Welcome to the Department of

Media and Communication Studies

in Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick.

 

This is a temporary site that gives you up to date information on the courses we offer, on the staff who teach here and on the research we are currently engaged in. A more complete site is under construction but for now, please get in touch with us if there is any information you need that is not listed here by contacting Padraig Horgan in the Arts Office.

 

The BA programme is unique in Ireland as it gives students the opportunity to take Media and Communication Studies with another subject to degree level. The choices include English, French, Geography,  German, History, Irish, Maths, Music, Philosophy, Psychology and Theology and Religious Studies. We have found that any one of these subjects works well with Media and Communication studies as those who study the media and aim to work in the media industry need to have a wide ranging knowledge of many areas. We also find that our students tend to have a healthy curiosity about the world we live in and this feeds directly into the work and learning that they engage in over the four year programme.

 

Graduates of the course are currently working in every radio and television station in Ireland, in most local and national newspapers and in many independent AV and Film production units around the country. Other graduates work in the media further afield, in America, Australia, Great Britain and Europe. Some of our graduates work in publishing, in advertising, in Public Relations and in Human Resources, others choose a career in education, teaching in primary and post-primary schools. Many of our graduates choose to continue to further study and training and this is actively encouraged both within Mary Immaculate College and in other institutions.

385 points were required for entry to the programme, MI004, in 2008-09.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prof. Michael Breen, Dean of Faculty of Arts with members of the Department of Media and Communication Studies, Rosemary Day, Nicky Fennell, Susan Liddy and Marcus Free at Graduation 2008.

 

 

 

 

The BA programme consists of both practical, production modules and modules that explain how the media influence us, how we use the media and how programmes and films work ideologically, commercially and as entertainment. Students learn to make their own advertisements, news programmes and  documentary films and they learn to scriptwrite, write newspaper articles, desk top publishing, audio editing among other production skills. The full list of modules taught is available on BA Media and Communication Studies. Most of our students get involved in live broadcasting on the student radio station jointly run with LIT, WIRED FM.

 

While studying in Mary Immaculate College most of our students take an off-campus year in their third year. This gives them the opportunity to work in paid placements in radio and television stations, in newspapers and magazines, in independent production houses and in marketing departments in Ireland and abroad. It also offers our students the chance to travel and to study abroad in colleges in a variety of countries including the United States of America, Great Britain and most of Europe through the Socrates and other programmes.

 

Since 2008 the Department is proud to offer a taught, cross campus,  post-graduate programme in conjunction with the University of Limerick. The Masters in Irish Media Studies (MAIMS) is taught in the evenings over one or two years and is flexible to suit the needs of full time and part time students. To date, demand for places has been high and students have commuted from Galway, Mayo, Tipperary, Clare and Kerry to join those who live in Limerick in availing of this opportunity. Full details of the programme are available on MAIMS.

Entry to MAIMS is normally on the basis of an honours primary degree but extensive media industry experience can also be taken into consideration.

 

The Department also offers the opportunity of pursuing postgraduate study by research at masters and doctoral level. The Department is linked to two national research centres, the Radio Research Centre and the Centre for Cultural and Technological Values, www.cctv.mic.ul.ie.

 

Full details of the research conducted by members of the department and of the areas of research that interest us as individuals are listed on the staff page