PhD

Entry Requirements

To be eligible for consideration to enter on a course of study and research for the Degree of PhD, a candidate must have obtained a standard of at least Second Class Honours, Grade I, in an approved primary degree, or equivalent

In the case of the College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences suitably qualified candidates (1H or 2H1) may, with the permission of the Head of Department and relevant academic bodies, register on a PhD track (i.e. provisional registration for a PhD) in the first instance. Students will be subject to a review within 12 to 18 months from the date of registration and will be required to demonstrate progress in the form of 10,000 words minimum written work, as well as defending their work at interview. Students may then, on the recommendation of the Head of Department, Supervisor and the approval for the College/Faculty transfer to the PhD. Appropriate Masters' graduates with at least Second Class Honours can also apply for direct entry to a PhD.

In the case of the Faculty of Law, candidates Suitably qualified candidates may be accepted onto the PhD course on submission of a detailed research proposal. To be eligible for the Degree of PhD, “a candidate must have obtained a standard of at least Second Class Honours, Grade 1, in an approved primary degree, or presented such other evidence as will satisfy the Faculty of his/her fitness.” Candidates intending to pursue the PhD Degree are required to register in the first instance on a PhD track (i.e. provisional registration for a PhD). Such students will be subject to a review within 12 to 18 months (or pro rata for part-time students) from the date of registration and will be required to demonstrate progress in the form of a minimum of 10,000 words of written work, as well as being required to make an oral presentation on their work and/or defend their work at interview. Students who have successfully passed the review may,then, subject to approval, transfer to the PhD. Acceptance onto the PhD is conditional upon the availability of suitable supervision within the department.

Application Procedure

Students are advised to consult with the relevant Head of Department/Proposed Supervisor to discuss their proposed area of research prior to making an application through the Postgraduate Applications Centre. In the case of the research courses offered through the Faculties of Arts, Commerce, and Medicine, a typed research proposal (1,500 words approx) must be included with the Postgraduate Studies Application form. In the case of the Faculty of Law, a detailed research proposal is required for all applications.

For more information on the Academic Departments in University College Cork and particular research interests, please visit the Schools & Departments page.

Application Dates

Applications for PhD courses are accepted throughout the year. Prospective students are advised to complete their applications at least two months in advance of their desired start date as all applications go through two different stages of approval - Department and Faculty/College. The four start dates during the year are January, April, July and October. In the Faculty of Law, all applicants for PhD or LLM by Research full-time or part-time for a September 2011 start must apply by the closing date fo 30th June 2011.

Duration

Candidates normally pursue research for a period of three years full-time from the date of first registration for the course.

Further Information

For further details on the application procedure see our Application Procedure for Research Courses page.

Further Information on Particular PhD courses

PhD (Business Information Systems)
PhD (Digital Arts Humanities)
PhD (Management and Marketing)
Cohort PhD in Education (Structured)
PhD Social Science (Grep)
PhD in Texts, Contexts and Cultures
Phd in Sociology
Phd in Sociolgy and Philosophy

For detailed information on regulations for UCC research courses see http://www.ucc.ie/academic/postgraduate/calendar/.