Program Overview

This MA programme equips students with the skills necessary to engage with contemporary theoretical, policy and practice-related issues relating to work and study with young people in the national and international context of community regeneration and community development. The course offers a critical forum where the complexities of social regeneration are addressed. It builds upon existing research and teaching strengths at undergraduate and postgraduate levels within the Department of Sociology, namely: inequality and social exclusion; the welfare state; political sociology; youth and community, community development; media sociology; and urban studies. The MA programme includes field trips each semester to a variety of NGOs working in the areas of youth, community development and social regeneration.
The MA programme has a variety of partner organizations in the Youth and Community Sectors, and all students will undertake an internship placement in the Summer Semester. Students have previously completed internships with organizations such Novas Limerick; Limerick Youth Services; Northside Family Resource Centre, Limerick and COPE, Galway. 

Objectives

• To provide students with a conceptual and operational understanding of key issues, objectives and processes pertaining to the social aspect of Regeneration.
• To provide students with in depth knowledge of theoretical, policy, and practical issues related to the study of youth and youth experiences in the context of Community.
• To provide students with the transferable skills necessary to conduct high-quality social research in community settings.
• To facilitate learning and personal educational development by offering a range of teaching and assessment approaches, together with excellent research supervision.
• To assist students in designing, conducting and writing up high-quality research which will be of benefit to themselves and the wider community.
• To provide a core foundation, for those students, who on completion of the MA wish to embark on a PhD in this area.
• To provide a sound basis for moving from an academic setting into different areas of the labour force by helping students to identity the transferable skills gained during the MA programme