Graduate programs
Graduate options in Irish Studies
Although the School does not have its own graduate program, interested students can pursue graduate level work in Irish Studies under the supervision of Irish Studies faculty via other departments’ MA or PhD programs (e.g. History, English, Geography, Theatre, Film, Music, etc.) or through Concordia’s interdisciplinary Individualized (INDI) and Humanities programs.
Single-discipline option
The single department/discipline graduate degree is a good option for applicants with a strong academic background in one discipline (for example, a potential Irish History doctoral student who has earned both a BA and an MA in History) and whose research interests are essentially confined to a single discipline’s methods and concerns.
Students interested in doing graduate research work within a specific discipline can apply to the master's or PhD program of the relevant department (e.g. History, English, Theatre, Film, Music, Anthropology, Sociology, Geography, etc.), specifying their proposed topic and the relevant faculty member in the School with whom they would like to work.
Interdisciplinary option
Projects that require a multi-disciplinary approach and the supervision and input of faculty members from different departments/disciplines, can be undertaken though Concordia’s Individualized (INDI) and Humanities programs. These are good options for a prospective student who has a multi-disciplinary background, a well-formed project that requires engagement with or across multiple disciplines, and is well-prepared for a more self-driven, individualized academic path. Note: since Irish Studies faculty members represent a variety of disciplines, it is possible in both the Humanities and INDI programs to have a graduate project committee entirely drawn from the School of Irish Studies.
The Individualized Program
The Individualized Program (INDI) offers graduate studies at the master’s and doctoral levels in areas not covered by existing graduate programs. INDI allows you to combine two or more disciplines within or across three of the four faculties of the university: the Faculty of Arts and Science, the Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science, and the John Molson School of Business.
In most cases, students applying to INDI must propose a program involving multi- or interdisciplinary scholarship in research areas that are not normally the province of mainstream disciplines at Concordia.
Creating new syntheses of knowledge across traditional disciplinary boundaries is the hallmark of the INDI program. There are many researchers at Concordia and, especially, within the School of Irish Studies, who are prepared to help you navigate the interdisciplinary requirements for an INDI MA or PhD.
Humanities PhD program
The Humanities PhD program (HUMA) offers students innovative opportunities to pursue interdisciplinary research projects in the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Fine Arts.
Applicants to HUMA are required to submit research proposals indicating the multi- or interdisciplinary scope of their projects, and declare one Major field, normally within the discipline of the student's Master's degree, and two Minor fields/disciplines. The Major field must be from a Humanities, Social Science, or Fine Arts discipline. Minor fields are normally from the Humanities, Social Sciences or Fine Arts.
Funding eligibility
Definition of an “Irish Studies” graduate student and eligibility for School funding
Whether in an interdisciplinary or a discipline-specific graduate program at Concordia, for the purposes of being eligible for funding support from the School, an Irish Studies graduate student is defined as a student in one of the above programs who fulfils the following criteria:
- Working on a demonstrably Irish or Irish Diasporic topic that the School surmises will make a contribution to the field of Irish Studies
- Directly supervised by a full-time faculty member in Irish Studies OR whose thesis committee includes one or more Irish Studies faculty members
- Actively involved in the activities of the School
- In good academic standing in their home program.
How to apply
To pursue one of the options above, you apply directly to a given department’s graduate program, while specifying your Irish research interests and the appropriate Irish Studies faculty member you’d like to supervise your project or join your thesis committee. (You should correspond with your proposed supervisor or committee member before applying).
Students who pursue this option primarily undertake coursework within their particular department, but can generally also take an independent reading course with their Irish Studies advisor.
