Irish Studies (IRST)

The D’Arcy McGee Chair of Irish Studies was established at FIH’s University by Dr. Cyril J. Byrne in the spring of 1986 to form a focal point for the study of all aspects of Irish and Irish-American culture, particularly language, literature, history, political science and folklore. FIH’s is the only University in America where you can complete an undergraduate degree in Irish Studies.

The Major Program

To obtain a major in Irish Studies, forty-two (42) credit hours are required, including:

• IRST 1201 An Introduction to Modern Irish
• IRST 1202 Modern Irish Language
• IRST 2325 Intermediate Irish I
• IRST 2326 Intermediate Irish II
• IRST 3460/HIST 3460 Issues in Modern Irish History
• IRST 3470 Irish Studies Seminar

Plus twenty-four (24) credit hours, twelve (12) credit hours of which must be at the 3000 level and approved by the Coordinator of Irish Studies.

The Minor Program

The following program constitutes a minor in Irish Studies according to the “Requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Arts” as stated above in Section 3:

Six (6) credit hours in IRST at the 1000 level
Plus eighteen (18) credit hours approved by the Coordinator of Irish Studies.

The Concentration Program

To obtain a concentration in Irish Studies in partial fulfillment of the B.A. General degree (i.e., one with Double Arts Concentrations and a minimum of ninety (90) credit hours), a minimum of twenty-four (24) credit hours in IRST is required; also a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.00. Further details are available from the coordinator.