Mary Immaculate College, Limerick

Studying on MIC's MA in Applied Linguistics led to PhD

I completed the MA in Applied Linguistics programme at MIC in 2016. As a mature student who had been out of the study loop for quite some time, the prospect of returning to third-level, while exciting, was most definitely daunting. I work as an English-language teacher and have a family, so going back to school was going to be quite a different experience this time around!

Any trepidation soon melted away. It soon became obvious to me that any support I needed to access the programme and achieve the best I could would be available whenever I needed it. I quickly settled into a study routine that fitted in with my work and life, such is the beauty of the online study option!

The programme material was of tremendous interest and benefit to me in my English-language teaching work, allowing me to upgrade my skill-base with current research that was relevant to the language we use in our daily lives. The tutors were encouraging and so helpful. I’m fortunate in that I live in Limerick, so was also able to access the library on the MIC campus, which I found so much easier to navigate than a bigger campus. In fact, its friendly, professional atmosphere made for such a positive experience that I’ve come back for more, and I started my PhD last September! I can safely say thanks to MIC and the opportunity it has given me, I discovered a love for academia that I didn’t even realise I had.

I have always had a keen interest in the area of literacy and my work in school in recent years has been to support those pupils who are experiencing significant literacy difficulties. I wanted to extend my knowledge in order to better support these pupils. The MEd in Literacy Education was the ideal choice for me as it offered a comprehensive programme delivered in a blended approach, perfect for juggling work, a busy family life and study.

Nonetheless, it was quite nerve-wracking to return to formal education after 20 plus years. I felt like a Junior Infant on their first day at school. The nerves were quickly put to bed as our course-coordinator Josie guided us deftly on our academic journey. The small class size, collegiality and friendship offered further support. The modules in Year 1 were so well planned, building incrementally to leave us well-placed to select our research topic and formulate a research proposal.

Year 2 involved independent research, and the task of submitting a dissertation. Research skills were further honed under the supportive guidance of my supervisor. At times it felt like a mountain to climb but tenacity helped overcome the hurdles along the way. It was deeply satisfying to produce a piece of research which can positively impact the teaching of literacy in my own school.

This course provided me with the skills to work effectively as part of a literacy team. Peer collaboration and peer review were integral to coursework and developed my interpersonal soft skills. Research design and data analysis skills have contributed to my effectiveness in developing and reviewing our DEIS Literacy Plans. The insights I have gained into literacy acquisition and development have benefited my pupils and promoted a more diverse and inclusive literacy environment in my school.

If you have a genuine interest in literacy, then this course will be the perfect opportunity to partake in engaging lectures, build educational networks and develop into a more confident and capable literacy educator.

I'm a primary school teacher and I completed the GCAS, GDAS and masters programmes in Mary Immaculate College.

I would recommend the courses to anyone with an interest in Autism Studies. The GDAS course focuses primarily on research and throughout the year you are given the tools to critically evaluate the research. This is a lifelong skill, no matter your profession, as you can confidently and accurately decipher research and decide whether to implement it into your own practice.

The hybrid nature of the courses also allows flexibility in study while at the same time receiving timely feedback from highly skilled supervisors.

I would definitely recommend the three courses to anyone interested.

"The content is relevant, practical and beneficial to one’s own wellbeing."

My experience of this course has been very positive. The support I and all other participants received from all lecturers throughout these past two years has been second to none.

This course is aimed at all teaching staff working in schools, not just school leaders or members of in-school management teams. I was the only participant in this year’s cohort that was in a formal leadership role. This course is open to all - do not let the course title influence your potential participation.

The hybrid model of face-to-face lectures, which are crucially communicated in advance, and online content with weekly e-tivities was conducive and motivating to all participants who have busy personal and professional lives.

Akin to all Master’s, this is a challenging course but manageable. The content is relevant, practical and beneficial to one’s own wellbeing, with self-care modules and tips. There is an appropriate mix of both practical and theoretical content whereby one assignment actually initiated the SSE engagement with wellbeing for all participants within their schools. I now have a catalogue of wellbeing resources and tools to share with colleagues in order to put the well into being in my school in partnership with all staff.

I would recommend anybody with an interest in wellbeing to participate in this course, you will not regret it, it will ameliorate your own wellbeing and give you clarity around just how quintessential the effective implementation of wellbeing is within schools for both staff and pupils alike.

"The thesis allowed me to pursue my own areas of interest."

The MA in History at MIC was an incredibly engaging and fulfilling degree to undertake. It consisted of a wide variety of interesting modules where the lectures facilitated weekly class discussions based on the materials that were being studied. Engaging in these classes, as well as the monthly seminars offered by the History Departments at MIC and University of Limerick, encouraged me to develop my critical thinking which greatly improved my analytical and qualitative research skills.

Whilst the module assignments strongly developed my understanding of the subject matter, the thesis allowed me to pursue my own areas of interest. This programme provided a strong framework for those interested in pursuing academic careers and so, my decision to do a PhD in Psychiatric History at MIC was strongly based on my MA in History experience.