Irish Studies (Minor)

​The Irish Studies minor is an interdisciplinary academic program focused on Ireland and its place in the world. The purpose of the minor is to give students access to another culture in order to enable them to better understand the role of culture in human society.

The study of Ireland is particularly apposite for a number of reasons:

1. Ireland has a rich history, culture and literature that in itself is worthy of study. 
2. The Irish experience epitomizes a variety of processes which are of relevance to an understanding of today’s world. Among them are:
1. an experience of colonialism and development
2. the phenomenon of emigration and diaspora
3. a changing interaction with adjacent countries
4. finding a place in Europe and a globalized world
5. searching for cultural identity
6. coping with intercommunal, political conflict and violence, and reconfiguring the role of women in society
3. How Ireland has dealt with issues such as the environment and the configuration of gender roles can provide a point of comparison for and reflection on American experience.
4. The study of Ireland provides insights on how American influence impinges on other cultures.
5. Irish immigration into the United States has proved to be a formative influence on the development of American society. The study of Ireland can contribute to the shifting search for personal and social identity within America itself.

Course Requirements

​Students can complete the 6 course Irish Studies Minor by completing one of the following two tracks:

1) For students who complete courses at DePaul University Chicago campus (i.e. do not participate in the Dublin Internship):

• IRE 100 INTRODUCTION TO IRISH STUDIES  
• 5 additional approved elective courses in Irish Studies. Courses must be taken from at least three separate departments/programs and must represent a range of topics/issues.

2) For students who participate in DePaul’s Parliamentary Internship in Dublin: 

The College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences offers a study abroad program in Dublin, Ireland, twice each year. It provides an excellent opportunity for students to get to know Ireland at first hand. It is not a compulsory part of the minor in Irish Studies. However, students taking part in the Study Abroad Program in Dublin may gain credit for four courses that count towards completion of the minor. Thus, for students who successfully complete the Dublin Internship, the requirements for the IRE minor are as follows:

• IRE 100 INTRODUCTION TO IRISH STUDIES  
• 1 additional approved elective courses in Irish Studies

For further information on the Dublin Parliamentary Internship courses please contact the Director of the Irish Studies Program.

Irish Studies Courses

General Irish Studies 

• IRE 100 INTRODUCTION TO IRISH STUDIES

History

• IRE 101 IRELAND, 1450 - 1800, CONQUEST, COLONIZATION & REBELLION or CTH 288 IRELAND, 1450-1800, CONQUEST, COLONIZATION & REBELLION or HST 266 IRELAND, 1450 - 1800, CONQUEST, COLONIZATION & REBELLION
  
• IRE 102 HISTORY OF IRELAND FROM 1800 TO THE PRESENT or CTH 289 IRELAND, 1800 - 2000 or HST 268 IRELAND, 1800-PRESENT
  

Literature

• ENG 346 19TH-CENTURY IRISH LITERATURE
• ENG 354 THE IRISH REVIVAL
• ENG 355 MODERN IRISH LITERATURE
• ENG 456 CONTEMPORARY IRISH LITERATURE
• ENG 357 TOPICS IN IRISH STUDIES (e.g. Irish women’s literature)*
• ENG 339 TOPICS IN RESTORATION AND 18TH CENTURY BRITISH LITERATURE (e.g. Jonathan Swift)*
• ENG 382 MAJOR AUTHORS (e.g. James Joyce)*

Nature and Culture

• IRE 103 IRELAND: RELIGION AND THE CONTEMPORARY "TROUBLES" or CTH 274 IRELAND: RELIGION AND THE CONTEMPORARY "TROUBLES" or REL 260 RELIGION AND POLITICAL CONFLICT (The Irish Troubles)*
• GEO 204 RELIGIOUS GEOGRAPHY*
• WGS 249 GENDER AND POLITICS IN IRELAND

Experiential Learning

Independent Study

• IRE 379 INDEPENDENT STUDY (A course, approved by the director of the program, can be taken with a member of the Irish Studies faculty).

Ancillary Studies

• HST 323 THE CULTURES OF EARLY CHRISTIANITY
• CPL 319 TOPICS IN COMPARATIVE LITERATURE (Aspects of Empire)*
• ENG 389 TOPICS IN COMPARATIVE LITERATURE (Aspects of Empire)*
• GEO 201 GEOPOLITICS
• GEO 316 THE EUROPEAN UNION

Courses marked* only count for the Irish Studies minor when focused on a pertinent topic (as in the examples in parentheses in the list of courses above). When a student registers for such a course it will not automatically place as an Irish Studies course in the Degree Progress Report (DPR). The student needs to email the Director of Irish Studies with their name, ID number, and the course(s) at issue to ask for a DPR update.

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