While most media coverage of Ireland’s recent economic success has focused on subjects such as IT, Engineering and Science, a developing society must also keep an eye on its cultural and intellectual health. A well-rounded education, including good knowledge of the Arts & Humanities subjects, is useful for everyone. This is the island of saints and scholars after all, so we do have a certain reputation to maintain!

The Arts & Humanities area includes a plethora of subjects and courses, covering many of the most renowned fields of human achievement. This section of the guide provides information on Anthropology, History & Archaeology, History of Art & Arts Administration, English, Geography, Librarianship, Philosophy and Sociology. Many courses mix two or more of these subjects in a single degree, so there is a world of choice.

Many people who decide to take courses in the Arts & Humanities area don’t have a particular career path in mind. Most courses offer students the chance to take classes in a broad range of subjects, and then specialise in those that most hold their interest. Often, students can end up loving a subject they would never have considered before. The down side is that taking an Arts course doesn’t necessarily prepare you for a professional career as soon as you graduate. However, the knowledge and skills learned do prove useful in almost every professional role.

Read on to find out which courses might suit you best…