and AR2111 count as core courses in the Certificate in Irish Studies: an interdisciplinary programme available to visiting students who are at UCC for a full academic year. Students choose from a wide range of courses on various aspects of Irish history and culture offered by departments such as Irish, Folklore and History. Several other Archaeology modules have been designated as electives for students undertaking this programme. Students are awarded a certificate on successful completion of these modules. Visit http://www.ucc.ie/en/study/international/what/cert-irish/ for more details.
Other Archaeology Modules Open to Visiting Students in 2011/2012
For details of the other courses offered by the Department see module descriptions. They include several courses on aspects of Irish archaeology from early prehistory to the industrial archaeology of the nineteenth century. Other courses look beyond Ireland to consider subjects such as European Prehistory and Viking Archaeology. In addition, a number of modules focus on particular aspects of the discipline including the artefact studies, environmental archaeology and the study of human remains. Any queries about eligibility or suitability of courses should be directed to Tomás Ó Carragáin (t.ocarragain@ucc.ie).
NB: For Archaeology modules (except for AR2111) each Semester / Teaching Period is divided into two six week teaching blocks.
PERIOD 1A (Monday, 19 September – Friday, 28 October)
AR2032 Foragers to Farmers: the Early Prehistory of Europe
AR2034 The Archaeology of Early Medieval Ireland
AR3021 Prehistoric Societies in Ireland
AR3035 The Palaeolithic of Eurasia
AR3039 The Archaeology of the Early Irish Church
PERIOD 1B (Monday, 31 October – Friday, 09 December)
AR2033 Chalcolithic and Bronze Age Europe
AR2035 The Archaeology of Later- and Post-Medieval Ireland, c. AD 1100–1750
AR3044 The Origins of Civilisations
AR3037 Viking Age Archaeology in Ireland and Britain
AR3038 Technology and Society in Medieval Europe
PERIOD 2A (Monday 03 January – Friday, 11 February)
AR2014 Artefact Studies
AR2037 Introduction to Environmental Archaeology
AR2038 Human Remains for Archaeologists
AR3031 Archaeological Ceramics
PERIOD 2B (Monday, 14 February – Friday, 25 March)
AR2041 Coastal and Underwater Archaeology
AR2040 Industrial Archaeology
AR3032 Urban Archaeology
AR3040 Health, Diet and Disease in Early Societies
If you have any queries regarding module choices, please contact Tomás Ó Carragáin (t.ocarragain@ucc.ie).
Postgraduate Study
The Higher Diploma in Arts (Archaeology) is an intensive one-year programme designed as a conversion course for those who have a primary degree in another discipline but who want to work or pursue postgraduate research in Archaeology.
For those with a degree in Archaeology or cognate discipline, we offer one-year taught MA programmes in the areas of Human Osteoarchaeology, Buildings Archaeology, Environmental Archaeology and Archaeological Excavation.
We also welcome applications from North American students who wish to undertake MPhil / PhD research with us.
Module Loads and Credits
UCC has long experience in dealing with course load and credit questions, with a very wide range of American campuses. At this stage we have a detailed knowledge of the kind of information which American study abroad advisors, programme managers and faculty need to know about in order to assess whether UCC is a suitable campus for you and how courses and programmes are organised here.
The academic year at UCC is divided into two teaching periods, Period One and Period Two, which are equivalent to the Fall and Spring Semesters, respectively. Visiting students may also apply for Full Academic Year and Early Start Semester programmes. The latter runs from the end of August / beginning of September until Christmas.
Courses at the university are taught in modules. A module represents a self-contained fraction of a student’s workload for the year. The size of a module is indicated by its credit weighting. The number of credits allocated to each module will vary depending on the fraction of work it accounts for. Most modules equal either 5 or 10 credits. A standard 5 credit module normally consists of 24 lecture hours. UCC students take modules to the value of 60 credits per academic year and no more than 35 credits in any one teaching period/semester.
It is important to note that these credit weightings are not equivalent to the credits awarded by an American institution. In general, a 5 credit UCC module will be awarded either 2.5 or 3 credits in the American academic system. As a broad rule of thumb, a student coming here for a full academic year may expect to take modules to the value of 60 UCC credits; this amount should be halved for semester programmes. The average weekly lecture load should therefore be of the order of 10-12 hours. Normally, 30 U.S. credits will be awarded for a satisfactorily completed year course load; the semester equivalent is usually 15 U.S. credits. However, it is the sending university or agency which ultimately decides on the number of credits to be awarded and not the receiving university, University College Cork in this case.
Advice on changes in module choices, course loads etc. is available from Marita Foster, Educational Advisor, International Education Office (iso@ucc.ie), who can assist students in putting together an appropriate package of modules. Where Archaeology modules are involved, assistance may also be sought from Tomás Ó Carragáin (t.ocarragain@ucc.ie).
