M.A. in Poetry Studies

Innovative and exciting work in Poetry Studies takes place at MDI, with its Irish Centre for Poetry Studies and electronic journal POST: A Poetry Studies Review.

The MA in Poetry Studies is a pioneering Poetry course that provides students, teachers and practitioners of poetry with specialised skills in the appreciation of the art-form. Through this programme, we are reaching out to various communities, both professional and non-professional, with an interest in expanding their understanding of poetry through lifelong learning. MDI has strong links with Portugal’s University of Coimbra, the only other European institution currently offering a comparable MA in Poetry Studies. Possibilities exist for student exchanges, or for MDI students to visit Coimbra and experience their internationally-celebrated Meeting of Poets, which takes place biennially.

Irish Centre for Poetry Studies - History, Mission, Values

Since its creation in 2007, The Irish Centre for Poetry Studies at Mater Dei has succeeded in its foundational aims, which were to secure a reputation for excellence and provide a base for poetry-related scholarship. Its peer-reviewed journal POST has just published its third issue, a fourth is close to readiness, and it has already established itself as a unique site with an international reputation where poetry receives an interdisciplinary analysis, seeing the art as a uniquely various form of cultural transmission. The Centre has also successfully developed the MA in Poetry Studies at Mater Dei, a programme that has succeeded in attracting at least 12 students (both part-time and full-time) in every year that it has run, a notably strong performance compared to other MA programmes in the Humanities currently on offer in Ireland with a literary focus. Work is also evolving on the creation of a Poetry Studies International Network, which would further confirm the Centre’s standing as an agenda-setting hub for creative learning. The Centre is unique in Ireland and the UK, and is re-defining the study of poetry as an interdisciplinary phenomenon beyond the narrowly literary, admitting a broad community of scholars and students from a wide range of educative and cultural backgrounds.

Awards

Successful completion of the programme leads to the award Master of Arts in Poetry Studies. It is also possible to exit with a Graduate Diploma in Poetry Studies, or a Graduate Certificate in Poetry Studies. Individual modules may also be audited without obtaining an award.

Scheduling

The programme is offered on a full-time (one year) or part-time basis (two years).

Entry Requirements

The general criteria for entry to this taught postgraduate programme is a good honours primary degree or equivalent. Students who do not meet the normal criteria may be considered for a place on the programme on the basis of their work experience and other relevant educational achievements. Applicants seeking Accreditation of Prior (Certified) Learning (APL) for the purposes of entry, module exemptions, or advanced entry, or applicants seeking Accreditation of Prior Experiental Learning (APEL) for the purposes of entry or module exemptions will also be considered.

Cost & Fees

The part-time fee for the academic year 2015/16 (Year 1) is €3,348 and will increase modestly in the subsequent year. Non-EU fees are double the EU fees. At the time of writing, current economic climate permitting, both the full-time and the part-time programmes are recognized for income-tax relief. The full-time programme qualifies for the Higher Education Grants Scheme under the usual conditions of eligibility.