Faculty of Arts
About
The Faculty of Arts offers a diverse range of subject choices in an engaging and intellectually stimulating Liberal Arts programme. We are committed to delivering an exceptional educational experience that combines academic excellence with the development of highly valued transferable skills. Our graduates are articulate, socially conscious and intellectually curious citizens, poised to become leaders in their chosen professions.
Welcome to Faculty of Arts
As Dean of the Faculty of Arts, I extend a warm welcome to you and wish you every success in your studies. On this website, you will find information about the degrees we offer and our distinctive approach to Arts.
The Faculty of Arts hosts a vibrant scholarly community including fourteen academic departments and a wealth of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes serving MIC’s 5000 students.
Our flagship undergraduate degrees in the Bachelor of Arts, the BA Drama and English, the Bachelor of Science in Climate, Society, Sustainability, and the PSI-accredited Bachelor of Science in Psychology feature diverse subject combinations, placements, and exciting study abroad opportunities. We also contribute to the Bachelor of Education and the BEd in Education and Psychology. For students interested in furthering their studies, we deliver postgraduate coursework and supervise candidates in research higher degrees at MA and PhD level.
Each year we welcome new students to join a lively community with a very active social calendar, full of opportunities to make lifelong friends. Our students come to us from all over Ireland and from countries as far-flung as the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Netherlands, Spain, Nigeria, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Australia, and the USA. Students can choose to study abroad for an enriching academic and intercultural experience or undertake a placement linked to their career aspirations.
I look forward to meeting you during your time at MIC and wish you well in the years ahead.
Professor Jane Stadler
Dean of Arts
Broadening Horizons
Our student body is international - drawn not only from Ireland but from countries including the UK, France, Germany, Poland, Netherlands, Spain, Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Mali, South Africa, Australia and the USA. Our students mix with international students on Erasmus and non-EU exchange programmes, experiencing different cultures, as well as curricula. We have a vibrant and diverse student community which has a very active social calendar.
Of particular note is the off-campus year, which students can spend in a variety of settings; some in foreign partner universities, others in placements linked to their career paths, and others in volunteer settings. Our students have spent off-campus semesters across Europe, the US, Australia and Asia to date. That list continues to expand.
With our graduates spread across the globe and working in a variety of different settings, our Liberal Arts undergraduate degree is a fundamental education for life, learning pursued for its own sake.
A BA built with over 30 years' experience
Mary Immaculate College was founded in 1898 for the professional education of primary school teachers but over the years, courses of study were altered to suit the changing times. In academic areas, specialisation was introduced with the advent of elective subjects. In addition to education studies, students were given scope to specialise in areas of particular interest to them from a range of Liberal Arts subjects offered by a number of departments.
In 1974, MIC became a recognised college of the National University of Ireland offering a three-year Bachelor of Education degree. The Arts departments continued to provide a range of academic subjects for the B Ed degree. In November 1991, the Minister for Education announced a new linkage between MIC and the University of Limerick.
The BA in Liberal Arts was introduced to MIC in 1992 following the establishment of this link with the University of Limerick. The Faculty of Arts was established in 2007 and has grown to include 14 departments within the faculty. The BA is a four-year degree with three years on campus at MIC and one year on work placement and/or study abroad. The degree is flexible and comprehensive, offering numerous double-honours combinations.
Faculty of Arts Office
The Faculty of Arts Office is responsible for the administration of the Faculty of Arts and provides support to students and staff within the faculty. The office directly supports the work undertaken by the Dean of Arts.
The office provides administrative support to the 14 academic departments in the faculty and the following programmes: BA in Liberal Arts, BA in Drama and English, BSc in Psychology, Bachelor of Education and Bachelor of Education in Education and Psychology. The office also provides support to the following areas: Skills for Study and TEFL.
The Arts Office is located in Room RG1, situated on the ground floor of the Residential Block(just off the Foundation Building) and is open from 10am-1pm and 2-4.30pm, Monday to Friday.
Faculty of Arts Public Lecture Series 2026
The Faculty of Arts held a series of public lectures in February and March 2026 - showcasing some of the excellent academics who form part of the Faculty and the various subjects which fascinate them.
Dr Cian O’Brien
Change the Order, and Everything Changes: Mathematics as the Art of Rearrangement
Dr Michael Murphy
Why did Irish Freemason's sing 'God Save the King’?
Dr Angela Hayes
From Asteroids to Ice Ages: Earth’s Place in Space
For the latest research and news from academics and student researchers of MIC Faculty of Arts.
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