Assoc ProfessorMuireann Ní Raghallaigh

I teach across a rangw of modules, primarily on our 2 year Professional Masters in Social Work but also at undergraduate level, including on the Bachelor of Social Science (Social Policy & Sociology) degree. In the 23-24 academic year, Dr. Karen Smith and I developed an interdisciplinary Discovery Module on Refugee Displacement, a module which is offered as an elective across the university, with colleagues from the disciplines of law, nursing, history, social policy, social work and social justice all contributing. I also contribute to the School of Psychology's Discovery module on Childhood. In 2025, I collaborated with the Irish Refugee Council to establish a new microcredential module in Working with People of Refugee Background, the first of its kind in Ireland. The module aims to enhance the knowledge and skills of professionals from across various disciplines who are working with refugees and international protection applicants. 

On the Professional Masters in Social Work I teach both small and large groups, across a range of module including Counselling Social Work Skills, Social Work  Methods, Group Work & Community Work, and Social Justice & Human Rights. I have also coordinated the Research Methods 2 module, which is assessed by a dissertation. Given my social work practice background and my research interests, I particularly enjoy teaching content in relation to cross cultural social work practice. In all of my teaching I place an emphasis on student engagement and always endeavour to facilitate students to engage and participate in class room discussions and activities by creating an open and receptive atmosphere. Due to this interest in student engagement I have undertaken research on the experiences of undergraduate social policy students participating in an introductory social work module, the findings from which were published in Teaching in Higher Education. I have also worked in partnership with students to plan teaching in relation to race, racism and anti racism, with an article on this topic published in Social Work Education in January 2025.
I have also given input for the Department of Applied Social Studies, NUI Maynooth (Bachelor of Social Science) and for the School of Social Work and Social Policy, Trinity College Dublin (on the Masters in Applied Social Research; the Postgraduate Diploma in Child Protection and Welfare & the Bachelor of Social Studies)