Education - Research

The School has approximately 80 students in research across our structured PhD and D.Ed. programmes. The School plays a leading role in educational research in Ireland and has also developed a strong international profile. Our research covers a wide range of areas including: policy and practice in primary and post-primary education; higher education policy; inclusion in education; STEM, language, arts and music education; technology and innovation in education.



The School has a thriving and vibrant research culture organised around two College research centres and four research groups. The two research centres are:



The Cultures, Academic Values in Education (CAVE) research centre focuses on the area of higher education both nationally and internationally.



The Centre for Research in Information Technology in Education (CRITE) is a collaborative initiative between the School of Education and the School of Computer Science and Statistics.

The four research groups are:



Inclusion in Education and Society (IES) has a high profile in special needs education, psychology of aggression and prejudices and related fields.



Research in School Education (RISE) focuses on teaching, learning and assessment in primary and post-primary education, exploring areas such as learning environments, reform of Junior Cycle, and the work of Lev Vygotsky.



The Arts Education Research Group (AERG), has a focus on music, drama and arts education.



The Science & Society Research Group explores the relationship between science and society through a number of complementary research areas such as citizen science, informal learning, science communication, public en

gagement, and higher education science.



The School has, for a number of years, been highly active in offering a programme of events ranging from workshops, lunchtime and one-day research seminars to international conferences which, alongside its publications, has helped establish the School as the leading centre for educational research in Ireland.

September 2025 Entry

PhD in Education - Part-Time 31/Jul/2025

PhD in Education - Full-Time 31/Jul/2025



Deadlines for application for admission to the Ph.D. register in September 2025:



30th April 2025 for candidates who wish to be considered for the award of a School or Faculty scholarships.



31st July 2025 for standard admission in September 2025.



A full application including all necessary supplementary documentation is required by the deadline date for the application to be considered by the applications committee. Incomplete applications will not be considered.



Scholarships are available – please visit our website for more information. (www.tcd.ie/education )



The next intake for the Professional Doctorate in Education (DEd) will be in September 2025. Applications can be made from October 2024 onwards. For further information please see the School of Education webpages



In exceptional circumstances it may be possible to register retrospectively. Applicants wishing to be considered for retrospective admission should contact the Graduate Studies Office by emailing research.admissions@tcd.ie

Next Intake: September 2025

School Description:


The School has approximately 80 students in research across our structured PhD and D.Ed. programmes. The School plays a leading role in educational research in Ireland and has also developed a strong international profile. Our research covers a wide range of areas including: policy and practice in primary and post-primary education; higher education policy; inclusion in education; STEM, language, arts and music education; technology and innovation in education.


The School has a thriving and vibrant research culture organised around two College research centres and four research groups. The two research centres are:


•The Cultures, Academic Values in Education (CAVE) research centre focuses on the area of higher education both nationally and internationally.


•The Centre for Research in Information Technology in Education (CRITE) is a collaborative initiative between the School of Education and the School of Computer Science and Statistics.


The four research groups are:


•Inclusion in Education and Society (IES) has a high profile in special needs education, psychology of aggression and prejudices and related fields.


•Research in School Education (RISE) focuses on teaching, learning and assessment in primary and post-primary education, exploring areas such as learning environments, reform of Junior Cycle, and the work of Lev Vygotsky.


•The Arts Education Research Group (AERG), has a focus on music, drama and arts education.


•Science, Technology, Engineering Mathematics: Education, Research and Communication (STEM­_ERC) is developing a research agenda in the area of STEM learning, both formal and informal across all sectors of education.


The School has, for a number of years, been highly active in offering a programme of events ranging from workshops, lunchtime and one-day research seminars to international conferences which, alongside its publications, has helped establish the School as the leading centre for educational research in Ireland.