Admissions Requirements
In order to be considered for admission, applicants will normally have completed and earned high grades in a taught or research Masters in the areas of law, politics and international relations, or a cognate field, and articulate a research interest that fits with the expertise of an academic staff member in either of the sponsoring schools. (Applicants with a very good primary degree in law will also be considered.) In most cases, applicants to the ELG PhD with prior training in politics, international relations and other social sciences are considered for admission through SPIRe, whilst applicants with prior training in law are considered for admission through the School of Law.

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 6.5 (including a minimum of 6.5 in the reading and writing parts and no part below 6.0) or 90 in the TOEFL iBT (with a minimum of 22 (reading) and 24 (writing) and no part below 20.) The test results must be less than 2 years old.

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

Application Process

Applications cannot be considered until we have received the following documentation:

Thesis proposal (3-5 pages maximum) which indicates a research question and intended methodology and explains how the proposed project relates to existing scholarship in the proposed area of study (with an indicative bibliography)

Copies of all academic transcripts (undergraduate and postgraduate)

C.V. or resume (two pages maximum)

Two academic references: Actual letters required. If sending by email they should be on headed institutional paper.

Evidence of English language competence, where non-native English speaking applicants have NOT obtained previous university degrees from an English-speaking country.

Prospective applicants should submit their materials by email to both Prof. Joseph McMahon ([email protected]) and Dr Alexa Zellentin ([email protected]) explaining their motivation for pursuing the degree and briefly identifying their intended area of research.

Starting 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.