Middle Eastern Jewish & Islamic Civilisations & Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of language. Linguists investigate how language works; how patterns of sounds, words and sentences combine to convey meaning.
If you are interested in literature, religion, ancient and modern history, philosophy, and in the Middle East and North Africa’s relationship with the Western world, this is the course for you.
| Award Name | Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) |
|---|---|
| NFQ Classification | Major |
| Awarding Body | University of Dublin |
| NFQ Level | Level 8 NFQ |
| Award Name | NFQ Classification | Awarding Body | NFQ Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) | Major | University of Dublin | Level 8 NFQ |
Duration
4 years full-time
Specific Subjects or course requirements
Minimum Entry Requirements: Irish Leaving Certificate
To be considered for admission to a degree course at the University you must:
Present six subjects, three of which must be at grade 5 or above on higher Leaving Certificate papers or at least grade 5 in the University matriculation examination.
The six subjects above must include:
A pass in English.
A pass in mathematics (or foundation-level mathematics (see note 2)) and a pass in a language other than English
OR
A pass in Latin and a pass in a subject other than a language.
Specific Subjects Required
Linguistics
O2/H6 in a language other than English or Irish
Middle Eastern Jewish and Islamic Civilisations
None
Leaving Certificate General Entry Requirements
To qualify for admission to an honours degree course at the University you must:
1 meet the minimum entry requirements (see above).
2 satisfy course specific requirements (where applicable), see above.
3 where there is competition for places, have good enough examination results to be included among those to whom offers are made (see the Leaving Certificate scoring system or Advanced GCE (A Level) scoring system).
Minimum Entry Requirements: Irish Leaving Certificate
To be considered for admission to a degree course at the University applicants must:
› Present six subjects, three of which must be at grade 5 or above on higher Leaving Certificate papers or at least grade 5 in the University matriculation examination.
The six subjects above must include:
› A pass in English.
› A pass in mathematics (or foundation-level mathematics (see note 2)) and a pass in a language other than English OR
› A pass in Latin and a pass in a subject other than a language.
Notes:
1 A pass means grade O6/H7 or above in the Leaving Certificate and grade 7 or above in the University matriculation examination.
2 Mathematics at foundation-level is acceptable for minimum entry requirements only, for all courses except nursing or midwifery courses. Irish at foundation-level is not acceptable for minimum entry requirements, course requirements or for scoring purposes.
3 Students may combine grades achieved in different sittings of their Leaving Certificate/Matriculation examinations for the purpose of satisfying minimum entry and/or course requirements, but not for the purposes of scoring. This is not permitted for Medicine.
4 Combinations of Leaving Certificate subjects not permitted:
› Physics/chemistry may not be presented with physics or chemistry.
› Biology and agricultural science may not be presented as two of the six subjects required for minimum entry requirements, and they may not be presented together to satisfy course specific requirements. However, both may be used for scoring purposes.
› Art and music may not be offered as two of the three higher Leaving Certificate grades for minimum entry requirements, but both may be used for scoring purposes.
Bonus Points for Higher Level Mathematics
All students presenting H6 or above in higher level mathematics will have 25 points added to their score for mathematics. The bonus points will only be relevant where mathematics is scored as one of a student’s six best subjects for points purposes.
An applicant’s six best results from one sitting of the Leaving Certificate will be counted for scoring purposes. Applicants may combine results from the Leaving Certificate and the Trinity matriculation examination of the same year for scoring purposes.
The minimum entry levels (points) for Trinity in recent years are available at: www.tcd.ie/study/apply/admission-requirements/ undergraduate
Age Requirement
Applicants seeking admission in 2025 must have a date of birth before 15 January 2009.
Garda Vetting
Students on courses with clinical or other professional placements may be required to undergo Garda vetting procedures prior to commencing placements. If, as a result of the outcome of the Garda vetting procedures, students are deemed unsuitable to attend clinical or other professional placement, they may be required to withdraw from their course. Students who have resided outside Ireland for a period of 6 months or more will be required to provide police clearance documentation from the country (including different states) or countries in which they resided.
Students who accept an offer will be informed of the procedures to be followed to complete the vetting process (as part of the student orientation information).
Fitness To Practice
Professional courses demand that certain core competencies are met by students in order to graduate and practice professionally after qualification. Trinity has special responsibility to ensure that all students admitted to all professional programmes will be eligible for registration by the relevant professional body upon graduation. It is important to us that our students are able to fulfil the rigorous demands of professional courses and are fit to practice.
Health Screening
Offers of admission to the following courses are made subject to certain vaccination requirements and/or certain negative test results:
› Clinical Speech and Language Studies
› Orthodontic Therapy, Dental Science, Dental Hygiene, Dental Nursing, and Dental Technology
› Medicine › Nursing and Midwifery
› Occupational Therapy
› Pharmacy
› Physiotherapy
› Radiation Therapy
› Social Studies (Social work)
Full details are available at: www.tcd.ie/study/apply/admissionrequirements/ undergraduate
Leaving Certificate Vocational Progamme LCVP
These modules are accepted for scoring purposes only and are awarded the following points: Distinction 66, Merit 46, Pass 28.
QQI FET Applicants General Information
There is an entry route to a number of degree programmes in Trinity for applicants presenting appropriate QQI/FET Level 5 or 6 Major Awards. Applicants presenting distinctions in five modules can be considered for admission.
Full information on courses with QQI entry routes, requirements etc., can be found at the link below.
Careers / Further progression
Middle Eastern Jewish and Islamic Civilisations
Graduate skills and career opportunities
This broad humanities degree in Middle Eastern, Jewish and Islamic Civilisations provides the ideal foundation for those aspiring to careers in public services, foreign affairs, diplomacy, journalism and education. Many of our graduates can be found in these and in other professions.
Students receive a rewarding education in Middle Eastern, North African, Jewish, and Islamic history and culture, but also instilled are more general skills, such as critical thinking and problem solving as well as training in international affairs that are highly attractive to potential employers.
Linguistics
Graduate skills and career opportunities
A Joint Honours degree with Linguistics provides an excellent foundation for professions involving language-centred expertise, such as speech and language therapy; education, including language teaching; media; journalism; PR and advertising; IT including speech and language technology; translation and interpreting. Pathways for academic and research careers abound: Linguistics has natural affinities for areas like sociology, psychology, neuroscience, philosophy, and anthropology.
Training in Linguistics promotes the critical evaluation of evidence, logical and detailed analysis, and the formulation and presentation of arguments. Graduates will be able to take an objective view of theoretical and practical issues, formulate researchable questions and hypotheses, identify and implement appropriate research methods, and critically evaluate competing theories and frameworks.
Further information
Mature Students
All undergraduate courses in Trinity are open to mature applicants. Mature student applicants are not required to satisfy the normal minimum entry requirements and are not required to meet competitive academic entry levels (such as Leaving Certificate points), but are considered in the first instance on the basis of how relevant their life, work and educational experiences are to the course(s) that they wish to pursue. In addition, all applicants should demonstrate an interest in and knowledge of their course choice(s).
In order to apply to Trinity as a mature applicant you must:
› be an EU applicant (see page 216 TCD Undergraduate Prospectus 2025)
› be at least 23 years of age on 1 January 2025
› submit a CAO application form to the Central Applications Office (CAO) by 1 February 2025
Late applications will not be considered from mature students.
CAO applications may be made online at: www.cao.ie
Further information about applying through the CAO as a mature student can be found www.cao.ie/index.php?page=mature
Applicants to all courses may be required to attend an interview. Interviews are usually held between April and May.
Certain courses may also require applicants to meet other assessment criteria. For information on additional assessments for specific courses please refer to the Mature Student Guidelines booklet available from:
Academic Registry, Watts Building, Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin, Dublin 2, T: +353 1 896 4500, E: academic.registry@tcd.ie
The Mature Student Guidelines booklet is also available to download at: www.tcd.ie/maturestudents/apply
Trinity will inform mature applicants of the outcome of their application before the end of May to allow successful applicants the maximum time possible to prepare for the start of the academic year 2025. Official offers to successful applicants are made through the CAO in early July. To secure your place you must return a formal acceptance notice to the CAO by the specified reply date.
An information seminar to prepare all successful mature applicants for starting in Trinity will take place in July 2025. An orientation programme for all successful mature applicants will take place in August 2025.
For further information on studying in Trinity as a mature student please contact the mature student officer, T: +353 1 896 1386, E: mature.student.officer@tcd.ie For more information, visit: www.tcd.ie/maturestudents
For information on Alternative Entry Routes go to: https://www.tcd.ie/study/apply/alternative-paths-to-trinity/
Entry 2025
Early online application (discounted): Fee €30 Closing Date: 20 January 2025 at 5pm
Normal online application: Fee €45 Closing Date: 1 February 2025 at 5pm
Late online application - restrictions apply (see page 3 2025 CAO Handbook): Fee: €60 Closing Date: 1 May 2025 at 5pm
Change of Mind - restrictions apply (see page 3 2025 CAO Handbook): Fee: Nil Closing Date: 1 July 2025 at 5pm
Be sure to complete any action well in advance of closing dates. You should avoid making an application close to a closing date. No extensions to closing dates will be allowed and all application fees are non-refundable.
LATE APPLICATIONS
Late Applications are those which are received after 5pm on 1 February 2025. The closing date for late applications is 5pm on 1 May 2025, subject to the restrictions listed on page 3 of the 2025 CAO Handbook. The online facility for late applications opens on the 5 March 2025 at 12:00 noon - a fee of €60 applies.
Restrictions
As a CAO applicant you may experience one or more of the following restrictions based on your course choices, your category of application, or restrictions imposed by the HEIs that you wish to apply to. Please read the section on 'Restrictions' on page 3 of the 2025 CAO Handbook carefully. This section includes information on:
General Restrictions
1. Making a late application
2. Making changes to your course choices
Restricted Courses
3. Applying for a restricted course
Mature Applicants
4. Mature applicants
Supplementary Admissions Routes
5. Applying for DARE and/or HEAR
What is Middle Eastern, Jewish and Islamic Civilisations?
The cultures and societies of the Middle East have been deeply influential in shaping European and western values. In spite of this, the region and its peoples are often misunderstood and represented. Middle Eastern, Jewish and Islamic Civilisations is the study of the historical origins as well as contemporary culture of a wide range of societies of the region, providing you with an insight into the contemporary Middle East and to the challenges of diversity and multiculturalism in an increasingly globalised world.
Middle Eastern, Jewish and Islamic Civilisations: The course for you?
If you are interested in ancient and modern history, in literature, in religion and philosophy, in the Middle East and its cultures and religions, in the region’s relationship with the Western world, this course would be of great interest to you. If you find yourself asking how societies develop their values and perspectives, you will be able to explore how they do so over the course of some of the most exciting periods of human history beginning with the cultures of ancient Israelites, Persians and Babylonians, and extending to the contemporary political conditions in the Middle East.
Your degree and what you’ll study
At entry, Middle Eastern, Jewish and Islamic Civilisations must be combined with one other subject. In later years, you will be able to select additional subjects and electives.
What is Linguistics?
Linguistics is the scientific study of language. Linguists investigate how language works; how patterns of sounds, words and sentences combine to convey meaning. Language is fundamental to nearly every aspect of human experience: how we communicate, our sense of identity, how we interact socially and how we think. Linguists explore all these areas and more. They study everyday language use, how it varies and changes geographically, socially and across time, and how children acquire language.
Even when they investigate specific languages, linguists are often trying to shed light on language in general. Some investigate how people acquire their knowledge about language and what this tells us about how the mind works. Many linguists investigate how languages vary across speakers, social groups and geographic regions, and some are involved in the documentation and maintenance of endangered languages. Some make computational models of speech and language based on collections of spoken and written language.
Do you enjoy…
Exploring and learning other languages and dialects?
Working out patterns from evidence?
Learning about the human mind?
Thinking about how individuals and societies interact?
Linguistics: The course for you?
Linguistics often appeals to students who are curious about language as one of the most fascinating aspects of human knowledge and behaviour. Perhaps you are interested in accents, dialects, or slang, or you are a good learner of languages, or you are intrigued by how language changes over time, or you wonder how humans manage to learn and produce language. Linguistics is also appealing to those who enjoy detailed, problem-solving analysis and careful argumentation. Students of Linguistics engage in evidence-based analysis of language, acquiring skills and techniques that allow investigation of different aspects of language structure such as sound, words and grammar. This involves key transferable skills in problem solving and critical thinking.
Your degree and what you’ll study
The Linguistics course concentrates in the first two years on core areas and concepts of Linguistics; in the final two years there is scope for specialisation and in some pathways greater optionality. Most teaching is in lecture or seminar format; phonetics and speech modules take place in a laboratory. Certain modules are supported by tutorials.
Middle Eastern Jewish and Islamic Civilisations
First and second years
In first year, you are introduced to the history of the region as well as to the history of Jews and Muslims in the context of the Middle East and North Africa, Europe and the USA. We offer introductory courses in the Modern Middle East, to Jewish and Islamic cultures and Ancient Near Eastern history and culture. You explore the region through many sources including literature, film, ancient inscriptions, blogs and archaeological evidence. Topics in the first two years include: politics of the contemporary Middle East and North Africa, the Middle East during the World Wars, Jews in European Society, Islam in Europe, Ancient Middle Eastern and Mediterranean Empires, European relations with the Middle East and North Africa. You may also choose a language—Arabic, Modern or Ancient Hebrew, Turkish, Middle Egyptian Hieroglyphs, or Sumerian—although language study is not compulsory.
From second year, you may choose to commence study of a language, either Arabic, Turkish, Ancient or Modern Hebrew, Middle Egyptian Hieroglyphs or Sumerian, or alternatively select all non-language modules or Trinity Electives. In your core course, you will study diverse cultures in the ancient, medieval and modern worlds through political, religious and literary texts, material culture, music, blogs and film. Topics include the ancient empires of Mesopotamia, Egypt and Persia, Contemporary Islamic Movements, Human Rights in the Middle East, the History of Jews and Muslims in Europe from the Medieval to the Modern Period, Turkish Cultural History and the History of the Ottoman Empire.
Third and fourth years
In third year, you may choose to study for a semester abroad (this is not compulsory). You can continue with your Middle Eastern Language (if you have decided to study a language), or choose from a broad range of options offered by the department of Near and Middle Eastern Studies, open modules and Trinity Electives.
In final year, you can choose from a wide range of modules depending on your interests. Courses offered in recent years include: the Modern Middle East and European Powers; The Decline of the Ottoman Empire; the Middle East and America; The Jews of Egypt and their Encounter with Greek Culture; The Persian Empire; Islam and Gender; Holocaust Representation in Film and Literature; and Advanced Language.
At all levels, you will be assessed by a combination of continuous assessment and exams. We use a mix of traditional and innovative continuous assessment methods – essays, project work, presentations, book reviews and dossiers and podcast creation. Language modules are traditionally assessed by written and oral assessments and examinations. Final year students also write a Capstone project.
There are QQI/FET routes available for this course. Please see www.cao.ie for details.
Study abroad
In third year, students have the opportunity to apply to study abroad in a prestigious European university with the EU funded Erasmus programme. Alternatively, you may apply to spend your third year in leading universities in North America, Australia and Hong Kong. The department of Near and Middle Eastern Studies also has a special exchange programme with Charles University, Prague, Boğaziçi University (Istanbul) and with a number of universities in the Middle East. For more information on study abroad destinations and requirements visit: www.tcd.ie/study/study-abroad
Linguistics
First and second years
In the first two years of the Linguistics course you will learn about many aspects of human language, including how sounds are produced and perceived (phonetics and phonology), how words are built (morphology), how words are combined to form sentences (syntax), how meanings are expressed (semantics).
Depending on your chosen pathway, you will be taking modules from among the following in the first year: Introduction to Linguistics I & II; Syntax I; Phonetics and Phonology I; Semantics I; and First Language Acquisition. In Year Two, students can take: Syntax II; Applied Linguistics I; Sociolinguistics; Phonology II; Morphology; Introduction to Sign Linguistics I; Phonetics and Phonology Lab; and Pragmatics I.
Third and fourth years
A wide range of modules in the third and fourth years offers deeper specialisation as well as exploration of applied and interdisciplinary topics. Depending on your chosen pathway, you will be taking modules from among the following in third year: Discourse Analysis; Research Methodology; Second Language Acquisition; Semantics II; Applied Linguistics II; Historical Linguistics; Phonetics II; and Introduction to Sign Linguistics II. In the fourth year, students focus on modules including: Multilingualism; Pragmatics II; Language Policy and Planning; Language Learning and Technology; Phonology III; Computational Linguistics; Syntax III; and Semantics III.
If you take Linguistics as a Major subject, you will complete a Capstone Project on a chosen topic in your final year. You will be assigned a supervisor to help you with topic selection and planning and to provide you with support in research and writing. The project is also supported by a third-year module in Research Methodology.
Otherwise, a wide range of assessment formats is used, including collection and analysis of data, take-home problems, classroom tests, research reviews, oral presentations, and some examinations.
Click here for further information on modules/subjects.
Study abroad
Students have the opportunity to spend one or both terms abroad in third year on an Erasmus exchange. CLCS has connections with a large number of European universities with a strong record in Linguistics, including in Norway, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Austria, and France. For more information on study abroad destinations and requirements visit: www.tcd.ie/study/study-abroad
www.tcd.ie/slscs/clcs
E clcsinfo@tcd.ie
www.tcd.ie/nmes
E undergraduate.sllcs@tcd.ie