MARY Immaculate College this week celebrated the 21st anniversary of its ever-popular Liberal Arts degree programme.
The course is Limerick’s oldest Liberal Arts programme and has launched the careers of a number of familiar faces such as RTÉ’s Daithí O’Sé, Morning Ireland reporter, Petula Martyn and Limerick Arts Officer, Sheila Deegan.
Ms Deegan, who enrolled on the first ever year of the programme said: “I loved every minute of my time as a student on the BA programme in MIC and since I completed the programme both my sister-in-law and my brother have completed the BA as mature students and currently my niece is in fourth year in the BA programme.
“The importance of this course being available in Limerick is obvious by the Deegan contingent alone. I hope it is around for another 21 years.”
Ms Martyn said the Liberal Arts course was “a natural fit” for her.
“My goal was to work in broadcast journalism but I chose not to study for that profession straight after the Leaving Cert. I knew I needed a broader education and MIC offered me that and more.
“I studied Media, English, French and Philosophy for the first two years, and chose Media and English as my final degree subjects. In each of these subjects we were encouraged to think critically – to analyse the subject matter, to ask questions, to look at it from different angles. These are skills that I use every day as a reporter with Morning Ireland.”
The BA in Liberal Arts was first introduced to Mary Immaculate College in 1992 following the establishment of a link with UL and it has been running successfully ever since.
The programme is now a four-year degree accredited by UL.
The subjects available vary from languages to widely available subjects such as History, Mathematics and Computer Studies.
There are also subjects not normally taught in Arts programmes in Ireland, namely Theology and Religious Studies, Media and Communication Studies and Psychology.
