Irish Language - Diploma
2025/26 Part-time Undergraduate course
Award:
Diploma
Faculty:
Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
School:
School of Arts and Humanities
Campus:
Belfast campus
Start date:
September 2025
Achieve fluency in spoken Irish and efficiency in written Irish. Completion of this programme can be a pathway to study Irish at degree level.
The University offers a comprehensive range of programmes in Irish in both part-time and full-time mode at a number of centres which serve a diverse constituency of students. The breadth of Irish language provision at Ulster and the practice amongst staff and students of using Irish as a primary medium of communication reflects the University’s strong commitment to cultural and linguistic diversity within Northern Ireland. The University’s Irish programmes play a vital role in preserving, sustaining and celebrating Ireland’s Gaelic literary and linguistic heritage as well as serving the demands of the Irish language sector within the local and international job market. At a personal level our programmes also fulfil the needs of individuals who wish to acquire the necessary competence to fully participate in the Irish language community as confident and independent users of the language. The Diploma programme has been designed to reflect the University’s vision of leading in the provision of professional education for professional life. The commitment to support graduates in gaining stimulating and fulfilling employment is one of the School’s primary concerns.
We know that choosing to study at university is a big decision, and you may not always be able to find the information you need online.
Please contact Ulster University with any queries or questions you might have about:
For any queries regarding getting help with your application, please select Admissions in the drop down below.
For queries related to course content, including modules and placements, please select Course specific information.
We look forward to hearing from you.
In this section
The Diploma in the Irish Language (Belfast, Magee, Cookstown, Armagh) represents an exciting opportunity for a wide range of people to study the Irish language from a completely new beginning. Over the two years you will receive a solid grounding in the key areas of Irish pronunciation, conversation, grammar and reading and writing skills.
On completion, you will be able to display fundamental oral and written communicative skills in Irish, demonstrate a knowledge of Irish grammatical structure and be able to read selected items from the literature.
As well as serving as a possible pathway for entry to a BA degree in Irish, the course can be seen as a free-standing unit in its own right which will help open up third level education to a wider audience.
Also offered at as a validated course in Southern Regional College, Newry (contact SRC directly for further information).
Part-time (2 years). Classes normally take place from September to May every week (Monday 5.30pm - 8.45pm) with additional lectures/seminars either being offered every second Wednesday or in blocks depending on venue. The course includes on-line tuition and a full induction is provided for those with no computing experience.
Our highly experienced teaching staff use numerous different approaches to ensure all learning styles are catered for. All the language skills are taught in a holisitic way and based on material that shows Irish being used in everyday settings.
Not only will you work with bespoke resources in class, but you will have access to a range of online materials that will complement the learning in the classroom. Full training will be provided in the use of these technologies.
Assessments happen at the end of each semester. You will be assessed on the various language skills and feedback from these will help inform your own study.
The content for each course is summarised on the relevant course page, along with an overview of the modules that make up the course.
Each course is approved by the University and meets the expectations of:
As part of your course induction, you will be provided with details of the organisation and management of the course, including attendance and assessment requirements - usually in the form of a timetable. For full-time courses, the precise timetable for each semester is not confirmed until close to the start date and may be subject to some change in the early weeks as all courses settle into their planned patterns. For part-time courses which require attendance on particular days and times, an expectation of the days and periods of attendance will be included in the letter of offer. A course handbook is also made available.
Courses comprise modules for which the notional effort involved is indicated by its credit rating. Each credit point represents 10 hours of student effort. Undergraduate courses typically contain 10, 20, or 40 credit modules (more usually 20) and postgraduate courses typically 15 or 30 credit modules.
The normal study load expectation for an undergraduate full-time course of study in the standard academic year is 120 credit points. This amounts to around 36-42 hours of expected teaching and learning per week, inclusive of attendance requirements for lectures, seminars, tutorials, practical work, fieldwork or other scheduled classes, private study, and assessment. Teaching and learning activities will be in-person and/or online depending on the nature of the course. Part-time study load is the same as full-time pro-rata, with each credit point representing 10 hours of student effort.
Postgraduate Master’s courses typically comprise 180 credits, taken in three semesters when studied full-time. A Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) comprises 60 credits and can usually be completed on a part-time basis in one year. A 120-credit Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) can usually be completed on a part-time basis in two years.
Class contact times vary by course and type of module. Typically, for a module predominantly delivered through lectures you can expect at least 3 contact hours per week (lectures/seminars/tutorials). Laboratory classes often require a greater intensity of attendance in blocks. Some modules may combine lecture and laboratory. The precise model will depend on the course you apply for and may be subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. Prospective students will be consulted about any significant changes.
Assessment methods vary and are defined explicitly in each module. Assessment can be a combination of examination and coursework but may also be only one of these methods. Assessment is designed to assess your achievement of the module’s stated learning outcomes. You can expect to receive timely feedback on all coursework assessments. This feedback may be issued individually and/or issued to the group and you will be encouraged to act on this feedback for your own development.
Coursework can take many forms, for example: essay, report, seminar paper, test, presentation, dissertation, design, artefacts, portfolio, journal, group work. The precise form and combination of assessment will depend on the course you apply for and the module. Details will be made available in advance through induction, the course handbook, the module specification, the assessment timetable and the assessment brief. The details are subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. You will be consulted about any significant changes.
Normally, a module will have 4 learning outcomes, and no more than 2 items of assessment. An item of assessment can comprise more than one task. The notional workload and the equivalence across types of assessment is standardised. The module pass mark for undergraduate courses is 40%. The module pass mark for postgraduate courses is 50%.
The class of Honours awarded in Bachelor’s degrees is usually determined by calculation of an aggregate mark based on performance across the modules at Levels 5 and 6, (which correspond to the second and third year of full-time attendance).
Level 6 modules contribute 70% of the aggregate mark and Level 5 contributes 30% to the calculation of the class of the award. Classification of integrated Master’s degrees with Honours include a Level 7 component. The calculation in this case is: 50% Level 7, 30% Level 6, 20% Level 5. At least half the Level 5 modules must be studied at the University for Level 5 to be included in the calculation of the class.
All other qualifications have an overall grade determined by results in modules from the final level of study.
In Masters degrees of more than 200 credit points the final 120 points usually determine the overall grading.
Figures from the academic year 2022-2023.
The University employs over 1,000 suitably qualified and experienced academic staff - 60% have PhDs in their subject field and many have professional body recognition.
Courses are taught by staff who are Professors (19%), Readers, Senior Lecturers (22%) or Lecturers (57%).
We require most academic staff to be qualified to teach in higher education: 82% hold either Postgraduate Certificates in Higher Education Practice or higher. Most academic and learning support staff (85%) are recognised as fellows of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) by Advance HE - the university sector professional body for teaching and learning. Many academic and technical staff hold other professional body designations related to their subject or scholarly practice.
The profiles of many academic staff can be found on the University’s departmental websites and give a detailed insight into the range of staffing and expertise. The precise staffing for a course will depend on the department(s) involved and the availability and management of staff. This is subject to change annually and is confirmed in the timetable issued at the start of the course.
Occasionally, teaching may be supplemented by suitably qualified part-time staff (usually qualified researchers) and specialist guest lecturers. In these cases, all staff are inducted, mostly through our staff development programme ‘First Steps to Teaching’. In some cases, usually for provision in one of our out-centres, Recognised University Teachers are involved, supported by the University in suitable professional development for teaching.
Figures from the academic year 2022-2023.
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Here is a guide to the subjects studied on this course.
Courses are continually reviewed to take advantage of new teaching approaches and developments in research, industry and the professions. Please be aware that modules may change for your year of entry. The exact modules available and their order may vary depending on course updates, staff availability, timetabling and student demand. Please contact the course team for the most up to date module list.
Year: 1
Status: C
This module takes students from ab-initio level to having a sound grasp of the basic structure of the language to include the acquisition of rudimentary communication skills. Taken with IRS001, this module will allow the learner to achieve linguistic competence at level A2 of the CEFR.
Year: 1
Status: C
This module takes new entrants to the course from ab-initio level to having a sound grasp of the basic structure of the language to include the acquisition of rudimentary communication skills.
Year: 2
Status: C
This module will take students from CEFR level A1/A2 (achieved via IRS001 and IRS148) to level B1 and help them to make the transition from Basic Users to Independent Users of Irish.
Year: 2
Status: C
This module will build upon IRS149 and consolidate students' skills at CEFR level B1, i.e. as independent users of Irish.
We recognise a range of qualifications for admission to our courses. In addition to the specific entry conditions for this course you must also meet the University’s General Entrance Requirements.
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GCSE profile to include a pass in English Language plus 4 other subjects at grade C or above (or equivalent).
English language requirements for international applicants
The minimum requirement for this course is Academic IELTS 6.0 with no band score less than 5.5. Trinity ISE: Pass at level III also meets this requirement for Tier 4 visa purposes.
Ulster recognises a number of other English language tests and comparable IELTS equivalent scores.
The University will consider applications on the basis of a wide range of qualifications plus experiential learning for those who do not hold the ‘normal’ entry qualifications.
Native speakers of Irish can apply to seek exemption from Year 1 and direct entry to Year 2 (based on interview).
In this section
Graduates from this course are now working for:
With this degree you could become:
Employment opportunities exist in a wide range of areas including education, the media, publishing, government, librarianship and various areas of business.
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Undergraduate fees are subject to annual review, 2025/26 fees will be announced in due course.
See our tuition fees page for the current fees for 2024/25 entry.
Scholarships may be available for GAA members as part of the 'Gaeilge sa Chlub' Scheme.
It is important to remember that costs associated with accommodation, travel (including car parking charges) and normal living will need to be covered in addition to tuition fees.
Where a course has additional mandatory expenses (in addition to tuition fees) we make every effort to highlight them above. We aim to provide students with the learning materials needed to support their studies. Our libraries are a valuable resource with an extensive collection of books and journals, as well as first-class facilities and IT equipment. Computer suites and free Wi-Fi are also available on each of the campuses.
There are additional fees for graduation ceremonies, examination resits and library fines.
Students choosing a period of paid work placement or study abroad as a part of their course should be aware that there may be additional travel and living costs, as well as tuition fees.
See the tuition fees on our student guide for most up to date costs.
We know that choosing to study at university is a big decision, and you may not always be able to find the information you need online.
Please contact Ulster University with any queries or questions you might have about:
For any queries regarding getting help with your application, please select Admissions in the drop down below.
For queries related to course content, including modules and placements, please select Course specific information.
We look forward to hearing from you.
“I really enjoyed and benefitted from the Diploma course. I went from having virtually no Irish to being comfortable using Irish in everyday situations. The tutors understood that it was difficult for me to return to education and they really helped build my confidence.”
“Bhain mé sult mór as an chúrsa seo. Cé go raibh beagán Gaeilge agam ag tosú dom, chuidigh an cúrsa seo liom eolas a chur ar rialacha gramadaí na teanga agus cuid de na drochnósanna a bhí agam a dhíbirt as mo chuid cainte/scríbhneoireachta.”
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At Ulster every person, course, research project, and professional service area on every campus either does or can contribute in some way towards the global sustainability and climate change agenda.
We are guided by both our University Strategy People, Place and Partnerships: Delivering Sustainable Futures for All and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Our work in this area is already being recognised globally. Most recently by the 2024 Times Higher Education Impact rating where we were recognised as Joint 5th Globally for Outreach Activities and Joint Top 20 Globally for Sustainable Development Goal 17: Partnership for the Goals.
Visit our Sustainability at Ulster destination to learn more about how the University strategy and the activities of Ulster University support each of the Sustainable Development Goals.
