Why undertake MA or PhD study with us at UCC?

• join a thriving community of postgraduate students in the School of Languages, Literatures and Cultures, comprising around 65 MA students and 45 PhD students
• benefit from expert teaching and supervision by internationally leading researchers in the French Department and colleagues in our wider School 
• study in a country where English is spoken but which is also a vibrant young democracy and an enthusiastic member of the EU
• study in Ireland's dynamic second city, Cork: a young, defiantly free-thinking and proudly multicultural European city at the southernmost edge of the island, served by its own airport, just a twenty-minute bus ride from the centre, with excellent connections to mainland Europe, London, the wider UK and beyond
• study on UCC's historic, centrally located and award-winning beautiful green campus on the banks of the River Lee
• as a PhD student, develop your CV by working alongside established researchers and other PhD students in other language areas as part of our School's Centre for interdisciplinary research, including by co-convening a research strand
• join us at UCC, ranked in the top 2% of universities worldwide

What type of Postgraduate degree is right for me? 

• Taught Master’s: if you have completed Undergraduate study in French, graduated with a 2i or First, and would like to follow a programme of taught Master’s-level modules, the School offers a range of taught MA programmes
• Research Master’s (MRes): if you have completed Undergraduate study in French, graduated with a 2i or First, and feel ready to begin a programme of supervised independent research but without committing at this stage to a PhD, you may wish to apply for an MRes in French  (12 months full-time study; 24 months part-time study). This involves being supervised to research and write a dissertation/thesis of 25,000 words and passing a small number of MA-level taught modules to support your research;
• PhD in French: if you have completed Undergraduate study in French, graduated with a 2i or First, and feel ready to undertake a substantial programme of supervised independent research, you may wish to apply for admission to our PhD programme. You will be supervised to research and write a thesis of around 80,000 words over 4 years (full-time) and undertake a number of useful research skills and other taught course to support your research
• If you are unsure which degree is right for you, please email for advice Professor Oliver Davis, Graduate Studies Lead for French

Main sources of funding for MRes and PhD study 

• Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship: open to Irish/EU and International students, supports MRes and PhD study. A competitive application process which usually opens in August and closes in October in the year before you intend to start studying. You must contact us before making an application so that we can guide you through the process.
• CACSSS PhD Excellence Scholarships
• National University of Ireland Travelling Doctoral Studentship :These doctoral studentships are designed to enable students to spend substantial research periods overseas as part of their doctoral studies

How to apply

• If you are interested in MRes or PhD study in French, please email Professor Oliver Davis, Graduate Studies Lead for French. Please include a short CV and a brief description of your topic.
• To apply for a taught MA please follow the instructions on these pages