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PhD/MLitt Application Process

Application Information

If you are thinking about further study, we would like to welcome you to come to speak with us at any time; our staff are actively conducting research, they will share your enthusiasm and will be very happy to help you find a research project. You can view their research interests and see those areas in which they offer supervision here. Both MLitt and PhD degrees involve working with an academic supervisor. She or he will guide you from the early stages of developing a research project to bringing it to conclusion.

Please send an email to(opens in a new window) slclgraduates@ucd.ie should you require further information.

Information on the Structured PhD from the UCD Graduate School can be found here. Specific information to SLCL can be found below. Applicants and SLCL PhD students must adhere to SLCL regulations.

  • Registration periods are at the beginning of: September, January or May. The School strongly recommends entering the programme in September, which is the beginning of the academic year.
  • Applications should be made at least 4-5 months prior to the Registration deadline.
  • Applications are accepted throughout the year and are reviewed on a rolling basis generally until early August.*
  • Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application following an assessment process which takes approximately 2-3 weeks (5-6 weeks during the summer break, June to August).

Please note that incomplete applications will not be considered.

*Non-EU students should apply as early as possible – between January and March, and ideally no later than early May – as most of the scholarship competitions take place between February and April and the issuing of visas may take up to three months, particularly during the summer when there is usually a high volume of applications. For information about funding, please contact the UCD International Office.

Step 1:

To apply you will need to first identify a potential supervisor with similar research interests to yourself in one of these subject areas and then make contact with them about preparing a proposal. Individual staff research profiles may be found on our Research page and through our staff profiles. 

Download the brochure here.

Step 2:

Once you have the agreement of an academic member of staff to support your application, you should complete the application form:

  •  Download the Application Form HERE

The following documents will need to be attached to your submission of the application form:

  • Research Proposal (1000-1500 words)
  • Personal Statement (max 500 words)
  • CV
  • Transcripts
  • English Language Requirements (more information on language requirements and test scores can be found HERE)

In addition to these documents we require two confidential academic references. Please provide the name, position and official address and email address of two academic referees who are acquainted with your academic work a in your application form and who are prepared to write on your behalf. Both references should be submitted directly to (opens in a new window)slclgraduates@ucd.ie by your referees.

Step 3:

Once you submit your application, it will be reviewed by the School Graduate Committee  and then the College Graduate School Board to determine your suitability to take a place on your chosen PhD programme. Your application will be assessed on the basis of your academic qualifications, the alignment of the proposed research with the Schools academic strategy, your personal statement and, where relevant, your English language proficiency as well as the availability of supervisors within the School.

Only when you have been approved by the College Graduate School Board will you be eligible to register to the PhD programme. For this reason it is important that you make your application about 4-5 months prior to your expected start date. You can register for a PhD in UCD in September, January or May, but SLCL recommends a September start.

School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics

University College Dublin Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
T: +353 1 716 8302