English & Media Studies
Passionate about reading and curious about the media? This unique and exciting degree combines the study of literature with media and cultural studies. Develop writing skills while exploring literary and visual media, gaining insight into their impact on life and society.
| Award Name | Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) |
|---|---|
| NFQ Classification | Major |
| Awarding Body | Institute of Art Design and Technology |
| NFQ Level | Level 8 NFQ |
| Award Name | NFQ Classification | Awarding Body | NFQ Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) | Major | Institute of Art Design and Technology | Level 8 NFQ |
Duration
3 years full-time
Specific Subjects or course requirements
Min Entry Requirements
2 H5 + 4 06/H7
English: H4
Leaving Certificate Vocational Progamme LCVP
QQI FET Applicants General Information
Applicants with QQI/FETAC Level 5 or Level 6 Awards require distinctions in 3 (of 8) modules.
Careers / Further progression
What will I do after I graduate?
Graduates forge careers in the media, cultural and creative industries. Many work in journalism, publishing, marketing, copywriting, advertising, PR, radio, film production, television, teaching, broadcasting, and in human rights and advocacy.
Graduates of this course are eligible to apply for a range of Masters courses including the Professional Masters of Education, MA in Literature and Publishing, MA in Journalism and Digital Communications, MA in Broadcast Production, MA in Anglo-Irish Literature & Drama, M.Phil. in Modern and Contemporary Literary Studies, and MA in Cultural Studies as well as other fields of graduate scholarship including: literature, philosophy, law, sociology, sustainability, governance, politics, and equality studies.
Further information
September 2026
Mature Students
We welcome applications from mature students, who must apply to the CAO.
More info for Mature https://iadt.ie/services/institute-student-services/access-social-inclusion/mature-students/
20
Entry 2026
Early online application (discounted): Fee €35 Closing Date: 20 January 2026 at 5pm
Normal online application: Fee €50 Closing Date: 1 February 2026 at 5pm
Late online application - restrictions apply (see page 3 2026 CAO Handbook): Fee: €65 Closing Date: 1 May 2026 at 5pm
Change of Mind - restrictions apply (see page 3 2026 CAO Handbook): Fee: Nil Closing Date: 1 July 2026 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 2026. The closing date for late applications is 5pm on 1 May 2026, subject to the restrictions listed on page 3 of the 2026 CAO Handbook. The online facility for late applications opens on the 5 March 2026 at 12:00 noon - a fee of €65 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 2026 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 this course about?
The three-year course that can take you anywhere! Students develop excellent communication and critical thinking and writing skills. Students explore poetry, drama, novels and short stories, cinema, TV, and new and emerging forms of screen/digital media. This course develops critical thinking, communication, and analytical skills through reading and debate, as well as critical and creative engagement with various forms of text and contemporary critical and cultural theories.
This course meets the requirements of the Teaching Council for teaching English at post-primary level.
What will I do?
Develop skills in critical, analytical, and creative thinking and writing with 70% continuous assessment
Learn to write for different media/cultural platforms
Learn to articulate a well-informed and independent argument, and debate key concepts from literature and media history and theory
Study a range of literary works, looking at their history, genre and themes
Investigate the relationship between representation, culture and politics
Enhance your understanding of a wide range of cultures and intellectual traditions
Expand your understanding of the history of the media – from cinema and television to new emerging forms of screen/digital media
Take an optional year for work placement or to study abroad
What will I study?
In first year, modules cover 18th-century literature, poetry, American literature, and theatre. Learn media studies, media history, and media theory fundamentals. Explore youth culture, politics and public cultures, and contemporary critical theory.
In second year, you will study 19th-century literature, Irish literature, popular fiction, global modernist literature, world systems, writing for multiple media platforms, critical theory, and cultural identities.
In your final year, undertake a project that showcases writing and research skills. Complete modules relating to censorship, contemporary literature, posthumanism, and technology cultures. Choose to specialise in fields relating to gothic and horror, the short story, law and literature, or folklore.
What modules will I study?
Year 1
Semester 1
Introduction to Critical Theory
Poetic Identities
Introduction to Cinema + Cultural Studies
Research Skills
Narrative Practice
Semester 2
Enlightenment + Romanticism
Politics + Public Cultures in Ireland
American Narratives
Political Economy of Youth
Tragic Theatre
New Materialism
Year 2
Semester 1
Cultural Identities
World Systems
Irish Revival
Contemporary Cultures 1
19th Century Authorship
Semester 2
Irish Literature
Critical Theory
World Systems: Culture + Media
Contemporary Cultures 2
Transnational Modernisms
Genres of Popular Fiction
Year 3
Semester 1
Contemporary Literatures
Postmodern Cartographies
Censorship + Control
Posthumanism
Legal Fictions
Folklore, Fables + Fairy Tales
Semester 2
Final Year Project
Irish Grassroots Media + Communication
Political Violence
Technology Society
Short Fiction: Form + Platform
Gothic + Horror
International Study Opportunities
The Erasmus+ Programme provides many exciting opportunities. Students on this course spend Erasmus semesters in Spain, Germany or France.
Dr Jenny McDonnell
Programme Chair
Email: jenny.mcdonnell@iadt.ie