How to Apply

Undergraduates

How you apply will depend on whether you are a school leaver, a mature student, or a visiting student. It will also depend on whether you are an EU or non-EU citizen. For further information, contact the Admissions Office.

Postgraduates

Formal application is made through the Graduate Studies Office but applicants are advised to liaise informally with the School at an earlier stage with a view to discerning whether there is a promising match between the applicant, the research topic, and the School's strengths. Before making formal application, the prospective student must ensure that the School has already agreed to provide supervision.

In making their application, students who are not graduates of TCD should submit a sample of written work.

No closing date applies for application for degrees by research only.

Successful applicants will normally possess a high second or first class honors degree in a relevant field.

However, suitable candidates who do not have the degree normally required for entry, or who have been absent from academic study for a considerable period, may be admitted on probation for one year. During this time they may be required to take a selection of sophister (third and fourth year) undergraduate courses. Final admission will then depend on performance in the end-of-year examinations.

All successful applicants are entered onto the M.Litt. register in the first instance. Working closely with their supervisor, M.Litt. students prepare a substantial piece of written work. When this been approved by the supervisor in consultation with the School's Graduate Committee, the student is then transferred to the Ph.D. register. Such transfer normally occurs at the end of the second full year of registration.

Part-time registration is possible, but not normal. Candidates have three years in which to complete their research toward an M.Litt., and five years toward a Ph.D. In special circumstances, extensions or periods off register may be granted by the Dean of Graduate Studies on the recommendation of the Head of School. 

For further information, contact the Graduate Studies Office.

Read about the student Career Options and what graduates of the school have to say.

Contact: jwelch@tcd.ie | Last updated: Nov 16 2012 | Back to top