Loyola Marymount University Bulletin 2011-2012 > Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts > Irish Studies

Irish Studies

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Director

John Menaghan

Objectives

lrish Studies is an interdisciplinary minor designed to complement a wide variety of majors by providing students with an understanding of the historical and cultural development of the Irish people and the significance of their intellectual, artistic, spiritual, and economic contribution to world civilization, including their experiences as both a post-colonial nation and an emigrant diaspora. Taken together, Ireland’s historical evolution; its long experience of colonization and cultural oppression; its rich contribution to world literature, art, and music; the creative tension in contemporary Ireland between its ancient Celtic heritage and its modern Anglo-Irish/Hiberno-English identity; and its remarkable though often unacknowledged influence upon the countries—chiefly the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa—that make up the far-flung Irish diaspora constitute a fertile field for intellectual inquiry.

Focused simultaneously on a small nation on the edge of Europe and a far-flung diaspora and offered within the context of the most culturally diverse city in the world, the minor in Irish Studies is designed to be not merely interdisciplinary but intercultural. At a time when the nearly simultaneous phenomena of a European drive toward unification and an American emphasis on diversity both complicate and enrich our very notions of what constitutes a nation, culture, or people, students minoring in Irish Studies will have the flexibility to explore the richness of the Irish experience from a broad range of perspectives and the opportunity to assess its influence not only in Europe and America but on struggles against cultural and political oppression around the globe.

Irish Studies Student Learning Outcomes

Students minoring in Irish Studies are given opportunities to learn about:

The general history of Ireland and the Irish diaspora
The distinctive literary achievements of the Irish
Irish achievements in cinema and dance
Historical, religious, and moral issues in contemporary Irish politics
The intersection/intermingling of Celtic and Christian worldviews
The connection of Irish struggles for freedom and self-determination to similar struggles in the United States and around the world

Students minoring in Irish Studies will be given opportunities to develop:

Their ability to perform research into several distinct aspects of the Irish experience
Their ability to compose well-written and thoughtful essays on Irish history, politics, religion, and culture
Their ability to evaluate and appreciate Irish achievements in the arts
Their ability to make connections across disciplines, countries, and cultures

Students minoring in Irish Studies will be encouraged to value:

The Irish struggle against cultural and political oppression and its relation and continuing relevance to similar struggles around the world
The distinctive contributions of the Irish to European, American, and world civilization.

Study Abroad

Students can earn up to six semester hours toward the minor in Irish Studies in the LMU Summer in Ireland Program at Trinity College Dublin, one of the oldest and most renowned universities in the world. Students can also arrange to spend a semester or year abroad at an Irish university.

Minor Requirements

LMU students wishing to declare the Irish Studies minor must meet with the program director. The director will sign the student’s Change of Program form provided the student meets certain academic standards that include having a minimum LMU GPA of 2.0 (C) and not otherwise being on academic probation.

18 semester hours, including at least one course in Irish literature and one in Irish history. At least 12 semester hours must be in upper division courses. An average grade of C (2.0) must be maintained in Irish Studies courses.

Note:

Courses offered in other departments and programs may be used as semester hours to fulfill the minor requirements in IRST, provided the student receives the approval of the Director in advance of taking the course. Students seeking such approval must arrange with the relevant instructor to complete a substantial paper/project on Ireland and/or the Irish diaspora and must submit a copy of same to the Director at the end of the course. No more than nine semester hours (3 such courses) may be applied toward the 18 total semester hours required to complete the Irish Studies minor. Such courses may also have departmental prerequisites; consult course descriptions for further details.