PhD Programme

Sociology offers the opportunity for research students to enter our PhD programme. Our programme is designed to produce rigorously trained, widely-read and well-rounded sociologists, able to take their place in the forefront of the profession.

Trinity College Dublin has awarded doctorates to over 60 sociology students. Graduates of the programme are eagerly sought after and most have gone on to secure full-time positions in prestigious universities. 

A significant number of entrants to the programme are graduates from Irish universities, yet the programme has also attracted students from all over the world. Graduates, or current students, have come from Ireland, Italy, the USA, Poland, Germany, the UK, South Africa, Israel and Palestine, to name just a few. This international mix adds a positive and exciting dimension to the life of the Department. Our four year doctoral programme is designed to give students the highest level of training to become scholars at the forefront of the discipline.

In the first year students attend a module in quantitative and qualitative social research methods, the PhD Skills Suite, the Sociology Research Seminar Series and the PhD workshop. In the second, third and fourth years of the PhD programme, students attend one methodological/theoretical workshop in their area of interest or one module from the Innovation Academy. They also present their work in progress within the PhD workshop.

There is a departmental seminar series which includes participation and attendance by postgraduate students. A thriving informal community among postgraduates and proximity to cultural and social resources in the centre of Dublin provides support and companionship for the demanding process of completing a PhD. 

Our staff members have research interests in a variety of areas within Sociology and we advise prospective students to take the time to explore our website to find out more.