BA History is an innovative four-year degree that offers you choice and flexibility in what and how you study. You have a choice of three Learning Pathways to follow for your degree.

Year One:
You’ll study History alongside two other Arts subjects of your choice in Year One. You have maximum freedom of choice about other subjects in Year One. If you are interested in taking History with two ‘minor’ subjects to degree level (an option alongside the possibility of taking History and one other subject after Year One), you’ll need to  choose two ‘minor’ subjects in First Year from the following list: Journalism and Global Media, Political and Sociological Studies, Economics and Public Policy, Philosophy, French, Italian OR German.

Taking ‘minors’ or not: there is no right or wrong choice here – alongside History, you go with your interests from the start of Year One! You’ll get plenty of friendly advice from staff!

Year Two:
You’ll tailor your studies to your interests and career goals by choosing your Learning Pathway. The three pathways are:

• BA Historical Studies: continue with History (major) and your two other subjects (minors) taken in Year One (must be same as the ‘minors’ you did in Year One).
• BA History, Politics and Philosophy: continue with History (as your ‘major’) and take both Sociology & Politics and Sociological Studies (as ‘minors’).

• BA History (joint-honours): continue with History (Major) and ONE of the subjects taken in Year One (double major). (For example, this could be History and English.)

Year Three:
Your third year gives you the chance to broaden your horizons: 

• Apply to spend a semester or full year studying at one of our global partner universities across Europe, and North America.
• Take a history-related work placement within for example, a museum, archive or in another educational setting.
• Pursue your own historical passions by undertaking an Independent Research Project on a topic of your choice.

Year Four:
In your final year, you’ll refine your skills and specialise in areas that interest you most.

• Continue on your chosen Learning Pathway.
• Final year also supports your transition into professional life or postgraduate study.

 

• Global focus – explore the local and the global past and how they shape the present across a wide range of exciting modules focusing on Ireland, Britain, continental Europe, North America, Australasia and Africa.
• Taught by internationally recognised experts actively engaged in research and historical practice in themed areas such as Ireland in a Global Context, Activism and Justice, Childhood, Youth and Family and Religion and Society.
• Opportunities to apply to study abroad with our partner universities across Europe and North America.
• Gain practical experience in archival research and information skills by taking the specialist module, LIB2102 Using Archives and Special Collections in Research
• Wide choice of complementary minor subjects such as Journalism, Global Media, Politics, Sociology, Economics, Philosophy, French, Italian and German.
• Real-world readiness-graduate with a strong portfolio of transferable analytical, critical and communication skills that are highly valued by employers.

The BA History provides you with a broad range of knowledge and key transferable skills for a wide range of stimulating careers.

Our graduates go on to careers in fields such as:

• Education
• Journalism and Broadcasting
• Publishing
• Heritage, Museums and the Arts
• Librarianship and Archives management
• Civil and Diplomatic Service
• Public Relations, Marketing and Human Resources
• International Development and NGOs

Our graduates are recognized for their subject knowledge and employability, particularly their ability to analyse information and communicate effectively. 

A degree in History develops your:

• Critical thinking and analytical skills, including your problem solving and creative capacities;
• Intellectual rigour and independence including how to access, handle and assess a very wide range of types of evidence;
• Ability to construct an argument and to communicate findings clearly and persuasively, both orally and in writing;
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively and to manage projects;
• Appreciation of how different factors shape the activities of individuals and groups in society;
• Cultural awareness and global perspective which is invaluable in a diverse professional context.

Study History in a global context! 

In Year 3, students on the BA History can apply to study abroad for one or two semesters at one of our partner universities in Europe or North America. This optional opportunity can be a transformative part of the degree.

Places for Visiting Students at destination universities are limited, though, which means that they are allocated on a competitive basis.

Study abroad destinations include: 

• EU countries such as France, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Belgium, among others
• North America, with options in both the United States and Canada 

If you are not studying a language, you will take your classes in English. If you are taking a language as part of your degree, your study abroad will be taught fully through that language, offering full immersion in both language and culture. 

Benefits of studying abroad: 

• Build your international perspective on the study of History
• Gain confidence, independence, and real-world life skills
• Develop intercultural awareness and global citizenship
• Experience different academic environments and new ways of thinking
• Improve your language fluency
• Expand your network and open up global career opportunities 

Financial support is available through Erasmus for EU study. Some funding may be available for North American exchanges. Your study abroad experience will broaden your worldview and help shape your future. 

Why This Year Will Change Your Life 

By the end of your study abroad experience, you’ll have: 

• Gained insight into how your historical studies take shape in different social, cultural and academic contexts
• Built confidence navigating new academic, cultural, and social environments
• Developed a more international and inclusive perspective on history, society and culture
• Expanded your ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures
• Grown more independent, adaptable, and globally aware
• Built lasting connections and networks that could shape your future career 

This year is about curiosity, challenge, and global discovery—and it’s one of the most rewarding parts of the BA History.

For Year 3, BA History students may apply to undertake a Work Placement that applies the research skills developed in this degree programme in a work setting. This is a wonderful opportunity to gain professional experience and boost your career prospects.

Normally such Work Placements take place during the Second Semester of Year 3 and are unpaid. Students who go on Work Placement undergo a training programme around skills and expectations of the host. These placements are greatly prized so a recruitment process begins in Year 2. Placement may be allocated on a competitive basis.

Work Placement students meaningful work and to support them as necessary, in close collaboration with an academic supervisor in the University.

Where might you undertake Work Placement?
In principle, Work Placement can occur in Galway or elsewhere provided the University is happy that the host / work placement involved is suitable and has a tangible connection to the skills for historians you’ve been learning. Students may self-source placements but more usually you will be guided by the University Placement Officer towards suitable potential hosts. As part of the Placement Training programme, you will get guidance on how to craft a convincing applications to hosts, CV and interview skills.

What skills will you apply and develop during a Work Placement?
Depending on the placement you earn, you will be able to do some or all of the following:

• Put into practice skills in initiative and teamwork
• Demonstrate ability to engage in independent learning ‘on the job’
• Apply direct knowledge / skills acquired on the BA History

• Make use of your learning in the optional Year 2 ‘Archives and Special Collections’ module available only to BA History students.

What types of Work Placements have BA History students undertaken in the recent past?

• Museums and Archives – learning to catalogue and helping collection management for artefacts and written archives
• Heritage sector – undertaking teamwork on local history projects and producing web exhibitions (using StoryMaps software)
• Education – shadowing and assisting history teacher at secondary school

What kind of organizations have hosted BA History Work Placements?

• The National Museum of Ireland – Country Life, Castlebar, Co Mayo
• Galway County Council Heritage Office
• Galway County Library and Archives Service
• Large secondary schools in the region

What have some recent Work Placement students said about their experience?

Cathal Moroney, Work Placement student in 2024/25, says this about his fantastic experience working with at the National Museum of Ireland, Country Life:

“My work was meaningful: it was mainly in the archives and collections department where I gained hands-on experience in object handling and collection management. This meant in researching objects in the collection to enrich database records and to support exhibition development. The most unusual exhibit I helped present to the public was an old Honda 50  motorcycle, a means of transport which changed how men and women got around rural Ireland in the 1960s! This Work Placement has not only strengthened my research and organizational skills but also boosted my confidence to work independently but also as part of a professional team. It has opened my eyes to the possibility of a career in museums, archives, or heritage work. I’ve gained a clearer sense of how museums connect communities with history and help people understand past and place.”

Dr Róisín Healy
Dr Gearóid Barry
Dr Sarah-Anne Buckley
Professor Enrico Dal Lago
Dr Shannon Devlin
Dr Chris Doyle
Dr Tomás Finn
Professor Alison Forrestal
An tOllamh/Professor James Livesey 
An tOllamh/Professor Breandán Mac Suibhne
Dr. Laurence Marley
Dr Andrew Newby
Professor Pól Ó Dochartaigh
Dr. Kevin O'Sullivan
Dr. Anita Rupprecht
Dr. Jackie Uí Chionna

How Will I Be Assessed? 

Continuous Assessment: Essays, in-class presentations, written examinations, project work all form part of how you are evaluated. 

Project Work: Research and craft, under supervision, an independent research project in Year 3, where not overseas for the whole year on Study Abroad. 

Study Abroad / Placement: These are assessed on a pass/fail basis and integrated into your degree credits. 

The course is designed to instil respect for evidence, the ability to read sources closely and to train you in how to communicate your findings effectively. The skills of critical thinking, collaboration, and self-starting on major projects are all skills that are relevant to future employment. 

Course queries:
history@universityofgalway.ie 

Programme Directors:
Dr Anita Rupprecht,
Lecturer in Modern History,
Department of History.
E: anita.rupprecht@universityofgalway.ie

 

 

Minimum Grade H5 in two subjects and passes in four other subjects at O6/H7 Level in the Leaving Certificate, including Irish, English, another language and any three other subjects recognised for entry purposes. 

Alternative Pathways

The Access Centre at University of Galway provides a number of alternative entry routes to undergraduate programmes. See below some useful links:

• QQI/FET/FETAC Places
• Mature Students
• Access and Foundation programmes
• HEAR Scheme
• DARE Scheme

QQI/FET/FETAC Places
There is one place available on Bachelor of Arts (History) GY105 . Holders of recognised QQI (FETAC Level 5/6) qualifications in any of the following awards who achieve a minimum of five distinctions, may be admitted on a competitive basis to Year One:

5M2181 Applied Social Studies
5M3114 General Studies
5M2464 Journalism
5M2154 Cultural and Heritage Studies
5M2073 Languages and European Studies
5M5011 Tourism with Business
5M3635 Education and Training

Other Qualifications

If you are a school leaver presenting results other than Leaving Cert results, please review the entry requirements relevant to you:  

• A Level students
• International Baccalaureate students
• EU students

For applicants whose first language is not English, it is important to check our English Language Requirements.

Admissions Office

Our Admissions Office provides additional detail relevant to CAO applicants including key dates, FAQs and instructions for non-school leavers.

Irish and European (EU/EFTA/UK) Applicants

Apply via the CAO. See the CAO Handbook for useful information on applying through the CAO.

Mature Applicants

Apply via the CAO by 1 February. To apply for a place as a mature student, you must be 23 years of age on or before 1 January of the year of entry. Further information available here.

QQI/FET/FETAC Applicants

Apply via the CAO. See our QQI/FET/FETAC Applicants page for information on places available and entry requirements.

Course Type	Year	EU Tuition	Student Contribution	Non-EU Tuition	Levy	Total Fee	Total EU Fee	Total Non-EU Fee

High-achieving undergraduate students are encouraged to apply for a range of prestigious scholarships that recognise academic excellence and support students in reaching their full potential. Click here for further Information. 

Application Process
Students applying for full undergraduate degree programmes from outside of the European Union (EU), and who are liable for full non-EU tuition fees, should apply online via Apply to University of Galway. Our application portal opens on the 1^st October each year for each the following September.  

Further Information
Please visit the international application webpage for further information on closing dates, documentation requirements, application fees and the application process.

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