Open evening to feature new courses

A special open evening for would-be postgraduate students will take place in Mary Immaculate College tomorrow (April 14th) from 7 to 9pm.  

The College is a leading provider of graduate education at Graduate Diploma, Taught Master’s, Research Master’s and Doctoral levels in both Arts and Education.

Taught MAs are available in History, Theology, Philosophy and Literature and English. The Faculty of Education provides taught MEd programmes that develop knowledge and understanding in specialist areas such as special educational needs, information and communication technologies, early childhood care and education, science and technology, adult and continuing education, music education, development education and educational disadvantage - in combination with applied real world research in schools, classrooms, communities and workplaces.

People attending the Open Evening will also be able to enquire about four new programmes beginning this September in Mary Immaculate College.

The Faculty of Arts will deliver two exciting new programmes: the MA in Christian Leadership in Education, under the academic leadership of the Department of Theology, in conjunction with the Faculty of Education, together with CEIST (Catholic Education, an Irish Schools Trust); and a structured (taught) Ph.D. in theology. 

The new MA will provide a professional qualification with a strong theology component for those working in the education sector, with a view to helping them foster and sustain the Christian ethos of the schools where they work. According to Dr Catherine Kavanagh, Director of Graduate Studies in Arts, 'this programme will provide a combination of training in the development of leadership skills with the acquisition of a high degree of theological literacy, and it is unique in Ireland.'

Commenting on the structured PhD in Theology she said: 'this PhD will capitalise on the strengths of the Department of Theology and Religious Studies in Mary Immaculate College – one of the very few such Departments in the country. Taught MA programmes have recently been offered in Christian Spirituality, Biblical Studies, Liturgical Studies and Theological Studies; the taught PhD is a natural development of the existing suite of programmes offered by the Department. It will take full advantage of the extensive international links already in place in the Department of Theology, from which we anticipate students will benefit greatly.'

MIC will also deliver an MA in Educational Psychology and a Structured PhD (Education) for the first time in September 2010.

The MA in Educational Psychology is a two year full‐time professional training programme, which will have a strong applied focus and trainees will engage in professional placement each semester. The programme meets a national training need in the area of educational psychology and Mary Immaculate College is the only institution in Ireland outside of Dublin and Belfast to offer such a programme.

Speaking on the Structured PhD, Prof. Jim Deegan, Director, Graduate Studies in Education said, 'the Structured PhD (Education) programme is in line with developments in doctoral education stemming from the Bologna Declaration for meaningful, useful and transferrable 4th level education. The programme will include core modules on contemporary paradigms, policies and practices in the field of education, with a wide range of elective modules. A distinctive feature of the Structured PhD (Education) programme will be the inclusion of international master classes and summer schools.'

Click here for more information about fourth level options in MIC.