Race, Ethnicity, Conflict (M.Phil.)

Course Overview

This one-year postgraduate course examines the techniques used by states and international agencies to manage peoples and conflict, their social and cultural impact and the responses they elicit. It applies a wide variety of sociological theories to racialisation, gender, migration, ethnic conflict and peace-making. Students are taught to complete an independent research project on these issues.

Staff, students and alumni form a friendly, ethnically diverse intellectual community with links to Trinity's Centre for Post-Conflict Justice, the Long Room Hub, Trinity Research in Social Sciences, the Migration and Employment Research Centre, and the Conflict and Resistance Research Group all in Trinity College Dublin, and with a host of national and international academic and civil society organisations involved in race critical theory, critical peace studies, anti-racism, migrant support, Traveller rights and nomadism.

Candidates should have an undergraduate degree at upper second-class level or equivalent (GPA of at least 3.2) in one of the Social Sciences or a degree that has included Social Science as a component.

In exceptional cases, candidates without a first degree may be accepted directly into the programme if they can demonstrate they possess the equivalent of a good first degree, have work experience in the fields of population movement, conflict, and/or publications that demonstrate analytical skills. Applicants seeking admission in this category may, where practicable, be called for interview.

In all cases the quality of the candidates statement of interest and of their academic references are important.

English Language Requirements

All applicants to Trinity are required to provide official evidence of proficiency in the English language. Applicants to this course are required to meet Band B (Standard Entry) English language requirements. For more details of qualifications that meet Band B, see the English Language Requirements page here.

Applicants for the Trinity International Foundation Programme require IELTS 5.0 overall, with 5.0 in Writing and no band below 4.5.

Applicants for all Undergraduate and Postgraduate programmes must present one of the following English language qualifications.

Our recent graduates work for NGOs (national and international), in migrant and Traveller rights, as barristers, playwrights, political activists, researchers, teachers, academics, Gardaí, journalists, social workers. According to figures compiled by the College Careers Service, more than 90% of our graduates from this course are either in employment, internships or further study.