Home › Courses▻Postgraduate Taught Courses▻College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Celtic Studies▻Public Advocacy and Activism (MA/PDip)

Public Advocacy and Activism (MA/PDip)

Expand all

Course Overview

The MA in Public Advocacy and Activism is an interdisciplinary programme that combines training in the practical skills of advocacy and activism with an exploration of the theories and concepts which inform these fields. No other programme in Ireland offers students the opportunity to acquire skills and training in such a breadth of disciplines, including management, communications, public relations and human rights. By drawing on the expertise of scholars and practitioners across these fields, the MA in Public Advocacy and Activism provides the skills crucial for those who wish to work in organizations which seek to shift attitudes and initiate change, including those working in community organisation, international relations, development, labour, rights, health and the environment. 

Scholarships available
Find out about our Postgraduate Scholarships here.

Applications and Selections

Applications are made online via the NUI Galway Postgraduate Applications System. 

   

Who Teaches this Course

 

Save

Save

Requirements and Assessment

Assessment on the programme is designed to develop students’ writing and presentation skills, as well as their ability to undertake independent research. Assignments include a combination of essays, presentations, reports and projects, including a work placement report, and a short film-making exercise. Students practice and demonstrate their research skills undertaking a 15,000 word minor dissertation, which is submitted in early August.



Key Facts

Entry Requirements

NQAI Level 8 degree or equivalent H2.2. GPA 3.0 or international qualification. IELTS score of 6.5 or equivalent if applicable. Students who do not meet the Honours degree requirement but have a Level 7 (Merit 2) degree may be admitted to the PDip course with the possibility of progressing to the MA if they receive a minimum of 60% in their course work during the year.

(Please visit this website for detail of any supporting documents that may be required when applying to this course.)


Additional Requirements

Duration

1 year, full-time
2 years, part-time

Next start date

September 2022

A Level Grades ()

Average intake

15

QQI/FET FETAC Entry Routes

Closing Date

You are advised to apply early, which may result in an early offer; see the offer round dates

NFQ level

Mode of study

ECTS weighting

MA—90, PDip—60

Award

CAO

Course code

1MPA1, full-time | 1MPA2, part-time

Course Outline

Across the wide-ranging syllabus, there is a focus on both the socio-political environment in which advocates and campaigners for change must operate and the tools and techniques by which change can be achieved. Students use actual campaigns as the basis of their course work analysis, so that critiques and debates are firmly based in the real world of current events. In addition to gaining a theoretical understanding of how change may be effected, students learn how to develop and run successful campaigns, how to interact with large organizations, and how to influence public opinion on important issues.

The course may be taken as a full-time degree taken over a twelve-month period (September to August) OR as a part-time degree taken over a twenty-four month period. The year is divided into two teaching semesters, from September to December and from January to April. The full-time programme comprises three core taught modules during the academic year and a choice of 4 out of 5 electives as well as a research methods seminar over two 12-week semesters. Students will also undertake a service learning placement. The minor dissertation (30 ECTS) is completed over the summer and submitted in August.

 Core modules:

  • The Theory and Practice of Advocacy and Activism (10 ECTS)
  • Communications Media and Marketing for Advocates (10 ECTS)
  • Short Filmmaking for Advocacy (10 ECTS)

Elective Modules (3 out of 5 to be selected) include:

  • Service Learning Placement (10 ECTS)
  • Human Rights for Advocates (5 ECTS)
  • Film & Politics (5 ECTS)
  • Organisational Analysis and Management (5 ECTS)
  • The Social and Political Context of Advocacy (5 ECTS)

Modules for Full Time Course

Modules for Part Time Course

Curriculum Information

Curriculum information relates to the current academic year (in most cases).
Course and module offerings and details may be subject to change.

Glossary of Terms

Credits
You must earn a defined number of credits (aka ECTS) to complete each year of your course. You do this by taking all of its required modules as well as the correct number of optional modules to obtain that year's total number of credits.
Module
An examinable portion of a subject or course, for which you attend lectures and/or tutorials and carry out assignments. E.g. Algebra and Calculus could be modules within the subject Mathematics. Each module has a unique module code eg. MA140.
Optional
A module you may choose to study.
Required
A module that you must study if you choose this course (or subject).
Semester
Most courses have 2 semesters (aka terms) per year.

Year 1 (90 Credits)

Required FM6116: Communication, Media & Marketing for Advocates


Semester 1 | Credits: 10

The aim of this module is to introduce students to the principles, concepts and practice of marketing communications within public advocacy so that they can use communications to effect change for those for whom they will be advocating. The course emphasis will be on applying all theory to practical situations.

Learning Outcomes
  1. Recognise different communications and marketing approaches to advocacy and the values and strategies that underpin them.
  2. Plan an effective communications marketing programme or campaign to meet identified objectives and reach key audiences, within a realistic budget.
  3. Target and analyse key audiences and formulate messages that speak to those audiences.
  4. Apply the media skills learnt in the classroom in real life situations, i.e. radio or television interviews, writing press releases.
Assessments

This module's usual assessment procedures, outlined below, may be affected by COVID-19 countermeasures. Current students should check Blackboard for up-to-date assessment information.

  • Department-based Assessment (100%)
Module Director
Lecturers / Tutors
Reading List
  1. "Social Marketing" by Lynne Eagle
    ISBN: 9780273727224.
    Publisher: Ft Prenticehall
  2. "Integrated Marketing Communications in Advertising Promotion" by Terence A. Shimp
    ISBN: 0324665318.
    Publisher: South-Western, Div of Thomson Learning
  3. "Hands-On Social Marketing" by Nedra K. (Kline) Weinreich
    ISBN: 1412953693.
    Publisher: Sage Publications, Inc
  4. "Integrated Advertising, Promotion, and Marketing Communications 4th Ed. Global Ed." by Kenneth E. and Baack, Donald Clow
    ISBN: 0138157375.
    Publisher: Pearson
  5. "Sticky Marketing" by Grant Leboff
    ISBN: 0749471093.
The above information outlines module FM6116: "Communication, Media & Marketing for Advocates" and is valid from 2017 onwards.
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.

Required FM6114: The Practice and Theory of Advocacy


Semester 1 | Credits: 10

This module introduces the basic elements of public interest and human rights advocacy and campaigning. Its chief focus will be on strategising for successful campaigning. It will support students to analyse and respond to the fast changing environment in which much advocacy work now takes place. Students will be introduced to the core skills of strategising, lobbying, managing publicity and of negotiation. The module aims to provide the student with an opportunity to extend, consolidate and apply learning from other modules, and to ‘practice’ her or his emerging advocacy skills with the benefit of support and the privacy of the classroom.

Learning Outcomes
  1. Understand the historic and current context and basic principles of public interest and human rights advocacy, and the role of the advocate.
  2. Apply a strategic approach to all aspects of advocacy and to make basic strategic calculations related to advocacy in practice.
  3. Apply empowerment approaches in practical advocacy situations.
  4. Develop a lobbying strategy to support the achievement of campaign objectives.
  5. Use effective negotiating skills and be able to develop a negotiating strategy.
Assessments

This module's usual assessment procedures, outlined below, may be affected by COVID-19 countermeasures. Current students should check Blackboard for up-to-date assessment information.

  • Department-based Assessment (100%)
Module Director
Lecturers / Tutors
Reading List
  1. "Networks of Outrage and Hope" by Manuel Castells
    ISBN: 978074566285.
    Publisher: Polity Press
  2. "Pedagogy of the Oppressed" by Paolo Freire
    ISBN: 9788577532285.
  3. "Freedom Is a Constant Struggle" by Angela Y. Davis
    ISBN: 9781608465644.
    Publisher: Chicago; Haymarket Books
  4. "Why It's Still Kicking Off Everywhere: The New Global Revolutions" by Paul Mason
    ISBN: 9781844670284.
    Publisher: Verso
  5. "Rules for radicals" by Saul D. Alinsky
    ISBN: 0679721134.
    Publisher: Vintage Books
  6. "Do it yourself" by edited by the Trapese Collective
    ISBN: 9780745326375.
    Publisher: London ; Pluto Press, 2007.
The above information outlines module FM6114: "The Practice and Theory of Advocacy" and is valid from 2017 onwards.
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.

Required FM6115: Short Filmmaking for Advocates


Semester 1 | Credits: 10

With the growth of social media and digital platforms which advocates can use to disseminate ideas and reach large audiences, short films have become an increasingly useful tool for those seeking to bring about change. This module addresses the role of short film in advocacy and activism, and includes both practical and theoretical elements including documentary style, film language, propaganda versus social marketing, and making short films with advocacy themes.

Learning Outcomes
  1. Demonstrate an understanding of the role of short films in campaigning and social change.
  2. Describe the various platforms and distribution networks for short films.
  3. Write a briefing document and understand the function of these documents in the making of the films.
  4. Read and analyse short films in terms of images and messages, particularly in relation to advocacy issues.
  5. Make short films with advocacy themes.
Assessments

This module's usual assessment procedures, outlined below, may be affected by COVID-19 countermeasures. Current students should check Blackboard for up-to-date assessment information.

  • Department-based Assessment (100%)
Module Director
Lecturers / Tutors
Reading List
  1. "Introduction to documentary" by Bill Nichols
    ISBN: 0253339545.
    Publisher: Indiana University Press
The above information outlines module FM6115: "Short Filmmaking for Advocates" and is valid from 2017 onwards.
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.

Required FA515: Dissertation


15 months long | Credits: 30

Learning Outcomes
  1. tbc
Assessments

This module's usual assessment procedures, outlined below, may be affected by COVID-19 countermeasures. Current students should check Blackboard for up-to-date assessment information.

  • Research (100%)
Module Director
Lecturers / Tutors
The above information outlines module FA515: "Dissertation" and is valid from 2018 onwards.
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.

Required FM6113: Service Learning For Advocacy and Activism


Semester 2 | Credits: 10

Students undertake a work placement of approximately 4 weeks duration in an advocacy role in a relevant organisation, with a view to developing their skills, gaining practical experience, and contributing to the organisation. A written report provides opportunity for reflection and personal development. This module, which incorporates the placement and a written report, is considered as 'service learning'.

Learning Outcomes
  1. Appreciate the application of theoretical learning to practical situations.
  2. Better understand the challenges of advocacy and activism and their potential role in this sector.
  3. Demonstrate a greater confidence in their own abilities and expertise.
  4. Evaluate the learning experience in terms of practical skills gained or improved, and also in relation to their own personal development.
Assessments

This module's usual assessment procedures, outlined below, may be affected by COVID-19 countermeasures. Current students should check Blackboard for up-to-date assessment information.

  • Department-based Assessment (100%)
Module Director
Lecturers / Tutors
The above information outlines module FM6113: "Service Learning For Advocacy and Activism" and is valid from 2017 onwards.
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.

Optional EC535: Political Economy, Colonialism & Globalisation


Semester 2 | Credits: 10

A technocratic, obscuring kind of language pervades much of today’s mainstream economic discourse. We are told by the political and media establishment that questions of policy are best left to ‘the experts’ and, when it comes to austerity type policies, that ‘there is no alternative’ (TINA). The central objective of this course is to provide activists with the tools necessary to decipher the arguments used by mainstream economic analysts and engage them in debate, to show that there are always economic, political and social alternatives in the resolution of any economic situation.
(Language of instruction: English)

Learning Outcomes
  1. Understand core economic concepts and how economists deploy them
  2. Acquire a critical perspective on economic and social issues
  3. Be able to articulate a well thought out alternative to mainstream economic doctrine
Assessments

This module's usual assessment procedures, outlined below, may be affected by COVID-19 countermeasures. Current students should check Blackboard for up-to-date assessment information.

  • Continuous Assessment (100%)
Module Director
Lecturers / Tutors
Reading List
  1. "Principles of Economics" by Gerard Turley, Maureen Maloney and Frances O'Toole
    Publisher: Gill and MacMillan
  2. "Macroeconomics in Context" by Neva Goodwin, Julie Nelson, Jonathan Harris, Brian Roach and James Devine
    Publisher: Routledge
  3. "History of Economic Thought" by E.K Hunt and Mark Lautzenheiser
  4. "The Globalisation Paradox" by Dani Rodrik
    Publisher: Norton and Co.
  5. "Globalization Capital" by Barry Eichungen
    Publisher: Princeton University Press
  6. "Bad Samaritans" by Ha-Joon Chang
  7. "Kicking Away the Ladder" by Ja-Joon Chang
    Publisher: Anthem Press
  8. "Economics and World History" by Paul Bairoch
    Publisher: The University of Chicago Press
The above information outlines module EC535: "Political Economy, Colonialism & Globalisation" and is valid from 2016 onwards.
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.

Optional FM6120: Human Rights: An Introduction for Advocates and Activists


Semester 1 | Credits: 10

An introduction to Human Rights Law (primarily the UN Convention on Human Rights) for advocates and activists.This course provides a theoretical and philosophical introduction to human rights and moves on to a discussion of the practical problems involved with their implementation via consideration of global challenges to their protection.
(Language of instruction: English)

Learning Outcomes
  1. recognise human rights both in theory and practice
  2. understand the legal and philosophical framework of human rights
  3. Identify and explain the core legal framework pertaining to human rights
  4. Discuss and evaluate specific human rights issues such as trafficking, women’s human rights, torture, freedom of expression, corporate social responsibility and the role of the international community and individuals in the prevention of human rights abuses
  5. identify the role of human rights in campaigning against injustice
Assessments

This module's usual assessment procedures, outlined below, may be affected by COVID-19 countermeasures. Current students should check Blackboard for up-to-date assessment information.

  • Department-based Assessment (100%)
Module Director
Lecturers / Tutors
Reading List
  1. "Human Rights: A Very Short Introduction" by Andrew Clapham
    Publisher: Oxford University Press
The above information outlines module FM6120: "Human Rights: An Introduction for Advocates and Activists" and is valid from 2020 onwards.
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.

Optional FM6119: Film, Politics, and Colonialism


Semester 2 | Credits: 10

This module considers the significance of film as a mode of cultural production, the politics of representation, and the role of ‘national’ cinema. The films viewed and analysed address subjects including colonial history, marginal groups, conflict, resistance, gender, and postcolonial realities. Students will consider aspects of those films including genre, theme, and narrative structure. The political and historical circumstances of their production will also be discussed and analyzed.
(Language of instruction: English)

Learning Outcomes
  1. Understand the language of film and be able to deconstruct and read a film critically.
  2. Analyse the politics of representation, with reference to the historical and social context of films under discussion, including the effects of colonialism and postcolonialism.
  3. Explore ideas about film and politics which provide theoretical and analytical tools that can be deployed in the specific media practices involved in advocacy, for example the application of postcolonial theory to film texts.
  4. Demonstrate understanding of the relationship between film and politics, and the difference between propaganda and entertainment.
Assessments

This module's usual assessment procedures, outlined below, may be affected by COVID-19 countermeasures. Current students should check Blackboard for up-to-date assessment information.

  • Department-based Assessment (100%)
Module Director
Lecturers / Tutors
Reading List
  1. "Questions of Third Cinema" by Jim Pines
  2. "Inventing Vietnam: The War in Film and Television" by Michael Anderegg
    Publisher: Temple UP
  3. "Irish Film: The Emergence of a Contemporary Cinema" by Martin McLoone
    Publisher: BFI
The above information outlines module FM6119: "Film, Politics, and Colonialism" and is valid from 2020 onwards.
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.

Optional FM6121: Organisations and Management for Advocates and Activists


Semester 2 | Credits: 10

A defining mark of modern society is the structuring role which various organisations and institutions play in our lives. Whether it is in the form of the family unit, the university, political parties or religious affiliations – organisations in some shape or form are ubiquitous to contemporary life. Ultimately, a key part of any organisational structure is the role of management. This course will: • Provide a comprehensive understanding of the key concepts and principles of organisational management. •Develop critical analysis skills through the examination of theories and practices concerning the way organisations and work are managed and structured. • Examine how management principles are applied in a range of organisational settings with particular reference to third sector organisations.
(Language of instruction: English)

Learning Outcomes
  1. Articulate and trace the historical lineage of management and work organisations with reference to the classical school and later systems and contingency analysis
  2. Identify the major external influences on organisations and be able to deploy tools with which to analyse the broader contextual environment in which they operate
  3. Understand competing perspectives on aspects of decision and governance on making in organisations
  4. Critically evaluate competing perspectives on management and governance of organisations with particular relevance to the third sector
Assessments

This module's usual assessment procedures, outlined below, may be affected by COVID-19 countermeasures. Current students should check Blackboard for up-to-date assessment information.

  • Department-based Assessment (100%)
Module Director
Lecturers / Tutors
Reading List
  1. "Work Organisations: A Critical Introduction" by Thompson, P., McHugh, D.
    Publisher: Macmillan Press LTD
  2. "Sociology, Work and Organisation" by Watson, T. J.
    Publisher: Routledge
  3. "Employment Relations in the Voluntary Sector: Struggling to Care" by Cunningham, I.
    Publisher: Routledge
  4. "Strategic Management for Voluntary Nonprofit Organisations" by Courtney, R.
    Publisher: Routledge
  5. "Understanding Employment Relations" by Dundon, T. & Rollinson, D.
    Publisher: McGraw-Hill
  6. "Modern Management: Theory and Practice for Irish Students" by Tiernan, S.D. & Morley, M.J.
    Publisher: Gill & Macmillan
The above information outlines module FM6121: "Organisations and Management for Advocates and Activists" and is valid from 2020 onwards.
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.

Optional SP6122: Social and Political Context of Activism and Advocacy


Semester 2 | Credits: 10

This course provides an introduction to the social and political context of international advocacy and activism. It links local, national and international contexts for advocacy and activism, drawing upon historical, sociological and political perspectives on the rise of international campaigning for social justice. It explores the relationships between the state, market and civil society,charting the dynamic emergence of new social and political actors in local and transnational public advocacy.
(Language of instruction: English)

Learning Outcomes
  1. Understand the key international actors, events and structures driving contemporary processes of global public activism and advocacy, and how these involve the efforts of states, markets and civil society.
  2. Discuss and illustrate core knowledge about the historical background and the social, political and economic relevance of international public activism and advocacy
  3. Demonstrate familiarity with the international rights, development and environmental frameworks for activism and advocacy, including specific knowledge of key international actors and structures.
  4. Exercise research and writing skills and capacities to present a detailed piece of research and analysis on a historical or contemporary example of advocacy and activism
  5. Exemplify skills in communicating, collaborating, developing and presenting research with peers in a workshop setting
  6. Engage with opportunities to debate the key issues and questions surrounding the economics, politics and ethics of public advocacy and activism
Assessments

This module's usual assessment procedures, outlined below, may be affected by COVID-19 countermeasures. Current students should check Blackboard for up-to-date assessment information.

  • Department-based Assessment (100%)
Module Director
Lecturers / Tutors
Reading List
  1. "‘Introduction: Twelve men in a Printing Shop’, in Bury the Chains: The British Struggle to End Slavery" by n/a
    ISBN: HOCHSCHILD, A.
  2. "‘From Santiago to Seattle: Transnational Advocacy groups Restructuring World Politics Chapter 1 in Khagram et al (eds) Restructuring World Politics." by Khagram et al (eds)
  3. "‘Slave sugar boycotts, female activism and the domestic base of the British anti-slavery culture’ Slavery and Abolition" by Midgely, Clare
The above information outlines module SP6122: "Social and Political Context of Activism and Advocacy " and is valid from 2020 onwards.
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.

Why Choose This Course?

Career Opportunities

Why choose This course?

This imaginative course provides an opportunity for experienced advocates for social change as well as those interested in working in the area to achieve a specialist qualification in their field of practice. Due to its interdisciplinary nature, the programme brings together a group of students from diverse backgrounds but with shared interests and ambitions. Discussion-based classes allow students to challenge and engage with ideas and topics in a dynamic learning process that increases understanding and clarifies opinions. The programme includes a work placement in which students gain the opportunity to put their developing skills into practice. Furthermore, as a student at the Huston School you will be part of a collaborative creative community, working with students on the MA in Production & Direction to develop a short film as part of an advocacy campaign. You will also have all the opportunities which come from studying at one of the world’s top Universities, including access to a range of seminars and high-profile guest speakers.

Recent visiting speakers have included practitioners and activists from organisations such as Comhlamh, Trocaire, UNOCHA, and the Migrant Rights Council of Ireland; campaigners including Sunny Jacobs and Peter Pringle; and filmmakers like Emily James, Risteard O Domhnaill, and Dearbhla Glynn, who have made documentaries on topics of human rights and social concerns.

Career opportunities

Graduates have gone on to pursue a range of careers in lobbying, campaigning, advocacy and humanitarian roles in organisations such as the SOAR Foundation, PETA, UNOCHA, GOAL Ireland, ADAPT Domestic Abuse Services, the Southern Alberta Ethnic Association, Amnesty International (Irish section), Cancer Care West, the National Youth Council of Ireland, Trocaire, Spunout, and the Washington Post. Others have continued in higher education, with a number of PhDs completed or underway. It should be noted that while the MA is structured towards careers in the not-for-profit sector, many of the skills gained during the year, for example those in research methods, analysis, media and communications, are transferable to any sector.

Who’s Suited to This Course

Learning Outcomes

 

Work Placement

Study Abroad

Related Student Organisations

Course Fees

Fees: EU

€6,980 full-time; €3,525 part-time p.a. 2022/23

Fees: Tuition

€6,840 full-time; €3,420 part-time p.a. 20/23

Fees: Student levy

€140 full-time; €105 part-time p.a. 2022/23

Fees: Non EU

€16,940 p.a. 2022/23

 

Student levy €140 - payable by all students and is not covered by SUSI.  Further detail here.

Find out More

Dr Fiona Bateman
T: +353 91 495 918
E: fiona.bateman@nuigalway.ie
Find us on Facebook

Quick Links

 

What Our Students Say

Kevin

Kevin Gadsey |   Public Advocacy & Activism

I came to Ireland wanting to know how to change the world for people with disabilities. A year later, it was I who had been transformed because of the lecturers’ insights and the projects I chose to tackle. I learned about human nature, our strengths and weaknesses, and how they help and hinder any campaign. I now understand why parts of the world are struggling, what/who is oppressing them, and the dynamics of the relationship between the oppressed and the oppressors. I now understand tried and true methods and strategies to motivate oppressed peoples to create and sustain their own social movements.
Emmet

Emmet Sheerin |   Public Advocacy & Activism

The MA in Public Advocacy and Activism certainly informed my experience working as a human rights observer in the West Bank, giving me a particular confidence in my engagement with Israeli and Palestinian peace activists. Furthermore, the course provided me with a valuable understanding of how change can be influenced at a local, national and international level.
Sarah

Sarah Clancy |   Public Advocacy & Activism

One of the most challenging aspects of the course was that it forced us all to question our own motivation for seeking social change. I would highly recommend this Masters as an eye-opening stimulus to an awareness which will benefit the student in practically any field of work or further study.
Lyndia

Lyndia Peters |   Public Advocacy & Activism

One of the best parts of the MA in Public Advocacy and Activism was the way it fitted into my academic, career and personal goals. I aim to be a vital part of my community, to contribute to its health and success and to empower others to do the same – I know this course was an important step on that journey.

Best College of Arts & Social Sciences

Arts Education Winner Badge

Downloads

  • Postgraduate Taught Prospectus 2022

    Postgraduate Taught Prospectus 2022 PDF (14.3MB)