Ireland Study Abroad Program at University of Ulster

Program Concentrations

The University of Ulster offers study abroad students the opportunity to receive either a diploma or a certificate in three specialized concentrations of study. The concentrations are available at either the Magee campus, in the city of Derry, or at the Coleraine campus.

What is the difference between a certificate and a diploma?
Diplomas are awarded to students studying abroad for the year who successfully complete a concentration of study. Certificates are awarded to students studying abroad for the semester who successfully complete a concentration.

What are the concentrations of study?
The University of Ulster offers three concentrations of study:

• Issues in Peace and Conflict Studies at the Magee campus in the city of Derry
• Irish Studies at the Magee campus in the city of Derry
• Irish Cultural Studies at the Coleraine campus

What is the Issues in Peace and Conflict Studies concentration?
Students who elect to participate in the Peace and Conflict studies concentration for a semester will earn a Advanced Certificate in Issues in Peace and Conflict Studies. Students who participate in the concentration for a year can earn an Advanced Diploma in Issues in Peace and Conflict Studies. This concentration is available for students studying at the Magee campus in Derry.

What modules would I take?
For the Advanced Certificate in Issues in Peace and Conflict Studies, study abroad students need to take and successfully complete no less than two core modules from the list below and another core or optional module from the list below within a single semester.

For the Advanced Diploma in Issues in Peace and Conflict Studies, study abroad students need to take and successfully complete no less than four core modules from the list below and two additional core or optional module from the list below within the year.

The modules are listed by semester with the number of credits and indication if the module is considered a core coure for the concentration:

Fall
Government and Politics of Northern Ireland 20 core
Genocide and International Politics 20 core
Silent War 20 core
Self, Identity and Conflict 20 core

Spring
International Conflict and Cooperation 20 core
Globalization and the New Wars 20 core
The Global Conservation 20 core
American Foreign Policy 20 core

Optional Modules

Fall
Irish History and Historians (HIS340) 20 optional
Contemporary Irish Theatre 20 optional
The Irish Revolution 1913-1925 20 optional
Ireland: Conflict and Change, 1879-1914 20 optional
Capital and Labour 20 optional
Irish Traditional Music 20 optional

Spring
The Irishman at War since 1534 (HIS301) 20 optional
Ireland and Britain under the Union, 1800-1922 (HIS324) 20 optional
Translations: Modern Poetry in Irish 20 optional
Irish Folklore and Heritage Studies (IRS317) 20 optional
Ireland and Europe (POL313) 20 optional
Irish Communities Abroad 20 optional
Ulster and Scotland in Comparative Perspective, 1608-1921 20 optional
Jacobitism in the Three Kingdoms, 1688-1766 20 optional
The British Monarchy and Ireland since 1800 20 optional

What is the Irish Studies concentration?
Students who elect to participate in the Irish Studies concentration for a semester can earn a Certificate in Irish Studies or an Advanced Certificate in Irish Studies. Students who participate in the concentration for a year can earn an Advanced Diploma in Irish Studies or a Certificate of Higher Education in Irish Studies. This concentration is available for students studying at the Magee campus in Derry.

What are the differences between the certificate, advanced certificate and the advanced diploma?

• The Certificate in Irish Studies is available for study abroad students who are studying abroad for a semester and successfully complete three modules at a level 4.
• The Advanced Certificate in Irish Studies is available for study abroad students who are studying abroad for a semester and successfully complete no less than two modules at level 5 and one module at level 4.
• The Certificate of Higher Education in Irish Studies is available for study abroad students who are studying abroad for the year and successfully complete six modules at level 4.
• The Advanced Diploma in Irish Studies is available for study abroad students who are studying abroad for the year and successfully complete no less than five modules at level 5 and one module at level 4.

What are the modules I could take?
Information about rules governing module selection is provided to all students in the course handbook and through module lists available for each level of study. For Level 4 modules, students may choose from modules offered in English, history, Irish, and politics. For Level 5 modules, students may choose from modules offered in history, Irish, drama and music. Students interested in obtaining the Advanced Diploma or Advanced Certificate are strongly encouraged to take a language module that is an introduction to speaking Irish. Possible modules for this concentration with their levels are listed below with their credit values.

Fall
Level 4
An Introduction to Speaking Irish (ICS1XX)  20 optional (strongly recommended)
Early Modern Ireland (HIS106) 20 optional
Medieval Ireland (HIS108) 20 optional

Level 5
Irish History and Historians (HIS340) 20 optional
Government and Politics of Northern Ireland (POL305) 20 optional
Contemporary Irish Theatre (ICS3XX) 20 optional
The Irish Revolution 1913-1925 (ICS3XX) 20 optional
Ireland: Conflict and Change, 1879-1914 (ICS3XX) 20 optional
Capital and Labour (ICS3XX) 20 optional
Irish Traditional Music (ICS3XX) 20 optional

Spring
Level 4
An Introduction to Speaking Irish (ICS1XX) 20 optional (strongly recommended)
Literature and Society in Ireland (ENG106) 20 optional
Modern Irish History 1691-1925 (HIS121) 20 optional
Irish Government and Politics (POL106) 20 optional

Level 5
The Irishman at War since 1534 (HIS301) 5 20 optional
Ireland and Britain under the Union, 1800-1922 (HIS324) 20 optional
Literature and Society in Ireland (ENG106) 20 optional
Translations: Modern Poetry in Irish (ICS3XX) 20 optional
Irish Folklore and Heritage Studies (IRS317) 20 optional
Ireland and Europe (POL313) 20 optional
Irish Communities Abroad (ICS3XX) 20 optional
Ulster and Scotland in Comparative Perspective, 1608-1921 (ICS3XX) 20 optional
Jacobitism in the Three Kingdoms, 1688-1766 (ICS3XX) 20 optional
The British Monarchy and Ireland since 1800 (ICS3XX) 20 optional

What is the Irish Cultural Studies concentration?
Students who elect to participate in the Irish Cultural Studies concentration for a semester can earn a Certificate in Irish Cultural Studies or an Advanced Certificate in Irish Cultural Studies. Students who participate in the concentration for a year can earn an Advanced Diploma in Irish Cultural Studies or a Certificate of Higher Education in Irish Cultural Studies. This concentration is available for students studying at the Coleraine campus.

What are the differences between the certificate, advanced certificate, and diploma?

• The Certificate in Irish Cultural Studies is available for semester study abroad students who successfully complete three modules at level 4.
• The Advanced Certificate in Irish Cultural Studies is available for semester study abroad students who successfully complete no less than two modules at level 5 and one module at level 4.
• The Certificate of Higher Education in Irish Cultural Studies is available for study abroad students who are studying abroad for the year and who successfully completed six modules at level 4.
• The Advanced Diploma in Irish Cultural Studies is available for study abroad students who are studying abroad for the year and who successfully completed no less than five modules at level 5 and one module at level 4.

What modules can I take?
Information about rules governing module selection is provided to all students in the course handbook and through module lists available for each level of study. Possible modules for this concentration with their credit values are listed below by levels.

Fall
Level 4
Introduction to Irish Cultural Studies 20
Telling Stories: Genres of Irish Literature 20
Ireland in the Twentieth Century 20

Level 5
Laying the Foundations: Ireland 1535-1692 20
Irish Author Studies: Yeats, Joyce, and Beckett 20
Writing the North: The Literature of the Troubles 20
Women and Society in C19-20 Ireland 20
Film, Television and Ireland 20

Spring
Level 4
The Irish Language Literary Tradition 20
Literature and Society in Ireland: An Introduction 20
Ireland and the Celts 20
Witchcraft and Magic in Early Modern Britain and Ireland 20

Level 5
Ireland in the Nineteenth Century 20
Penal Era and Golden Age: Ireland 1690-1800 20
Irish Women's Writing, 1800-1960 20
Reading Ireland in the 1990s: Fiction, Poetry, Drama 20
The Ulster-Scots Literary Tradition, 1750-2000 20
Irish Literary Studies

Courses

Where can I find a list of courses that are offered on each of university campuses?

1. Go to Online Modules Catalogue of the University of Ulster

2. In the top right corner, select the relevant academic year for the time you will be studying abroad.

3. Under "Campus," select the campus you where you are interested in studying from the drop down menu.

4. Under "Topic," you will find a list of subjects available at that campus location. Select a subject you wish to study from the drop down menu.

5. All the courses taught in that subject will come up. Courses on other University of Ulster campuses will also be shown, so be sure to look at courses on the campus where you want to study. When you select a course, the description of that course will be displayed in a blue box on the right-hand side of the page.

6. Each description will have a module code, the semester when the module is offered and the number of University of Ulster credits the course is worth. For each module that you list on your Module Preference form, you will want to consider the following:

• The semester(s) in which the course is offered: Courses offered in the fall are listed as semester 1 courses, courses offered in the spring are listed as semester 2 courses and courses that are yearlong are listed as semesters 1/2. Please note that students studying abroad for a semester are not permitted to take yearlong modules.
• Prerequisites: Please note that you will have to fulfill any prerequisites listed in the course description. Generally, you must have some background in the subjects you wish to study at your host institution. List only those courses for which you are academically prepared.
• Course level: The three numbers of the module code (ex. ENG106) indicate the department offering the module and the year of study for a module. A module number that starts with 1 is a first year undergraduate module. A module number that starts with 3 indicates a second year undergraduate module. A module number that starts with 5 is a third year/final year module. You should choose only modules that start with 1, 3 or 5. Do not choose any other modules that start with a different numeric code, as you will be unable to take them!
• Please be aware that any module that is listed as a "practical" may not be open to study abroad students. Be sure and choose an alternative to a "practical" module.
• Each module description details how the course is evaluated and what your grade will be based on.
• Please stay within the same year (1, 3 or 5) of a department. There is a great chance of timetable clashes should you mix different year modules within the same department. Module descriptions give you a good overview of topics covered in the course. Please note that you will have to fulfill any prerequisites listed in the course description.
• First-year (100) courses are appropriate for departments in which you have little or no prior experience.
• Second-year (300) courses will be equivalent to advanced sophomore or junior-level U.S. courses.
• Third-year (500) courses will be equivalent to senior-level U.S. courses.
• Fourth-year (800) courses and higher are part of a postgraduate degree (Masters or Ph.D.). You are not eligible to take these courses as an undergraduate study abroad student.

How many modules am I able to take, and how do I determine U.S. semester credit hours?
Students are required to enroll in a full course load at the host institution as defined by IFSA-Butler. The number of courses you take depends on the credit value of the courses you select. A full course load at the University of Ulster is 60 University of Ulster credits. A module worth 20 University of Ulster credits is worth 5 U.S. semester credit hours and a module worth 10 University of Ulster credits is worth 2.5 U.S. semester credit hours. Since most modules at the University of Ulster are worth 20 University of Ulster credits, students generally take three modules for the semester (equivalent to 15 U.S. semester credit hours) and six for the year (equivalent to 30 U.S. semester credit hours). For information on the credit weight, please consult the Credit tab.

What modules am I eligible to take?
As an IFSA-Butler student, you are entitled to enroll in undergraduate courses for which you are qualified and in which space is available. Module descriptions in the online course catalog include prerequisites that you must fulfill in order to enroll in any course. You are not allowed to register for online, distance education or hybrid courses. All courses are graded on A-F scale and there is no provision for auditing or pass/fail unless pass/fail is the only method of assessment for the course. You must take all courses for academic credit, and must complete all coursework and exams in order to obtain credit on the Butler University transcript.

Registration

You must take a full course load as determined by IFSA-Butler. A full course load at the University of Ulster is 60 University of Ulster credits. Courses at the University of Ulster are called modules. A module worth 20 University of Ulster credits is worth 5 U.S. semester credits and a module worth 10 University of Ulster credits is worth 2.5 U.S. semester credits. Since most modules at the University of Ulster are worth 20 University of Ulster credits, students generally take three modules for the semester (equivalent to 15 U.S. semester credit hours) and six for the year (equivalent to 30 U.S. semester credit hours).

You should be aware that you may be charged additional fees by your home institution or host university to take or process additional credits. Taking less than a full course load may jeopardize your student status and result in personal academic repercussions and/or loss of financial aid.

If you need to take a required course, please be aware that IFSA-Butler cannot guarantee that the University of Ulster will offer a particular course, or that you will be allowed to take that particular course. However, if you need to take a required course, you may indicate that it is required on your module preference form. Your IFSA-Butler program advisor will communicate your needs to the University of Ulster.

Credits

Modules (classes) at the University of Ulster have their own credit value, which is not the same as U.S. university courses. Students studying abroad for a semester will need to take 30 University of Ulster credits, which will be worth 15 U.S. semester credits hours. Students studying abroad for ayear will need to take 60 University of Ulster credits total for to attain 30 U.S. semester credit hours.

10 University of Ulster credits = 2.5 U.S. semester credit hours

20 University of Ulster credits = 5 U.S. semester credit hours

Exams

Because of the differences in the academic systems, you will not know your exam schedule until after you arrive at your host university. Students studying at the Univeristy of Ulster for the fall semester only must make arrangements to complete all their course work prior to the Christmas break so that they do not have to return for exams in January. Instructions on how to do this will be given to students during the University of Ulster orientation and students must follow these instructions at that time.This arrangement is only possible for students who study at the University of Ulster for the fall semester only.

Please refer to your program calendar (located online at www.ifsa-butler.org) to review the exam period for your host university. Your host university's policies do not permit you to reschedule any exams, request alternate assessments or arrange to have your exams proctored in the United States. If this occurs, IFSA-Butler cannot assist you in conducting a grade query or academic follow-up for the course in which you made this arrangement.

Transcripts

After you have returned to the U.S., your home university will receive a Butler University transcript with the credit you earned at the University of Ulster. The Butler University transcript will report the equivalent U.S. semester credit hours and letter grades. We also will send an official transcript to your permanent address.

Academic Statement

Congratulations on your decision to apply to the University of Ulster. You have applied to one of the most prestigious universities in the U.K. The University of Ulster is a highly competitive program, and we want our students to do everything they can to strengthen their applications. As part of your application to the University of Ulster, you are required to write an academic statement.

A well-written academic statement can make the difference between a regular application and an incredible one. The University of Ulster admits applicants who are driven, motivated and prepared for an academically rigorous semester. Writing a strong academic statement will strengthen your application and help differentiate you from other applicants.

Think of your academic statement as a college admissions essay. Your academic statement should be about 500 words, and it should outline the reasons why you want to study at the University of Ulster and take the modules/departments you've chosen. A statement can be especially useful for providing additional information which is not immediately apparent from your transcript and which is relevant to your course and departmental selections. You should discuss your reasons for applying, preparation you've done to be academically suited to the University of Ulster and specific study and research interests that you intend to pursue while at studying at the university. Mention a module you'd like to take at the University of Ulster and discuss why it's important to you: Is it not available at your home university? Is it in an unusual or interesting subject area that would be inaccessible outside of the U.K.? Why will studying at the University of Ulster broaden your academic horizons?

Your statement should also describe how and why a study abroad year/semester at the University of Ulster will assist you in achieving your academic and professional goals. For example, if taking a specific political science course offered at the University of Ulster will round out your academic background for your application to graduate school, mention this.

You must complete and submit your academic statement along with Module preference form and Housing preference form (downloadable from the Forms tab). Your application cannot be considered complete until you have sent in an academic statement.

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