What are the admissions requirements?
Applications are invited from graduates with a degree (normally of a first class or very high 2.1 standard or equivalent). The degree should either (a) in law or (b) in an inter-disciplinary degree in which law was a major component. Holding a masters degree in law will normally enhance considerably an applicant's chances of acceptance on one of our PhD programmes.

Exemption from these requirements may be given to those with significant, relevant, practical experience. Such applicants should state clearly in their application why they feel their qualifications/experiences are appropriate for admission to the programme.

English Language Requirements for the PhD in Law Programme
- Applicants whose first language is not English must submit satisfactory evidence of competence in written and spoken English, i.e. overall IELTS 7.5 (including a minimum of 7 in all bands) or a score of 109 overall in the TOEFL iBT, 27/30 in reading and writing and 23/30 in speaking and listening. The test results must be less than 2 years old.

- International applicants should visit the UCD Global website (www.ucd.ie/global) for information regarding our campus, location of UCD, visa information, registration and orientation.

Please note that admission to the programme is at the discretion of the Graduate Admissions Committee.

Apply Now
Individuals who wish to be considered for enrolment in one of UCD Law School’s PhD programmes are asked to prepare a research proposal. This should include:

1. a statement of the research question the candidate proposes to examine;

2. an outline of the proposed methodology (in other words, an outline of how the applicant proposes to go about their research); and

3. a short literature review. (The idea of this is to place the research within the current state of knowledge in the field in question. It should include a short, indicative, bibliography of works in the field)

There is no maximum length for a research proposal. Normally, it would be at least three or four pages long.

Please note that students who wish to work with a particular academic are advised to state this in their communications.

Please note that you can make your formal application to enrol as a PhD student online through the online UCD application process, at http://www.ucd.ie/apply/

However, in order to help and encourage prospective applicants, the School of Law offers you the option of sending us a draft of your research proposal, before you make your formal application. The PhD management team will review your draft research proposal and provide you with feedback. Academic transcripts should be emailed along with the research proposal

You can then take that feedback into account in making your final application. Further, if a draft research proposal is sent to us, we can also tell you in advance whether there actually is supervisory capacity within the Law School for your proposed programme of research and we can also identify a prospective supervisor.

Once you receive your feedback, you can make any advised revisions to the proposed research proposal, gather all the relevant documentation, and make your formal application through the online UCD application process.

Draft proposals and academic transcripts should be addressed to [email protected].

Start Date: September & January.

This course is typically suited for people with the following Career Interests. If these interests do not describe you, this course may prepare you for work you may not find satisfying.

Investigative

The Investigative person will usually find a particular area of science to be of interest. They are inclined toward intellectual and analytical activities and enjoy observation and theory. They may prefer thought to action, and enjoy the challenge of solving problems with sophiscticated technology. These types prefer mentally stimulating environments and often pay close attention to developments in their chosen field.