Doctoral Studies (PhD)

Find out what you need to apply for the PhD programme at the Centre for Doctoral Studies, UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School

Entry requirements

You must have one of the following:
- A minimum 2.1 primary degree in Commerce or Business Studies
- A minimum 2.1 degree in a subject closely related to your proposed area of study
- An appropriate Masters degree (or equivalent) from a recognised higher education institution
- Evidence of academic standing and/or relevant professional experience that will satisfy the College Graduate School Board of your suitability for doctoral studies
A research proposal (approximately 1000 words). This should:
- State the topic of your doctoral research
- Set out the nature, scope and methodology of the study
- Give details of the relevance or importance of the research topic
- Include a brief preliminary literature review.
Two references from those who can assess your intellectual ability, maturity and motivation.
If English is not your native language (unless you have done your primary degree through English), an English language qualification is required, e.g. IELTS/TOEFL:
- IELTS: An overall score of 6.5, with a minimum of 6 in each section.
- TOEFL: A minimum of 100 on the internet-based test, 250 on the computer based test or 600 on the paper-based test.
A Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) score may be requested for some PhD studies - where applicable, you will be advised accordingly.