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1. Study
2. Postgraduate
3. Taught Courses
4. Higher Diploma
5. Folklore

Course Fact File

Code	HDAFL
Duration	1 year Full-time; 2 years Part-time
Teaching Mode	Part-Time, Full-time. See Additional Teaching Mode Information for more info.
Qualifications	HDip in Arts
NFQ Level	Level 8
Closing Date	Rolling deadline. Open until all places have been filled. Early application is advised.
Non-EU Closing Date	Open until all places have been filled or no later than 15 June. Early application is advised.
Start Date	8 September 2025

Course Outline

The Higher Diploma in Folklore gives you the opportunity to study everyday life in Ireland, in all of its rich diversity and its vast range of cultural expressions. Folklore, like its synonym popular culture, makes a study of everyday life, both past and present. Quite simply, it studies life by looking at how people lived their day-to-day lives: their houses, technologies, stories, rituals, beliefs, religion and cosmological understandings.

Folklore has a special place in the formation of Irish consciousness, in literature, and is one of the most important hallmarks of Irish culture. The Department of Folklore at UCC is ideally placed to offer unique insights into Irish life, popular culture and traditions. It is one of only two such departments in Ireland.

The study of ordinary life is at the heart of the Higher Diploma in Folklore. Years of experience in teaching and conducting original research into Irish life, traditions and folklore make the Department of Folklore and Ethnology the ideal place to study these aspects of Irish life, and make participating in the Higher Diploma in Folklore a rich and rewarding experience. 

By studying for a Higher Diploma in Folklore, you will cover key topics including:

• oral literature (e.g. narrative, story, and song)
• popular religion (e.g. belief, healing, festivals)
• popular material culture (e.g. vernacular housing, and technologies past and present).

This course will give you the skills to:

• trace the development of the discipline of Irish and European folklore
• engage with various aspects of traditional and contemporary Irish culture
• identify key genres in narrative, and recount the social and cultural context for storytelling
• evaluate the ethnographic value of archival documents
• be able to research an ethnographic project through archival sources
• design an ethnographic fieldwork project
• use recording technology to conduct an ethnographic interview. 

Additional Teaching Mode Information

The part-time option will be taught during weekday working hours over 2 years.

Course Practicalities

The Higher Diploma in Folklore is intended for those who already have a degree and who wish to study folklore intensively over one or two academic years, part-time. The course consists of modules to the value of 60 credits taken from a range of existing year 2 and 3 modules in BA Folklore. Part-time students will study second year modules for 30 credits in year 1 and third year modules for 30 credits in year 2.

Assessment

Assessment is carried out through continuous assessment in the form of written assignments.

Who teaches this course

Staff of the Department of Folklore and occasional guest speakers.

Why Choose This Course

There are only two university departments in Ireland that teach and research Irish folklore as an academic subject, making the Department of Folklore and Ethnology at UCC a leader in its field. The discipline itself is unique in making everyday life, traditions, beliefs and popular behaviour the actual focus of its attention. No other discipline can provide the insight or the perspective on Irish life and traditions that folklore does

Skills and Careers Information

In addition to developing archival and analytical skills, you will develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of Irish popular culture, both past and present, in studying the stories, rituals, beliefs, traditions, religion and cosmological understandings of the people.

Graduates of our department have gone on to careers in:

• journalism
• television and radio
• teaching
• the heritage sector (museums, folk parks, etc.
• community-based folklore and arts projects management
• academia.

Requirements

It is intended for those who already have a 3 or 4 year primary degree and who wish to study the subject Folklore intensively over one or two academic years. The Higher Diploma in Arts is a conversion programme and applicants would not normally have studied the relevant subject to Honours Degree level previously.

Applicants are asked to study the modules offered before applying, to ensure that they are aware of the approach taken to the study of Folklore in the Department of Folklore and Ethnology at UCC.

 

Fees and Costs

How To Apply

Additional Requirements (All Applicants)

Please note you will be required to provide additional information as part of the online application process for this programme. This will include the following questions:

• You may enter the details of professional or voluntary positions held. We strongly encourage you to complete this section with all relevant work experiences that will support your application.

• In addition to your previously declared qualifications, please outline any additional academic courses, self-learning and professional training relevant to this programme.

• Please describe your motivation and readiness for this programme.

• Please detail your computing/technical/IT skills.

The closing date for non-EU applications is Open until all places have been filled or no later than 15 June. Early application is advised.

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