Irish Studies Minor
Undergraduates from every college and program are drawn to the Irish Studies minor. Some choose the minor because they are fascinated by Irish literature and its themes; others because they want to explore the history, language, politics, and culture of a country that has long been influential on the world stage. Some students choose the minor because it gives focus to their major; others because it complements their major.
With classes, seminars, and a weekly Speakers and Public Talks Series, all find a close, thriving community and enthusiastic faculty mentors—along with generous funding for opportunities beyond the classroom.
Earning the undergraduate Irish Studies Minor
Undergraduates in all of the University's colleges—Architecture, Arts and Letters, Engineering, Science, and the Mendoza College of Business—can earn an undergraduate minor in Irish Studies.
The requirements are straightforward and conducive to study in Ireland:
Take 5 full-credit classes cross-listed with Irish Studies for a minimum of 15 credits. The five classes can be in such departments as Irish Language and Literature, English, History, Anthropology, Political Science, and Film, Television, and Theatre.
Sample undergraduate courses include Beginning Irish, Great Irish Writers, Ireland on Screen, The Fighting Irish: A History, Women's Voices, Archaeology of Ireland, The Northern Ireland "Troubles," and Irish Folklore. Some classes offer the opportunity for travel to Ireland.
In lieu of one of the 3-credit courses, students may take an independent study with a Keough-Naughton Institute faculty fellow.
Students can earn the required credits through courses on the Notre Dame home campus, or by a combination of classes on campus and while studying abroad in Dublin or Galway.
[Please note: Classes in the Irish language are encouraged but not required.]
Irish Studies minors are given special consideration in the selection process for study-abroad and internship opportunities in Ireland administered by Notre Dame International.
Declaring the Minor
Please contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies in Irish Studies:
Associate Professor of Irish Language and Literature and Director of Undergraduate Studies
Email: Peter.T.McQuillan.4@nd.edu
"By minoring in Irish Studies, I have been able to complement my STEM major with the art, beauty, and history of Ireland. Bridging the logic of math and science with the chaos of the real world provides me with a fuller and more rounded education."
– Mary Hope Clark '20
College of Science
Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics Major
Irish Studies Minor
Now an analyst in Washington, D.C. for Booz Allen Hamilton