European Studies

Overview

What is European Studies?

European Studies is a broad-ranging and integrated programme that offers students the chance to learn European languages, and also to study history and social sciences. This programme encourages students to think about our continent in all its complexity, and to analyse Europe’s cultures, history, and politics.

Do you enjoy:

• Learning languages?
• Studying Europe’s past?
• Thinking about the current state of Europe?

European Studies: The course for you?

If you care about Europe’s past and future, if you enjoy studying languages, and have an interest in history, politics, and the workings of contemporary society you will enjoy this course. European Studies is designed for students with a broad intellectual appetite, and who are interested in a range of disciplines and subjects.

European Studies at Trinity

European Studies at Trinity offers a unique and broad range of languages and subjects to study, and draws on the expertise and dedication of lecturers from a wide range of disciplines. Staff from different departments work together to deliver a fully-integrated programme that offers flexibility and choice for students. European Studies attracts students with strong potential from Ireland and abroad.

Graduate skills and career opportunities

The language skills and understanding of a variety of disciplines gained through European Studies allow our graduates to take up opportunities in a diverse range of careers. Recent graduates are employed in international organisations both in Ireland and abroad, in the EU, in the civil service and the diplomatic corps, in business, finance and marketing. Other popular career paths are in consultancy, teaching (in Ireland and abroad), translating and interpreting, journalism and tourism. Many students go on to do postgraduate courses.

Your degree and what you’ll study

You will study two out of five available European languages: Spanish, French, German, Italian, Polish, or Russian (German, Italian, Spanish, Polish, and Russian can be studied from beginner level). Both languages are studied equally in the first two years, after which one becomes your Major, and the other your Minor language. As well as languages, you will study European history, the history of ideas, and social sciences (politics, economics, or sociology).

First and second years

In first year, you will study two chosen languages, the history of early modern Europe, an introductory module to the history of ideas, and you will take one introductory module in the social sciences (political science, sociology or economics). 

In second year, you will continue to study two languages, study the history of Europe in the 20th Century, the history of ideas during the period of Enlightenment and Romanticism, and will choose from further options in history, politics, sociology, or economics.

Third and fourth years

The third year is spent at a university abroad studying through the language you choose as your Major language. 

In the final year, language work focuses on your Major language while coursework for your Minor language concentrates mainly on comprehension and textual analysis. The core course in your final year is called ‘Modernity and Society: Ideas and Culture in Europe since 1850’. Additionally, you will choose options from a wide range of modules from history, political science, sociology, economics and a number of culture and literature options from the language departments.

At all levels, you will be assessed by a combination of continuous assessment and exams. We use a mix of traditional and innovative continuous assessment methods: essays, project work, presentations, podcast creation. Language modules are traditionally assessed by written, oral and aural examinations. Final year students also write a Capstone project.

English Studies is also available within the Dual B.A. Programme between Trinity College Dublin and Columbia University. Please note: The Dual B.A. is only open to Single Honours students. Joint Honours students cannot apply to the Dual B.A. 

There are QQI/FET routes available for this course. Please see www.cao.ie for details.

Click here for further information on modules/subjects.

Study abroad

A year or semester studying abroad is one of the highlights of a student’s Trinity experience, and immersing oneself in the language and culture is also one of the most valuable ways of achieving fluency when you are studying a language. European students spend third year of study abroad in one of our partner universities.

Exchanges have been established with history and political science departments in universities in France (Paris, Strasbourg, Grenoble, and Bordeaux), Germany (Hamburg, Tübingen, Freiburg), Austria (Vienna), Spain ( Salamanca, Seville, Zaragoza and Alcala de Henares), Italy (Pavia, Siena and Milan), Poland (Kraków) and Russia (Moscow). The year abroad may entail additional expenses for students but support funding under the European Union’s Erasmus scheme partially offsets this (with the exception of Russia, outside the Erasmus scheme).

Trinity College Dublin and Columbia University Dual B.A. Programme

European Studies is also available within the Dual B.A. Programme between Trinity College Dublin and Columbia University. Please note: The Dual B.A. is only open to Single Honours students. Joint Honours students cannot apply to the Dual B.A.. For more details, see www.tcd.gs.columbia.edu.