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Registration Information

Registration Information for Masters and Graduate Diploma Students

Below you'll find some helpful information about Registration and choosing your modules.

You should also take a close look at this helpful Guide to Registration here

The last step of your application process is to send in an original transcript of your academic results.

All incoming students have a ‘hold’ on their records pending the verification of documentation

Please read the information contained in the above link carefully to understand what is required of you.

Queries regarding document verification should be directed to the Student Desk

You will need to register online before you can begin your graduate studies. Registration allows you to obtain your Student Card (UCARD) and gain access to the wide range of facilities available to our students.

You can find a helpful Guide to Registration here

Online registration for 2023/24 will open for you from Friday, 16th August 2024 onwards. You will be allocated an individual Start Date and Start Time, which will be sent to your UCD Connect email address. To access UCD Connect email, you will need to go to www.ucd.ie/connect and click on the Mail icon. Enter your username (UCD student number) and your password (Date of Birth in ddmmyy format).

Once online registration is open for you, please confirm your registration for 2024/25 by logging into SisWeb, agree to the Terms and Conditions and click on the My Registration button in (opens in a new window)SISWeb and confirm your registration.

All graduate students must go online to confirm their registration to their programme. This is a formal requirement for all students at all levels.

 

Accessing Registration

To access online registration, go to UCD Connect and click on the SISWeb icon. Enter your UCD Connect username and password when asked.

  •       Your username is your UCD Student number.
  •       If you created a SISWeb password during the application process, please use that to log in. Otherwise, your password is your date of birth (in the format ddmmyy). For your own security, make sure you change that password by using the (opens in a new window)Change Password tool in UCD Connect.

Your UCD Connect account will be available 48 hours in advance of online registration. Brightspace access will be available within 24 hours of registering to your programme.

If you want assistance with Document verification, have a fee query, or if you are having trouble accessing your UCD Connect Account or email, please contact the Student Desk.

If you are having issues with module registration, please contact the SPIRe Graduate Team at (opens in a new window)graduatespire@ucd.ie When doing so, please provide the following information:

  • Your Name and Student Number
  • Your Programme (e.g. MSc Human Rights)
  • Relevant module Names and Codes

We ask that all registration queries are sent in via email only. This is a busy time of year but we endeavour to reply to everyone as soon as possible.

Please find a step by step guide to registration for support.

Registration begins from 16th August and all students are allocated a Start Time

Where can I check my Start Time?

Once you are allocated your Start Time you will see it on the Your Start Time for Registration page in your SISWeb. You will also receive an automated email to your UCD Connect account confirming your Start Time. Once the Online Registration system opens you will be able to see your Start Time on the My Registration page.


What is the duration of my Start Time?

Start Times are open-ended so you can begin your registration at any stage from the date/time confirmed in your email. Do try to start your registration as soon as possible to give yourself the best chance of getting the modules you want.


What are the advantages of having a Start Time?

You will know exactly what date/time you may start module registration from (no getting up at 5:30 am to see if the system is open). You will also have the convenience of being able to do all parts of your registration, including picking Electives (where available), in one go if you wish.

Full-Time Students

Please check the course structure to see the core modules you should be registered for. You should be enrolled on your core modules automatically, however, in some cases, you have a choice between 2 or more cores. 

Overall, you will take 60 credits of modules, plus a 30 credit thesis or internship. This usually means you take six 10 credit modules - a mixture of both core and optional.


The majority of students take 30 credits in Autumn Trimester and 30 credits in Spring Trimester (with the 30 credit thesis/internship in Summer Trimester). You can, however, split your credits 40/20 between the autumn/spring trimesters if you wish.

You cannot take more than 90 credits total including your thesis/internship. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure they have registered correctly and enrolled on the necessary core modules.

If you are unsure if you have correctly registered, or need assistance, the SPIRe Graduate team are happy to help. Contact them on (opens in a new window)graduatespire@ucd.ie


Part time students

For part-time students, much of the enrolment process is the same as the above. The main difference is that part-time students are not automatically enrolled to the core modules, as they can choose which year to study these in. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that they are enrolled for these core modules. We recommend that you take as many core modules as possible in Year 1, with the exception of Research Design, which should be taken in the year you complete your thesis/internship (generally Year 2).

The majority of students take 30 credits in Year 1 and 30 credits in Year 2 (with the 30 credit thesis/internship in Summer Trimester of Year 2). You can however split your credits between the trimesters/years in whichever way you wish, providing full flexibility for our part-time students.

You cannot take more that 90 credits total including your thesis/internship. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure they have registered correctly and enrolled on  the necessary core modules.

If you are unsure if you have correctly registered, or need assistance, the SPIRe Graduate team are happy to help. Contact them on (opens in a new window)graduatespire@ucd.ie


Graduate Diploma Students
Graduate Diploma students also must register themselves to the core modules.  The information above applies to all Grad Dip students, with the exception of that relating to thesis/internship.

If you wish in the future to transfer to a Master's course, please see here for our policy on this.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you are registered for the core modules of the Master's you are hoping to transfer to. If you need help with this, please contact the Graduate SPIRE Team at (opens in a new window)graduatespire@ucd.ie


Hours Per Week

Each module will be 2 hours of teaching time per week, generally sometime between 9am-6pm Mon-Friday

If it is a core module for your course, please contact the SPIRe Graduate Team Team at (opens in a new window)graduatespire@ucd.ie and they will ensure you are enrolled correctly.

If an optional module is appearing as full, you should keep checking on a daily basis. Online module registration closes on 20th September and many students pick up and drop modules up until the deadline  as places often become available. Please do not contact the module coordinator or the admin office, in relation to registering to a full option module - the school does not operate a waitlist policy.

Unfortunately, there will be instances when your first preferences for optional modules cannot accommodate you. We cannot guarantee you a space on any optional module.

If you would like to try out a different module in the first two weeks or attend a module without credit, you can audit it. To do this, you first need the permission of the module coordinator of the module to ensure there is room for you in the class. Once you have this permission, please forward it to the SPIRe Graduate Team at (opens in a new window)graduatespire@ucd.ie and they will register you to audit.

If you want assistance with Document verification, have a fee query, or if you are having trouble accessing your UCD Connect Account or email, please contact the Student Desk.

If you are having issues with module registration, please contact the SPIRe Graduate Team at (opens in a new window)graduatespire@ucd.ie When doing so, please provide the following information:

  • Your Name and Student Number
  • Your Programme (ie. MSc Human Rights)
  • Relevant module Names and Codes

We ask that all registration queries are sent in via email only. This is a busy time of year, however, we endeavour to reply to everyone as soon as possible.

Please find a step by step guide to registration for support.

An in-person orientation event for SPIRe Masters and Graduate Diploma students will take place the week of 9 September. An email will be circulated when the date has been finalised.

Individual programme orientations will also be arranged by the Programme Directors, who will contact you in due course.

Please see some information about general orientation across the university:  

Information on the fee schedule for your programme can be found here

There are a number of methods by which your fees can be paid. All of these methods are detailed here

Fees are paid in three installments, in Sept, May, and Jan.

You can see the exact payment deadlines here. The first instalment deadline is 8th Sept 2024

UCD School of Politics and International Relations (SPIRe)

School Office: G301, Newman Building, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.