Overview

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 Doctoral 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 additional postgraduate modules (in SPIRe, the College of Human Sciences, and in neighbouring institutions) in order to deepen their substantive knowledge and/or methodological skills.

Careers

The Politics and International Relations programme of the University College Dublin is designed for all those whose career plans require a capacity for independent and rigorous research, a broad understanding of political structures and processes, and expertise in a particular area of political analysis.

Programme Structure

Curriculum:

SPIRe PhD students in Politics and International Relations must complete 60 credits of coursework, at least 40 of which should be completed by the time of the transfer to Stage II, which takes place within 12-18 months on the program.

Of these 60 credits, 30 will be devoted to required methodologically oriented courses, one on research design, one on quantitative methods, and one on qualitative methods; 10 will be reserved for a third year PhD Thesis Workshop.

The remaining 20 required credits (and any additional credits beyond 60) can be filled with modules/courses selected in consultation with your supervisor.

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 36 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2026-09-07 00:00:00

Application deadline not specified.

Language

English

Duolingo English Test

120

Take A Free Practice Test!

TOEFL^® IBT

90

Schedule TOEFL®

OTE

140

IELTS

6.5

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Credits

50 ECTS

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Dublin, Ireland

Disciplines

International Relations Political Science

Join for free or log in to access our complete career info list.

Academic requirements

We are not aware of any specific GRE, GMAT or GPA grading score requirements for this programme.

English requirements

Duolingo English Test

120

Take A Free Practice Test!

TOEFL^® IBT

90

Schedule TOEFL®

OTE

140

IELTS

6.5

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

Application Form

Cover letter, stating reasons for interest in SPIRe programme

Thesis proposal (3-5 pages maximum)

Copies of all Academic Transcripts (undergraduate and postgraduate)

C.V. or Resume (2 pages maximum)

Evidence of English language competence

Two academic references (Actual letters, on headed institutional paper, required. If sent by email, they should be from an institutional email address. SPIRe reserves the right to verify all references.

Student Insurance via Studyportals Partner

Make sure to cover your health, travel, and stay while studying abroad. Even global coverages can miss important items like Additional medical costs, Repatriation, Liability etc. Make sure your student insurance covers your needs.

Studyportals partnered with Aon to provide you with the best affordable student insurance, for a carefree experience away from home.

Get your student insurance now

Starting from €0.53/day, free cancellation any time.

Remember, countries and universities may have specific insurance requirements. To learn more about how student insurance work at University College Dublin and/or in Ireland, please visit Student Insurance Portal.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

13730 EUR / year

≈ 13730 EUR / year
EU/EEA Applies to you

Applies to you

EU/EEA Nationals

7130 EUR / year

≈ 7130 EUR / year

Living costs

Dublin

Ireland

1100 - 1800 EUR / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

In order for us to give you accurate scholarship information, we ask that you please confirm a few details and create an account with us.

Loading

Scholarships Information

Below you will find PhD's scholarship opportunities for Politics and International Relations.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

About

Overview

Careers

Programme Structure

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Credits

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Student Insurance via Studyportals Partner

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

EU/EEA Applies to you

Living costs

Dublin

Funding

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

Our partners