SPIRe PhD Programmes
The UCD School of Politics and International Relations (SPIRe) is the oldest and largest school of its kind in the Republic of Ireland. According to the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024, UCD School of Politics and International Relations is ranked in the top 100 in the world.
SPIRe offers three PhD programmes:
- PhD Politics and International Relations (Pol & IR)
The other two thematic programmes are inter-disciplinary in nature and can involve co-supervision with other schools/universities
- PhD Quantitative and Computational Social Science (QCSS)
- PhD Global Human Development (GHD)
All of the above are structured programmes which include (1) extensive training in cutting-edge research methods, (2) regular contact with a Research Studies Panel composed of academic staff with expertise related to the student’s interests, and (3) the writing of a doctoral thesis based on original research.
All programmes are full-time and, with the exception of the GHD programme (which allows for a September or January start), have a September start date.
In general, SPIRe only accepts full-time students.
We can, however, accept part-time students under the following conditions:
- They provide a multi-year commitment from their employer for payment of fees
- They have written agreement from their employer to take time off for taught modules, seminar presentations, etc
Note: SPIRe only accepts students who have a full scholarship or alternative external funding, to include a full fee remission and appropriate living expenses.
Self-funded applicants are not eligible.
PhD Politics and International Relations
This is a structured PhD programme offering training in research methods and coursework in the two subject areas of politics and international relations. Applicants to this programme must have completed and earned a minimum of a 2.1 (GPA: 3.6) grade in a taught Masters (MA, MSc, MLitt, etc.) programme in the area of politics and international relations or a cognate field, and articulate a research interest that fits with the expertise of SPIRe’s academic staff.
All students must designate primary and secondary subjects of specialization within politics and international relations and complete PhD seminars covering each subject's core scholarly literature.
Conditional upon approval by the Research Studies Panel, a student's second subject seminar may be taken in a cognate discipline beyond the School. Students will also take courses in research design, and qualitative and quantitative methods. In addition, students have the option of auditing postgraduate modules (in SPIRe, the College of Social Sciences and Law, and in neighbouring institutions) in order to deepen their substantive knowledge and/or methodological skills.
PhD Quantitative and Computational Social Science
The Quantitative and Computational Social Science (QCSS) programme is built around quantitative and computational social science methods and tools applied to substantive and methodological research questions in the social sciences. The programme brings together the perspectives and research methods of various disciplines such as Economics, Politics, Sociology and Statistics. The QCSS programme provides students with rigorous training in quantitative research and methods, including quantitative text analysis, machine learning, computer vision techniques, agent-based modelling, network analysis, and causal inference. Students will apply these methods in their PhD thesis to answer substantive research questions in Social Sciences.
Students with a quantitative background in any area can undertake the programme. They will undertake various quantitative social science modules offered by the UCD School of Politics and International Relations, the School of Sociology, and the School of Economics. They may also choose modules that are relevant to their own research interest in other UCD Schools.
Successful candidates are invited to join the Connected_Politics Lab, an interdisciplinary hub for researchers using computational methods to study politics and society, the UCD Geary Institute for Public Policy, and/or the (opens in a new window)(opens in a new window)UCD Behavioural Science and Policy group, a centre for research and collaboration on integrating behaviourally-informed ideas into public policy.
PhD Global Human Development
The PhD in Global Human Development (GHD) is a 4 year full time ‘sandwich’ programme offered by UCD. The programme has been developed for government personnel and public servants (such as Higher Education academics, research institutes) mainly in East Africa
PhD students on the programme are required to spend at least one trimester per academic year at UCD. Upon returning to their home country, the candidates are expected to be in regular contact with their local supervisors.
The aim of this programme is to provide graduate research students and supervisors with what is necessary to conduct top class research in the field of development. Students will be provided with the academic and intellectual tools to work on the issues related to the Millennium Development Goals and poverty reduction through their respective core disciplines and place this within real-world experience and research in the developing world.