2009/2010

PhD (SOCIAL SCIENCES)

The PhD (Social Sciences) is a full-time taught programme running over 48 months from the date of first registration and offered on an inter-institutional basis. It has been devised in light of the strategic objective identified by the Irish Government for higher output of PhD graduates in the university sector.

The programme allows candidates to study across several institutions and gain access to specialist knowledge and skills through innovative approaches to teaching and learning via ICT platforms, specialist summer schools/winter schools, and intensive seminars with national experts and international figures drawn from across the social sciences.

Programme Requirements
The PhD (Social Science) comprises three parts taken over a total of four years. Part I and Part II are taken over one year each respectively. Part III is taken over two years. Progression is through credit accumulation up to a total of 360 credits. Assessment will take the form of continuous assignments and completion of a major research dissertation not exceeding 80,000 words. In approved cases submission of a designated number of extended articles of publishable quality may be accepted in place of the major research dissertation. At the discretion of the academic directors and supervisors modules may be substituted by equivalent modules, including generic skills training modules in order to develop Personal Educational Plans that reflect individual students needs, and to access modules offered in partner institutions, as per 4th level Ireland policy.

Students take 360 credits as follows:

Part I - Year 1
Students take 90 credits as follows:
GV7103 Methods and Policy (10 credits)
SC7101 Idioms of Social Science (10 credits)
SC7104 Application of Sociology to Policy (10 credits)
SC7105 Quantitative Methods (10 credits)
SS7105 Paradigms of Social Research (10 credits)
SS7101 Qualitative Methods (10 credits)
Students will also undertake work on the dissertation to the value of 30 credits during Year 1 which will be formally assessed in Part III of the programme.

Part II - Year 2
Students take 90 credits as follows:
GV7104 Workshop in Methods and Thesis Substantiation (10 credits)
SC7106 Workshop on Paradigms and Thesis Definition (10 credits)
SS7106 Workshop in Theory and Thesis Construction (10 credits)
Students will also undertake work on the dissertation to the value of 60 credits during Year 2 which will be formally assessed in Part III of the programme.

Part III - Years 3 and 4
Students complete the final 180 credits of the research work over the final two years of the Programme and present a dissertation of not more than 80,000 words.

Module descriptions are contained in the Book of Modules 2009/2010.

Examinations
Full details and regulations governing Examinations for each programme will be contained in the Marks and Standards 2010 Book and for each module in the Book of Modules 2009/2010.

See also under the General Regulations for PhD Degree.

MSocSc (Social Research)
In exceptional circumstances, and with the permission of the Head of relevant Department and Academic Director of the programme, and the College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences, a candidate may be awarded the degree of MSocSc (Social Research) provided he/she has sucessfully completed the requirements of Parts I and II of the programme.

Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

• Contribute to the development of, and engage with, Irish society and the public sphere through high-level debate on, and engagement with, contemporary socio-economic issues based on advanced research-based, critical knowledge;
• Act as world class social researchers in a variety of settings, including, but not limited to, the Academy, civil society organisations, statutory agencies, market and social economy organisations;
• Act as critically informed leaders or policy analysts in civil society, statutory, market or social economy organisations;
• Undertake, commission or promote significant research and policy assessments with the goal of the common good;
• Demonstrate doctoral level proficiency in the fundamentals of advanced social science that will enable them to teach basic and advanced social science courses, including methodology and particular subject-specific social scientific courses within distinct areas of sociology, social policy, applied social studies, government, politics and cognate disciplines;
• Demonstrate proficiency in social science theory and theory-building in order to develop original contributions to social theory commensurate with the highest international academic standards;
• Demonstrate knowledge of, and utilise in social research and critical debate, both classical and contemporary social theory commensurate with the highest international academic standards;
• Demonstrate doctoral level knowledge of the epistemological and ontological foundations underpinning social research, and utilise these to develop social research and social theory commensurate with the highest international academic standards.