Skip to main content

Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin

Trinity Menu Trinity Search

Academic Affairs, Trinity Teaching and Learning

You are here Postgraduate Education

Postgraduate Course Proposals

Academic Affairs will provide guidance, support and information on the development of the course proposal, including access to the relevant course proposal template.

Schools/disciplines considering developing a new programme should contact Ewa Sadowska in Academic Affairs (esdowska@tcd.ie) (with a copy sent to pgcourseproposals@tcd.ie), with the Expression of Interest Form attached, to arrange to discuss the proposed programme.

Quick Links


Programme Approval Process

The new two-stage postgraduate programme approval process is captured in the graphic below. It is being introduced on a pilot basis from January 2024.



A resource providing additional information on the new two-stage process is available here.

Back to top

Timeline of Approval Process

Postgraduate Course Proposal Timeline of Approval Process

The following timeline should be taken into consideration when developing a new course proposal.



Back to top

Submission Dates for 2023/24

Submission dates agreed by GSC in 2023/24 for GSC consideration of course proposals in 2023/24 are as follows:

GSC 12 October 2023

Submission of final draft of course proposal to Academic Affairs (3 weeks prior to GSC meeting – 21 September 2023)

Development of course proposal - timeline:

  • • 31 June 2023 (at least 15 weeks before GSC) – initial contact with Academic Affairs
  • • 20 July 2023 (12 weeks before GSC) – 1st draft submitted to Academic Affairs
  • • 7 September 2023 (5 weeks before GSC) – changes made as necessary

    • GSC 9 November 2023

    Submission of final draft of course proposal to Academic Affairs (3 weeks prior to GSC meeting – 19 October 2023)

    Development of course proposal - timeline:

  • • 17 August 2023 (at least 12 weeks before GSC) – initial contact with Academic Affairs
  • • 14 September 2023 (8 weeks before GSC) – 1st draft submitted to Academic Affairs
  • • 5 October 2023 (5 weeks before GSC) – changes made as necessary

    • GSC 25 January 2024

    Submission of final draft of course proposal to Academic Affairs (3 weeks prior to GSC meeting – 5 January 2024)

    Development of course proposal - timeline:

  • • 5 October 2023 (at least 16 weeks before GSC) – initial contact with Academic Affairs
  • • 2 November 2023 (12 weeks before GSC) – 1st draft submitted to Academic Affairs
  • • 14 December 2023 (6 weeks before GSC) – changes made as necessary

    • GSC 22 February 2024

    Submission of final draft of course proposal to Academic Affairs (3 weeks prior to GSC meeting – 2 February 2024)

    Development of course proposal - timeline:

  • • 9 November 2023 (at least 15 weeks before GSC) – initial contact with Academic Affairs
  • • 14 December 2023 (10 weeks before GSC) – 1st draft submitted to Academic Affairs
  • • 25 January 2024 (4 weeks before GSC) – changes made as necessary

    • Any course proposals initiated in January 2024 will fall under the new two-step process and may be considered at the April meeting of GSC. Submission timelines for the GSC meeting in April 2024 for course proposals falling under the new process will be published in due course. If a draft course proposal has been presented to Academic Affairs for review prior to January 2024 it can be considered at the April meeting in certain circumstances.

    GSC 25 April 2024 (exceptional circumstances)

    Submission of final draft of course proposal to Academic Affairs (3 weeks prior to GSC meeting – 4 April 2023)


    The document presented to GSC can be accessed here.

    Back to top