Management and Marketing

The Application Process

All EU applicants to UCC postgraduate programmes must now apply on-line via the national Postgraduate Application Centre website (http://www.pac.ie).

Non-EU applicants should complete an application form available at http://www.ucc.ie/international (Select “Postgrad Application” under the “Full Degree Students” pull-down menu).

The Postgrad Calendar is accessible at http://www.ucc.ie/calendar/postgraduate

As well as the documentation specified by Postgraduate Admissions, you must also send:

• a letter of application outlining your academic background and your reasons for pursuing postgraduate studies in management and marketing.
• a sample of written work (e.g. a final year undergraduate essay or individual project).
• a research proposal (Guidelines on what you should include and avoid in your research proposal are available below).

We accept applications for the MSc/MComm and PhD at any time during the year.   Prospective applicants may be invited for interview.. 

Preparing your Research proposal - PhD

The purpose of the research proposal is to help us judge how well you understand the research process.   Please remember that the proposal is only one element in the overall application process.

The proposal should be between 1500 and 2500 words.  A full research proposal is often structured along the following lines and this might help you compose your own proposal:

(i)  Title

This should be a one-line summary of your research project.   It should be more specific than simply identifying your proposed research area.

(ii)  Overview

This should be a brief abstract of the general topic of study and the discipline(s) within which the topic falls.   Please state how your own background gives you competencies to research the topic.

 ( iii) Identify the relevant literature

You should demonstrate some awareness of the debates and questions raised in the various literatures pertaining to the topic.  Please refer to key articles and texts to show that you appreciate their relevance to your research topic.   You should also address why the topic continues to be interesting within the literature.  

(iv)  Key research questions

Summarise your specific question.   Remember that you need to demonstrate:

(a)  that the question is interesting;

(b)  that the answer isn't obvious;

(c)  that the research project is viable within the normal time period for a PhD/MSc.

(v)  Methodology

You should show that you are aware of the methodological tools available to you and show some understanding of which is most suited to your specific research question.   You should demonstrate why, from the large range of available methods, a particular method (or methods) is best.

(vi)  Timescale/research planning

You need to demonstrate an awareness of the need for planning and the timescale of the research.

Preparing your Research proposal – MSc and PhD Track

If you are applying for the MSc or PhD Track then it is not necessary to have a research project fully scoped out.  In particular, we would not expect (or wish to see) a decision on research methodology at this stage.   Thus, the research proposal should be no more than 500 words and should simply outline your preferred research question, and why you feel it is worth investigating. 

It is important to remember that your research proposal might not relate to your actual research project, since the proposal’s function is solely to assist us in adjudicating your potential to carry out research.  We very much appreciate that you might not have the opportunity or time to develop a clear idea of what you would like to research at this stage.  Please remember that the proposal is only one element in the overall application process.

The Graduate Studies Office website also contains information which may be of help to you in your application:  http://www.ucc.ie/en/study/postgrad/