MA in Media Studies (MAMS)

Available: Full-time/Part-time
NFQ Level: 9
Duration: 1 yr FT / 2 yrs PT
Location: MIC Limerick
Delivery Mode: Face-to-face
Assessment: 50% by thesis or film script and 50% by successful completion of 6 modules mostly assessed by essay.

Programme Overview

The Master's in Media Studies (MAMS) at Mary Immaculate College (MIC) is an innovative programme that offers students the opportunity to study a wide range of contemporary media topics at an advanced level. Areas of focus include Film Studies, Audio Studies, and Cultural Studies. The courses are taught by internationally acclaimed researchers with practical knowledge of the media industry, fostering collaborative learning and providing a robust foundation for original research and career development.

Key Features

• The programme is interdisciplinary, integrating theories and applications from various academic fields, including sociology, history, cultural studies, audio studies, film studies, gender studies, digital media theory, literary theory, and linguistics.
• Analysis of historical, social, and cultural contexts of media production.
• Examination of how meaning is generated through the interplay of image, word, and sound in media texts, as well as the impact of media on audiences.

Teaching occurs on the MIC campus, with module offerings being dependent on student choices and lecturer availability. The programme can be completed in one year over three semesters or on a part-time basis over two years.

The curriculum familiarizes students with contemporary issues and developments in both Irish and international mass media, situating analyses within post-Independence Irish society, culture, and identity. Students will develop analytical skills regarding media structures, trends, and methodologies for research on media production, texts, and consumption.

Career Opportunities & Further Study

Graduates of the programme will be equipped with knowledge and skills to pursue doctoral studies and will find enhanced career opportunities in various sectors such as film, television, radio, podcasting, and creative media. Students will complete six taught modules and focus on a dissertation during the summer semester, which comprises 15,000-20,000 words on an approved topic.

While primarily theory-driven, some modules focus on practical skills, such as producing a radio documentary or writing a film script, providing valuable experience particularly for those with an industry background. Teaching and learning methods include lectures, seminars, guest lectures, consultations with faculty, guided reading, and written assignments.

Programme Content

Assessment is divided evenly between a dissertation (20,000 words) and the successful completion of six modules from a comprehensive selection.

Core Modules:

• MC5001: Critical Issues in Media Theory
  • Focuses on key conceptual issues and contemporary media theory, exploring the cultural politics of representation and audience engagement.
• MC5002: Radio - The Invisible Medium
  • Investigates audio storytelling through radio and podcasting, emphasizing the skills necessary for successful audio production.
• MC5022: Ireland and Film
  • Covers developments in Irish Film history, emphasizing the negotiation between global and local cultural forces.
• MC5092: Sound, Media & Society
  • Introduces debates surrounding sound as a medium, exploring its social, technological, and aesthetic dimensions.
• MC5011: Mass Media Research Methods
  • Familiarizes students with specific methods in mass media research and prepares them for their dissertation work.
• MC5072: Writing for the Screen - Craft and Context
  • Provides insights into professional screenwriting, covering industry standards and the development of narratives for screen media.
• MC5094: Documentary Film-Making
  • Equips students with practical documentary production skills and knowledge of the industry's best practices.
• MC5071: Popular Music Studies
  • Explores the academic study of popular music, focusing on identity formation and community engagement through music.
• MC5012: Television Drama - Industry, Form & Audience
  • Evaluates television drama through critical debates about its production and societal meanings.
• MC5041: Media, Sport and Popular Culture
  • Examines the interdependence of sport and media and their cultural implications.

Other Modules Offered Occasionally:

• News and News Media
• Researching Irish Media Audiences
• Sociolinguistics of Irish Media
• Women and Ageing in Popular Culture
• Community Media Engagement
• The Development of Irish Media: A Theoretical Overview

Entry Requirements

Applicants should possess a 2.2 in a relevant degree or have media industry experience. Some flexibility regarding class scheduling may be possible for students working full-time.

How to Apply

• EU Applicants: Complete an application form and pay a €50 non-refundable application fee. Provide university transcripts, and if required, an English Language Competency Certificate.
• Non-EU Applicants: Contact the MIC International Office for specific entry requirements and procedures ahead of applying. Include similar documentation as required for EU applicants.

The closing date for applications is 4pm on Friday, 7 August 2026.

Fees

Further details regarding postgraduate fees can be acquired from the relevant section of the institution's resources.

Mary Immaculate College (MIC), known in Irish as Coláiste Mhuire Gan Smál, is a university-level College of Education and the Liberal Arts in Limerick, Ireland, academically linked with the University of Limerick. Founded in 1898 by Bishop Edward Thomas O'Dwyer and the Sisters of Mercy for the professional education of Catholic primary school teachers, MIC is the oldest third-level institution in Limerick City.

The foundation stone was laid on 8 December 1898 on an 11-acre site jointly purchased by the Bishop and the Sisters of Mercy, with construction led by Dublin architect George Byrne and Limerick contractors Molloy. The College opened its doors to its first students on 21 September 1901, and was officially opened on 16 May 1902. From its original 75 young women enrolled in 1901, MIC has grown into a multi-campus institution with a student population of over 5,000.

Mission

Mary Immaculate College is a third-level Catholic College of Education and the Liberal Arts. The College community promotes excellence in teaching, learning and research at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and seeks to foster the intellectual, spiritual, personal and professional development of students within a supportive and challenging environment that guarantees the intellectual freedom of staff and students. In particular, the College seeks to foster in its students a spirit of justice and compassion in the service of others, together with an openness to the religious tradition and values of each individual.

The College promotes a sense of identity enriched by an awareness of its Catholic tradition, the cultures, languages and traditions of Ireland, and its special commitment to the Irish language. Mary Immaculate College respects cultural diversity and strives to promote equity in society, providing an environment where all have the freedom and opportunity to achieve their full potential.

Founding vision

MIC continues to embrace the founding vision of Catherine McAuley, who established the Sisters of Mercy as champions for the most marginalised in society, with the conviction that education was essential to that mission. This emphasis on social justice and educational inclusion remains central to the College's institutional identity as it has grown and diversified over more than 125 years.

Academic structure

MIC offers programmes across two faculties, Education and Arts, spanning Level 4 to Level 10 on the National Framework of Qualifications. Undergraduate programmes are offered in:

• Primary and Post-Primary Teaching (Bachelor of Education, Teaching Council-accredited)
• Liberal Arts, with a choice of 14 subjects across a flexible, wide-ranging programme
• Early Childhood Care and Education
• Psychology, including a Bachelor of Science in Psychology incorporating workplace experience
• Drama and English
• English Language and Literature

The MIC Thurles campus additionally offers post-primary teacher education programmes in Home Economics, Gaeilge, Mathematics, Business Studies, Theology and Religious Studies, and Accounting. Postgraduate study is available across both faculties at Diploma, Master's and PhD level, alongside professional development and lifelong learning programmes.

Campuses

MIC is a multi-campus institution with centrally located, state-of-the-art facilities in both Limerick City and Thurles, Co. Tipperary:

• MIC Limerick: the College's original and main campus on South Circular Road, home to the historic 1899 building that remains central to College life today, alongside a state-of-the-art Sports Complex completed in 2008 at a cost of €16 million, and the 510-seat Lime Tree Theatre, officially opened in October 2012
• MIC Thurles: incorporated into MIC in 2016, originally established as a second-level school in 1837 and later a major seminary, today offering seven undergraduate programmes delivered by staff from both the Faculty of Education and the Faculty of Arts, with on-campus accommodation and the O'Dwyer Library housing approximately 15,000 print resources

Both campuses are characterised by an informal, relaxed atmosphere and a close rapport between students and staff, with the amenities of city and town life on the doorstep.

Affiliation with the University of Limerick

MIC has been academically linked with the University of Limerick since a formal partnership was established in 1990, with UL becoming MIC's accrediting body. Degrees were conferred by the National University of Ireland until 1994, and by UL from 1995 onward. In 1999, MIC became the first Irish College of Education to offer a Bachelor of Arts degree programme. The first PhD was awarded by MIC in 2003. MIC is also a member of the Shannon Consortium, a collaborative framework alongside the University of Limerick and Technological University of the Shannon.

Student life and facilities

• Wired FM (Wired 99.9FM): Limerick's only licensed student community radio station, run in partnership with the Technological University of the Shannon
• Lime Tree Theatre: a 510-seat venue on the Limerick campus hosting theatre, music, comedy, traditional arts, school performances and conferences
• MIC Munster GAA Centre of Excellence and extensive College Sport opportunities, supported by the dedicated Sports Complex
• CRAFT Maker Space, supporting hands-on creativity and enterprise
• Mary Immaculate Students' Union (MISU), marking 25 years of representing the student body
• Clubs and Societies, Arts and Culture programming, and a strong Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Interculturalism (EDII) commitment
• Recognition as an Age Friendly Campus
• Careers Service, Study Abroad opportunities, and an Off-Campus Programme

Leadership and governance

The College's first six Presidents were members of the Sisters of Mercy, beginning with Sr Paul Quinlan in 1898, followed by Sr Veronica Cullinan, Sr Celsus Barry, Sr Loreto Ní Chonchúir, Sr Cabrini Moloney and Sr Angela Bugler. Professor Peadar Cremin, appointed in 1999, was the seventh President and the first lay person to hold the position. He was succeeded by Professor Michael A. Hayes in 2011 and Professor Eugene Wall in 2018, the ninth President in the College's history. Mary Immaculate College is currently led by Professor Dermot Nestor, President of the College, with the Bishop of Limerick serving as Chairperson of the Board of Trustees.