Philosophy and Sociology MA - CK83 full-time, CKE84 part-time

The MA in Philosophy and Sociology is an innovative, interdisciplinary course that appropriately responds to sustained developments in Philosophy and Sociology. It presents historical and contemporary research relevant to the subject areas of Philosophy and Sociology, as well as to cognate and related disciplines.

The aim of this MA programme is to provide students with the opportunity to develop and critically evaluate theories of globalisation and social justice; health, civilisation, nature; and knowledge, understanding, action, in their theoretical, social and historical contexts and with respect to both Western and East Asian perspectives.

The programme will enable students to use and develop a broad range of philosophical and sociological concepts and models at postgraduate level so that they can discuss and defend positions in an independent dissertation and participate in current inter-disciplinary academic debate. The programme is designed to provide students with skills required to continue with higher postgraduate studies in the field (e.g., the PhD Philosophy and Sociology) or in one of the relevant disciplines, or to advance a career in a relevant area.

Students select one of the threes streams on offer with the first two weeks of Teaching Period 1.

Programme Requirements
Students take 90 credits as follows:

Stream 1: Globalization and Social Justice

Part I
Students take 60 credits in Part I, selecting a total of 40 or 50 credits from Groups 1 and 2 as detailed below. Students who opt to take only 40 credits from Groups 1 and 2 select a further 10 credits from Group 3. Students also prepare a Literature Review to the value of 10 credits, under the supervision of a member of staff, for submission on or before April 30th.

Group 1
Students select 20 or 30 credits from the following:
PH6012 Human Rights I (10 credits)
PH6013 Human Rights II (10 credits)
PH6015 Global Justice (10 credits)
PH6018 East West Comparative Negative Ethics (10 credits)

Group 2
Students select a further 20 or 30 credits from the following:
SC6621 The Sociology of Development and its Alternatives (10 credits)
SC6623 Globalisation and Culture (10 credits)
SC6635 Contemporary Theory of the Public Sphere (10 credits)
SC6638 Borders and Social Justice (10 credits)
SC6628 Sociology of Communication and Discourse (10 credits)

Group 3 (optional)
Students may select a further 10 credits from the following:
PH6025 Feminist Philosophy and Social Theory (10 credits)
SC6636 Feminist Philosophy and Social Theory (10 credits)

Literature Review
Students select 10 credits from the following:
PH6019 Literature Review (10 credits)
SC6633 Literature Review (10 credits)

Part II
In Part II students complete a dissertation (maximum 15,000 words) to the value of 30 credits which must be submitted for examination at the Winter Exam Board.

Students select 30 credits from the following:
PH6020 Minor Dissertation (30 credits)
SC6632 Minor Dissertation (30 credits)

Stream 2: Health, Civilization and Nature

Part I
Students take 60 credits in Part I, selecting a total of 40 or 50 credits from Groups 1 and 2 as detailed below. Students who opt to take only 40 credits from Groups 1 and 2 select a further 10 credits from Group 3. Students also prepare a Literature Review to the value of 10 credits, under the supervision of a member of staff, for submission on or before April 30th.

Group 1

Students select 20 or 30 credits from the following:
PH6015 Global Justice (10 credits)
PH6018 East West Comparative Negative Ethics (10 credits)
PH6022 Philosophies of Nature: East and West (10 credits)

Group 2
Students select 20 or 30 credits from the following:
SC6621 The Sociology of Development and its Alternatives (10 credits)
SC6623 Globalisation and Culture (10 credits)
SC6624 Civilisation and Globalisation (10 credits)
SC6627 Social Change and Civic Health (10 credits)
SC6631 Sociology of Sustainable Development (10 credits)

Group 3 (optional)
Students select 10 credits from the following:
PH6025 Feminist Philosophy and Social Theory (10 credits)
SC6636 Feminist Philosophy and Social Theory (10 credits)

Literature Review
Students select 10 credits from the following:
PH6019 Literature Review (10 credits)
SC6633 Literature Review (10 credits)

Part II
In Part II students complete a dissertation (maximum 15,000 words) to the value of 30 credits which must be submitted for exam at the Winter Exam Board.

Students select 30 credits from the following:
PH6020 Minor Dissertation (30 credits)
SC6632 Minor Dissertation (30 credits)

Stream 3: Knowledge, Understanding and Action

Part I
Students take 60 credits in Part I, selecting a total of 40 or 50 credits from Groups 1, 2 and 3 as detailed below. Students who opt to take only 40 credits from Groups 1, 2 and 3 select a further 10 credits from Group 4. Students also prepare a Literature Review to the value of 10 credits, under the supervision of a member of staff, for submission on or before April 30th.

Group 1
Student select 10 credits from the following:
PH6026 Proseminar: Knowledge, Understanding and Action (10 credits)
SC6634 Proseminar: Knowledge, Understanding and Action (10 credits)

Group 2
Students select 10 or 20 credits from the following:
PH6014 Philosophy of Mind (10 credits)
PH6017 Hegel and the 19th Century (10 credits)
PH6024 Perception, Experience, Consciousness (10 credits)

Group 3
Students select 10 or 20 credits from the following:
SC6635 Contemporary Theory of the Public Sphere (10 credits)
SC6637 Knowledge and Communication (10 credits)
SC6604 Sociology of the Mass Media (10 credits)

Group 4 (optional)
Students select 10 credits from the following:
PH6025 Feminist Philosophy and Social Theory (10 credits)
SC6636 Feminist Philosophy and Social Theory (10 credits)

Literature Review
Students select 10 credits from the following:
PH6019 Literature Review (10 credits)
SC6633 Literature Review (10 credits)

Part II
In Part II students complete a dissertation (maximum 15,000 words) to the value of 30 credits which must be submitted for examination at the Winter Exam Board.

Students select 30 credits from the following:
PH6020 Minor Dissertation (30 credits)
SC6632 Minor Dissertation (30 credits)

For details on the Modules, see Book of Modules 2010

Postgraduate Certificate in Philosophy and Sociology:
Students who pass taught modules to the value of at least 30 credits (but less than 60 Credits) and who do not wish to complete the programme, or fail to complete the programme, may opt to exit the programme and be conferred with a Postgraduate Certificate in Philosophy and Sociology.

Postgraduate Diploma in Philosophy and Sociology:
Students who pass taught modules to the value of at least 60 credits and do not wish to complete the minor dissertation, or who fail the dissertation, may opt to exit the proramme and be conferred with a Postgraduate Diploma in Philosphy and Sociology.

In order to be admitted to the MA programme in Philosophy and Sociology a candidate should normally have a Second Class Honours, Grade I, Primary honours Degree (or equivalent) in Philosophy, Sociology, Politics, or other relevant subject (including, for example, Social Sciences, Literature, Psychology, and others), or equivalent qualifications. Successful applicants must demonstrate evidence of having taken undergraduate or post-graduate modules in philosophy, or courses with philosophical relevance in social theory, cultural theory, or other relevant subjects.

Application for this programme is on-line at www.pac.ie/ucc. For full details of the application procedure click How to Apply.

Please note you will be required to answer specific additional/supplementary questions as part of the online applications process for this programme. A copy of these additional/supplementary questions are available to view here:  CKE83AdditionalQuestions (263kB)

All required supporting documentation (e.g. evidence of non-UCC academic results) must either be uploaded via the PAC "Application Status" link or posted in hard copy to The Postgraduate Applications Centre, 1, Courthouse Square, Galway (marked with your PAC application number)

Contact the Programme coordinator for further information