Foundation Year
Mabou, Canada
DURATION
1 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
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EARLIEST START DATE
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TUITION FEES
CAD 8,528 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* residents of nova scotia | residents of canada: $9,811.90 per year | international residents: $18,915.90 per year
Scholarships
Explore scholarship opportunities to help fund your studies
Introduction
Begin your education with an extraordinary foundation, Mabou style
Gaelic Foundations: Living Cultures
Learn about life through a Gaelic lens
In partnership with Cape Breton University, this fresh, new program delivers an innovative, broad-based, foundation year meeting first-year Arts program requirements. Offered through the language of English, students gain a deep understanding of Nova Scotia's Gaelic culture by focusing on key subject areas, from the ancient past to the present day.
This is an interdisciplinary program that delves into culture to provide a better understanding of the wider world and develops well-honed practical skills such as critical thinking, research, writing, debating, self-directed learning, and learning in a group setting.
How Does the Program Work?
- It is a foundational, first-year, accredited university program delivered in English and focused on Nova Scotia's Gaelic culture.
- There are four courses of six weeks each, offered consecutively from September to April with a week’s break between each. In parallel, students will complete a first-year Gaelic language program running through the year from September to April. Students are full-time CBU students, receiving 30 credits in total.
- Courses (History, Literature, Folklore, Music & Dance) are delivered in four lectures throughout the week (Monday to Thursday) with a tutorial session each afternoon designed to discuss themes and ideas arising in lectures and assigned readings.
- Students will be housed at Beinn Mhàbu, a newly renovated campus of Colaisde na Gàidhlig in Mabou, Nova Scotia.
- Students can continue in the BA or BACS program at CBU or seek transfer credits to another university.
Why Choose This Program?
- Learn in Community: be part of a small, vibrant community while gaining a post-secondary education.
- Major scholarships are available to all students, ranging in value up to $10,000 are now available, with applications due before March 1. This is on top of the scholarships available to CBU students generally.
- Small Class Sizes: get to know your professors and gain lasting relationships among a close-knit learning cohort.
- Niche Program: one-of-a-kind, special delivery through focused modules.
- Newly renovated campus: Cozy, safe, and historically significant building with all modern amenities in the heart of the village.
- University experience: you will be registered as a full-time CBU student, with all pertinent benefits (Scholarships, Health & Dental plan, Library access, Writing Centre, etc.).
- Gaelic Heartland: Immerse yourself in the only Gàidhealtachd outside of Scotland, where culture still informs everyday life.
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Ideal Students
- This program is ideal for those seeking a richer learning experience, eager for self-growth and strong bonds with peers and community, and expanding a decolonized worldview through culture, history, and language.
- It is available for credit (for students graduating high school or other) or for personal development.
- Students wanting to build language skills can continue directly into An Cùrsa Bogaidh, a second-year, university-level Gaelic language immersion program held at Colaisde na Gàidhlig annually in May.
Curriculum
Program at a Glance
- First-year, university accredited, full-time (30 credit hours) program
- Four consecutive 6-week modules: History, Music & Dance, Folklore, and Literature of The Gael
- Each course travels through time, from pre-history through to the present day
- Gaelic language content is built into each course, but no knowledge of Gaelic is required
- Texts assigned as reading material but no prescribed “textbooks”
- A simultaneous year-long course in the Scottish Gaelic language
- Takes place in newly renovated, historical and educationally significant Beinn Mhàbu
- Geared towards giving students the best possible foundation for their university career while exploring the Gaels through their history, literature, folklore, music, dance, language, and surrounding worldviews.
- Up to $8500 is available in student bursaries for those that apply before June 15, 2023.
Courses
History of the Gael
September – October 2023
This course brings students on a journey through time, from the Celtic tribes of Central Europe before the Roman conquest through to the present day in Nova Scotia. The course is divided into three sections with the first focusing on early Celtic history through to the establishment of the Lordship of the Isles. The second section will delve into this “peak” time in Gaelic history and the series of historical events that shaped it after it, through to the Battle of Culloden. The final section will take a close look at the Highland Clearances and the economic factors associated with them, the establishment of new Gaidhealtachdan (Gaelic-speaking areas) in North America and elsewhere, and the ensuing decline and more recent revitalization of Gaelic, with a focus on Nova Scotia.
Music & Dance of the Gael
October - December 2023
Students will gain an understanding of Gaelic music and dance, their defining characteristics in the present day, and how they have developed through time, individually and in tandem. Students will study the impact of key historical events and social influences on these traditions, as well as the culturally significant features of these traditions as they exist today. Students will build appreciation for these cultural expressions and an ability to learn more about them by developing research and analytical skills, and by being introduced to resources (print/digital) and community-based experiences (in a community where Gaelic music and dance are a community cornerstone).
Folklore of the Gael
January – February 2024
This course develops a deep perspective on the folklore of the Scottish Gael. It explores a variety of collections specific to certain regions, times, and collectors, and of the cultural meanings and functions of (particularly verbal and customary) folklore through textual, comparative, and contextual methods. This course provides a focus on the work of specific collectors through the years and special attention is given to traveling motifs that cross geographical boundaries and adapt to global contexts, especially with regards to the settlement and growth of Gaelic communities in Nova Scotia.
Literature of the Gael
February - April 2024
This course traces the historical development of written Gaelic literature from its earliest records to the present day, focusing on three areas: the middle and classic eras up to 1780 CE, Gaelic literature globally since the 1780s, and Gaelic literature in Nova Scotia since the 1780s. This course explores the relationship between literature and its historical and cultural contexts and emphasizes reading, research, and writing. All texts in this course are English translations.
Gaelic Language
September 2023 - April 2024
Gaelic I and II with Colaisde na Gàidhlig is an introductory Gaelic course designed to introduce students to the language and associated cultural history, with an emphasis on the living language as it is spoken in Nova Scotia and in Scotland, with an emphasis on the various dialects spoken on Cape Breton Island. Students will acquire conversational Gaelic through immersive and experiential learning environments, speaking and listening exercises and lessons in cultural knowledge and history. Students will be expected to complete oral, listening and written assignments and post their work on the class moodle.