University College Dublin

This course focuses on the operations of narrative in modern Irish literature and drama from the 19th century to the present. Of particular importance are the roles of writers in the construction of powerful narratives of national identity at key moments in Irish history, and the subsequent interrogation of them by later generations of Irish writers. The preoccupation with the act of storytelling itself within Irish writing is also explored. Students are encouraged to engage in detail with the primary texts and to explore a range of theoretical issues in relation to narrative, postcoloniality, feminism, and cultural materialism. 

This course provides an introduction to astronomy, from the earliest theories through to the most current scientific knowledge of the universe. Topics include the solar system, extrasolar planets, the sun, stars and their evolution, black holes, gravitational waves and the Big Bang. There is an emphasis on the role of space-based technology in our understanding of the formation and evolution of the universe and its contents. This course is not highly mathematical or quantitative and is probably not appealing to students seeking a rigorous mathematical introduction to the subject.

The best possible introduction to philosophy as a subject is through engagement with Ancient Greek Philosophy. In this course, students look at some of Plato's writings about his friend and mentor Socrates, in particular those writings that bear on the trial and death of Socrates. These include Plato's APOLOGY, EUTHYPHRO, and CRITO, a series of short, lively dialogues that offer excellent introductions not only to Socrates, but to the practice of philosophy itself. Students also look back at the earliest Greek philosophers, such as Parmenides and Heraclitus, and forward to Aristotle and beyond. But the central focus of this course is on the figure of Socrates, and his impact on philosophy.

Tales and tellers are core to the narrative art. Within the framework of folkloristics different genres of narrative are described, and their traits discussed. International Folktales and Legends create the corpus under examination. Irish examples of folk narrative are analyzed individually, and then are set within the framework of folkloristic theories. Similarities and differences between oral and literary narrative are illustrated, and the influences of folklore on the literature of Ireland are also discussed. By the end of this course, students are well acquainted with the standard reference works concerned with the cataloguing and analysis of oral narrative, and are versed in various theoretical approaches to the subject - such as psychoanalysis, functionalism, formalism, structuralism, and ethnography.

This course outlines the processes leading to the formation and behavior of economic geomaterials and energy resources. Geomaterials covered include groundwater and the sources of metallic and non-metallic resources. Geoenergy resources covered include coal, conventional and unconventional hydrocarbons, wind, hydroelectric, ocean, solar, geothermal and nuclear energy. The use of and demand for geomaterials and geoenergy are explored, and strategies for transitioning to a clean energy future, including carbon capture and storage technologies, are discussed.

This is a course that focuses on student wellbeing, personal growth, and coping with stress, so that students can equip themselves with lifelong skills for learning, working, and being well. Students learn how to thrive in university life and beyond - including leadership skills for future employment - through fostering physical, cognitive, emotional, and social skills that will support their wellbeing. The course is delivered in the context of our digital world: understanding data and finding digital supports and strategies for life management. Expert speakers join for sessions around areas such as nutrition, sleep, and mental health, and students track their own personal data and progress in areas of their choice (e.g. emotional wellbeing, study habits, time management, exercise). 

This course helps students look differently and critically at objects from the past (and the present) and to appreciate the huge importance material culture holds for understanding human society. Much older than the written record, objects are a major category of archaeological evidence and a vital tool for the archaeologist. Students review key artefact assemblages from prehistory through to the medieval period. While there is a general focus on Irish artefacts, students also consider things from Britain and continental Europe. Students explore such topics as object classification (typologies), the scientific analysis of archaeological materials, and the contribution of experimental archaeology. Alongside this, students examine the many different roles and functions that objects had in the past and how these often diverge from our modern views and practices. They explore concepts such as ownership and wealth, object deposition and discard, and the life-cycle of objects.

This course introduces concepts from psychology (e.g. beliefs, emotions, or personality) to better understand politics (e.g. elite decision-making, voting behavior, or popular uprisings). Topics are structured around three types of methods that are frequently applied in psychology: experiments, surveys, and interviews. Students gain first-hand research experience by working in small teams to evaluate primary data on a topic of their choice (e.g. right-wing voting, state decisions to go to war, or emotional effects of terror attacks). 

This course deals with the analysis and design of electronic circuits containing diodes and transistors. Topics that are covered include physical operation and modeling of diodes (pn junction diode, zener diode) and transistors (MOSFET, BJT); DC analysis, large-signal and small-signal analysis of basic electronic circuits containing diodes and transistors; and design of basic electronic circuits, including simulation and laboratory exercises.