English - Structured

As part of the doctoral training available on the Structured PhD programme, students avail themselves of a range of interdisciplinary taught modules. The wide menu of available options include modules that:



are discipline-specific in that they augment the student’s existing knowledge in their specialist area



are dissertation-specific in that they supply core skills which are essential to completion of the research project, e.g., additional language skills



acknowledge a student’s professional development, e.g., presentation of a paper at an international conference



enhance a student’s employability through generic training, e.g., careers workshops, computer literacy.



Each student is assigned a primary Supervisor(s) and a Graduate Research Committee made up of experienced researchers to plan their programme of study and to provide on-going support to their research.



A PhD dissertation should make a substantial and original contribution to its field of knowledge. The PhD degree is awarded for work that is 'worthy of publication, in whole or in part, as a work of serious scholarship' ( University of Galway Calendar). The length of the dissertation in English is normally 60,000 to 80,000 words. The duration of research is usually four years.

The minimum qualification necessary to be considered for admission to the PhD programme is a high honours, primary degree (or equivalent international qualification), or 'other such evidence as will satisfy the Head of Department and the Faculty of his/her fitness' (University of Galway Calendar). It is more usual, however, for successful applicants to have already gained a Master's degree.

Important: apply by mid-July for September entry

Applications are made online via the University of Galway Postgraduate Applications System.

Structured PhD (English)—full-time, 4 years.

Structured PhD (English)—part-time, 6 years.