Overview

The Department of Government and Politics offers a three year PhD, involving in-depth research under the supervision of a member of academic staff. This may be taken full-time over three years or part-time over six years.

Our staff have a wide range of research interests, from political parties and elections, to the European Union and Northern Ireland, to political philosophy and deliberative democracy, to political economy and international conflict, and to gender politics and local government. More information is available on staff members’ individual webpages, available here.

Candidates for the PhD must usually have obtained at least Second Class Honours, Grade I, at a relevant primary degree examination.

The progress of PhD students is monitored by a Graduate Studies Committee, chaired by the PhD Director. Over the course of the academic year, PhD students attend the Department of Government and Politics seminar series, and are required to make at least one presentation of their research to this forum. Methodology seminars are also provided during the year to support the research process. PhD students are treated as members of the Department’s research community and are assigned to one of the Department’s two core research clusters (Irish Politics; International Relations/EU/Political Theory). These clusters meet regularly to discuss research, collaborative projects and funding applications.

From October 2013 all incoming PhD/PhD track students register for a structured PhD. The UCC model of structured PhD education comprises a programme of supportive and developmental elements, with a stated minimum level of 15 credits of coursework and training. In addition, all students are supervised by a supervisory team, or have a sole supervisor and a PhD advisor. In the Team Model there are two or more staff members with responsibility for the direction of the student’s research. In the Advisor Model there is a sole supervisor and an Advisor who provides non-academic support and pastoral care to the student.

For a 3 year PhD, the maximum number of credits that can be undertaken is 30 credits. For a 4 year PhD, the maximum number of credits that can be undertaken is 90 credits.

Applications

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year, but there are four start dates: October, January, April and July.

If you are interested in applying to undertake a PhD in the Department of Government and Politics, you need to submit an application, a central processing point for all applications to read for higher degrees at Irish universities. This application will include a research proposal of approximately 1,500-2,000 words. This document should indicate an area of research interest and a research question/issue to be addressed. In terms of identifying a research interest, applicants are encouraged to consult the web pages of Departmental academic staff and should feel free to contact individual members of the Department for assistance/advice. Applicants are also invited to contact the PhD Programme Director Dr Clodagh Harris (clodagh.harris@ucc.ie) who will likewise be happy to advise on the drafting of research proposals. Please note that the proposal is a starting point and is likely to evolve and change during the course of the PhD programme.

Applicants should consider the following framework or structure when drafting the proposal:

▪   Title

▪   Research question/issue/hypothesis

▪   Research context/background

▪   Previous relevant research and/or literatures

▪   Proposed methodology e.g. desk-based research / interviews / participant-observation / focus groups / surveys, etc

▪   Research plan and timelines

▪   Draft bibliography

Steps in the Application Process:

(1) Contact PhD Director and potential supervisors to discuss draft research proposal/prospective application and inquire about any scholarship opportunities.

(2) Once a member of staff has agreed in principle to supervise your research, apply online through UCC's application system. Applications should be submitted at least three months before the desired start date (October, January, April, or July).

(3) Await decision. Decisions may take up to two months. Once a decision has been reached you will receive an email alert from the Postgraduate Application Centre to check your application status on the ‘My Account’ section of the online application system. It is important that you check your email regularly.

Application for our postgraduate programmes is online at www.ucc.ie/apply. Please check out the closing dates and entry requirements at Courses | University College Cork (ucc.ie) before making your application. The application fee is €50 (for up to two postgraduate programmes). You will be asked to upload documents to support your application as part of the application process. You can upload documents to the application portal once you have submitted your application. If you have any questions on the application process, please contact the Graduate Studies Office/ International Education Office through their web enquiry form.

Further information about the application process can be found at www.ucc.ie/apply, Study Research | University College Cork (ucc.ie) and https://www.ucc.ie/en/cacsss/grads/future_postgrads/research_courses/phds/.

Funding, Fees & Scholarships

Fees for the academic year as a full-time student are €5,770 (Home/EU) or €11,540 (International). PhD students are liable for the full fee for four years. Students registering for a fourth year of study, whose fees are not supported by external funding (e.g. through a government or research grant, or industry contract), may apply for a partial fee waiver.

There are a number of postgraduate scholarships available through UCC. Details of these are provided in the College Calendar: www.ucc.ie/calendar/scholarship/sch004. html

PhD Scholarship: Fee Waiver for Non-EU Nationals

This scholarship consists of a waiver of a portion of the normal fee. Non-EU students can apply for a scholarship on the same application form as for their PhD programme. This can be downloaded from the International Education Office webpage: www.ucc.ie/en/international

Irish Research Council

The Irish Research Council (www.research.ie) operates a suite of interlinked Research Schemes, such as the IRC Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarships and Government of Ireland Post-Doctoral Fellowships which fund research at pre- and post-doctoral levels.

A considerable number of students and staff have been successful in their applications to the IRC. The Graduate Studies Office provides grant preparation sessions on ‘Writing an IRC Postgraduate Scholarship Application’. Drop-in sessions are also provided for students prior to the submission date of the application where they can receive expert advice from academics. Attendance at these workshops and the one-on-one drop-in sessions is highly recommended.

NUI Travelling Studentships

These grants are available to NUI graduates in the Humanities and Social Sciences. For further information see NUI Awards - Travelling Doctoral Studentships | National University of Ireland

Local Authority Grants

Applying to your local authority for a grant is another means of acquiring funding for your postgraduate study, although recent changes in the scheme have meant a reduction in the number of eligible applicants. Please visit the website of your local authority for more information or the Citizens Information Board which provides advice in terms of eligibility for these grants: http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/

Further information about fees and funding is available here: Fees and Funding | University College Cork (ucc.ie).

Postgraduate Handbook

PhD Handbook 2020-2021

Current Students

Graduates