I need a ‘To Whom It may Concern’ letter’
Use our online form here.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NMH5N36
Please allow 5 working days for the letter.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NMH5N36
Please allow 5 working days for the letter.
I would like a copy of transcripts for my PhD/ MD/ or research masters course?
In relation to research degrees, there are no ‘stereotypical’ transcripts. Proof of award comes in two formats: 1.The parchment you received at graduation. 2. An official letter from the School of Postgraduate studies. If you need to send proof to a company or organisation you can either get an authenticated copy of your parchment by bringing the original into the SARA office or a notary public and asking for an authenticated copy. Or to receive an official letter you can fill in a survey at this link with the details for the letter which we would be happy to send out to you.
How much does it cost to do a Research Masters or PhD or MD?
For up to date information on our fees please see our webpage .
When do I have to pay my Fees?
Fees need to be paid at the start of each academic year in order to complete your registration. You won’t be registered until fees are received by the student fees office.
How much does it cost to do a Research Masters or PhD or MD?
For up to date information on our fees please see our webpage .
Am I eligible for EU or Non-EU fees?
Fee rates for postgraduate students are based on residency not nationality. To qualify for EU fee rates the family of a dependent student (aged under 23) must be resident as taxpayers in an EU member state.
Postgraduate students aged over 23 require evidence of tax liability in an EU member state for three of the five years prior to entering the programme.
A candidate may not defer a place on an RCSI postgraduate course or programme for the purposes of changing their fee status from non-EU to EU.
Do I have to pay my fees before submitting my thesis?
Yes. Your thesis will not be sent out for examination until all your fees are paid. Please check your fee balance with the student fees office before submitting your thesis.
When is the latest I can submit my thesis before paying for another year’s fees?
For October registered students your academic year runs from October 1st – September 30th; You should submit by the end of September to avoid fees for the next academic period.
For April registered students your academic year runs from April 1st – March 31st; You should submit by the end of March to avoid fees for the next academic period.
These days do not guarantee graduation in October or June.
For April registered students your academic year runs from April 1st – March 31st; You should submit by the end of March to avoid fees for the next academic period.
These days do not guarantee graduation in October or June.
If I miss my deadline, do I need to pay a full year’s fees?
No. if arranged in advance fees can be charged for 1/4 year or half year based on your submission date.
If I submit in September I will graduate in November, won’t I?
Unfortunately it is unlikely that the examination of your thesis, plus corrections etc will be finished in time to make the NUI exam board meeting in October – which is a must to graduate in November.
How long does it take to examine a thesis?
PhD – On average 12-16 weeks: 1 week to process thesis in school; 6-8 weeks thesis examination by examiners; Viva Voce exam usually takes place 2 or 3 weeks after the thesis examination; 4 weeks on average for corrections (but this could be up to 12 months) ; 1-2 weeks for the approval of minor corrections (this depends on the examiner’s schedule/ availability at the time of re-submission); 4 weeks to submit hard-bound thesis.
Can I get an extension for my thesis submission?
No/Maybe. In most cases no. However, if you have an exceptional circumstance (bereavement in the family, doctors’ certified illness, etc.) you can ask your supervisor to fill out a Thesis Extension form and submit this to the School of Postgraduate Studies for approval for an extension of up to 4 weeks. This will need to be approved by the School of Postgraduate Committee – so it needs to be in weeks before the submission due date. Failure to obtain the correct exemption will result in additional fees being charged to your fee account as would occur with late thesis submission
What happens if I’m late with my thesis submission?
If you miss your thesis submission date, and have not applied for AND received confirmation of authorised exemption from the School of Postgraduate Studies’ Committee, then you will be liable for additional fee costs. You will be personally liable for these additional fees.
What happens if my Fees transfer is late for online registration?
If your payment is late, please contact the Student Fees office with regards to late registration.
Do I need to do an Annual Review?
It Depends: All PhD students in first and second year must complete an annual progress review in order to progress to the next year of their study. PhD students in their third and subsequent year are not required to do an annual review if they are planning to submit thier thesis. Please submit at Thesis completion plan at the beginning of the year. All MD Students first registered from October 2014 must do an annual review at the end of first year in order to progress. MD students who registered before October 2014 may do a review at their own discretion and the School will be happy to provide a chairperson
I am a Part-time student, do I have to do an Annual Review every year?
No, you only submit an annual review every second year.
I am a SPHeRE student, do I need to do an Annual Review with SPGS?
No. SPHeRE students undergo a separate annual review process through the SPHeRE Programme.
How do I know when my Annual Review is due?
For PhD Students:
April registered students – reviewer nominations last Friday in January
– report submission 3rd Friday in March
– joint reports due 4th Friday in April
October registered students – reviewer nominations 1st Friday in June
– report submission last Wednesday in July
– joint reports due 2nd Wednesday in September
For MD Students:
April registered students – report submission 3rd Friday in March- joint reports due 4th Friday in AprilOctober registered students – report submission last Monday in June- joint reports due last Monday in July
April registered students – reviewer nominations last Friday in January
– report submission 3rd Friday in March
– joint reports due 4th Friday in April
October registered students – reviewer nominations 1st Friday in June
– report submission last Wednesday in July
– joint reports due 2nd Wednesday in September
For MD Students:
April registered students – report submission 3rd Friday in March- joint reports due 4th Friday in AprilOctober registered students – report submission last Monday in June- joint reports due last Monday in July
How do I submit my Annual Review?
YOu need to submit your annual review through the Moodle plug-in ‘thesis review process’ on the School of Postgraduate Studies page.
Who makes a decision about my Annual Report?
Your Reviewers.
Who are my reviewers?
For MD students: Your reviewers are automatically your supervisors.
For PhD students: Your Reviewers are nominated by your supervisor, one reviewer could potentially become the internal examiner for the thesis. Your supervisor should nominate reviewers through Moodle
How does my supervisor nominate Reviewers?
Your Supervisor will need to log-on to moodle and nominate reviewers through the ‘annual review process’ plug-in
Can anyone be a reviewer for my Annual Review?
While both reviewers can be from RCSI, a second reviewer may be selected from another Irish university depending on the collaborative nature of the project and/or expertise required to review progress. Note that any expenses incurred in inviting external reviewers must be paid by the supervisor
Are reviewers and examiners the same?
No. A reviewer reads your annual report and attends your annual progress meeting with the aim of reviewing your progress and to decide whether your work to date is sufficient and worthy of progressing to the next year of your course. An Examiner examines your final thesis (and Viva Voce for PhD students) and decides if your work is worthy of the degree or if further work is required.
Who organises my annual progress meeting (Mini-Viva) for my Annual Review?
Annual Progress Meetings (or Mini-Vivas) should be organised between the students, supervisors and reviewers. In Moodle there is a ‘Schedule mini-viva section where the student and reviewers can suggest days and accept and reject. Alternatively, you can organise the mini-viva by email but moodle will continue to send automatic reminders.
What is the Procedure of the Mini Viva?
The mini viva procedure mirrors that for the actual PhD viva. At the start of the mini viva the student will present a brief PowerPoint summary of their work (10 minutes max). The review panel conducts the mini viva by questioning the candidate on various aspects of their project. The review panel submits their assessment on Moodle .
How long should my annual report be?
minimum 3,000 maximum 6,000 words excluding figures, legends and references. your word count should be stated on the front of your report.
Is the SPGS strict on this word count?
Learning to write concisely and clearly is a critical part of research training, therefore the word limit for this report should be adhered to. Reports that are in excess of 20% over the word limit will be rejected by the reviewer
Can I check for plagiarism in my report?
yes, on moodle there is a TurnItIn activity where you can check your report for plagiarism. you should include your TurnitIn score on the front of your report.
I’m planning to submit my thesis this year do I need to do an Annual Review?
No. Please complete a Thesis Completion Plan instead and submit it to the school of postgraduate studies by email.
My thesis document is too big to send by email, how can I send it to my supervisor?
we recommend the use of HEAnet File sender. It is safe, secure and really easy to use. Staff and students can log in with their RCSI credentials
Is there a particular format in which my thesis must be presented?
Yes. We have a set of guidelines for thesis presentation which is available online.
Is there a particular way I should present my references?
Yes. Al references should be in Harvard Style or Vancouver Style
When should I include an the IP declaration?
The IP declaration is only bound into the soft-bound thesis. It is important that it is not included in the hard bound thesis
Can I print my thesis on double-sided paper?
No. it is common practice to print on single sides on the page.
Does the spacing or format of my thesis matter?
Yes. it is important that you follow the presentation guidelines available online.
I printed my 3 softbound copies and realised that I haven’t followed the thesis presentation guidelines; what should I do?
Theses submitted to the school that don’t adhere to the guidelines are regularly rejected, you will be asked to resubmit in accordance with the guidelines – so to avoid yourself the stress get them reprinted.
what are the most common reasons theses are rejected?
Theses are often rejected for incorrect references / formatting of references / thesis layout / not including the right IP and or student declaration/ printing on both sides of the paper / labels on graphs or tables are illegible or incorrect or unclear.
Where can I get my thesis printed?
There are places that print theses professionally for example is the Thesis Centre. on Camden Street or Reads on Nassau Street.
How many copies of my thesis do I need to submit?
When submitting softbound thesis for examination, 3 copies are required. After examination one hardbound copy is submitted plus an electronic copy is submitted to the library.
What forms do I need to complete when submitting my thesis?
When submitting soft bound copies for examination you should include an Examination Entry form (as a separate piece of paper) as well as an IP declaration and candidate declaration (both bound inside the cover). When submitting a hard bound copy a Copyright Statement and Thesis Distribution form is required – All of these forms can be found here.
Do I need to make an appointment to submit my thesis?
A formal appointment is not necessary but it is advisable to ring / email ahead to make sure someone will be there. The school of Postgraduate Studies is open normal office hours: Mon – Fri, 9 -5. As we are only 5 people in the office, there are occasions when we are out of the office for lunch, meetings, lectures or training sessions and so the office might be unattended at times during the day.
After I have submitted my thesis, what happens next?
The School of Postgraduate Studies will check your fees are in order, check your thesis is inline with the presentation guidelines, check your examiners have been approved by Academic Council and then send you thesis to your examiners (if there is no problem). Examiners are given 6- 8 weeks to examine your thesis. For PhD and some MD students, during this time the School of Postgraduate Studies will organise your Viva Voce Exam. This usually takes place shortly after the examiners have examined the thesis.
Who organises my Viva Voce exam?
The School of Postgraduate Studies will organise the Viva exam. It is important that students and supervisors do not contact examiners prior to examination.
When Should Examiners be nominated?
Your supervisor should nominate Examiners about 6 months prior to submission, examiner nominations need to be approved, this can take time and if there is a problem with a nomination, new nominations might be required.
How long does it take for my thesis to be examined?
Once submitted, if all fees have been paid and there are no problems with examiner nominations etc, Examiners have 8 weeks to complete their report. We endeavor to organise a viva shortly after this 8 week period.If no corrections are required then the examination period is over. Often however corrections are required which can take 4 weeks to 6 months followed by re-examination of the thesis.
Who is present for my Viva Voce exam?
Normally there will be the Internal and External examiners, Independent Chairperson, the candidate and the supervisor.
What is the role of the Independent Chairperson?
The Independent Chairperson is not an examiner, he / she is there to make sure the examination regulations and procedures are upheld and that the student is given a fair opportunity to present and defend their work.
I need to take some time away from my studies due to personal reasons, such as maternity leave, illness, bereavement, what is the process to go about this?
It is possible to take time out for different reasons, there are Leave of Absence, Deferral and Maternity Leave documents available online which you should complete with your supervisor and submit to the School of Postgraduate Studies office.
Is it possible to attain a PhD or MD by prior publication?
No. The PhD/MD award is made on the basis that the candidate has demonstrated a range and dept of knowledge and a competency profile consistent with that defined by the Irish University Association for level 10 awards. It is not possible to ascertain whether these indicators have been achieved from a collection of published papers. Moreover, in multi-author papers, it is difficult to identify the specific contribution made by the individual seeking the award.
Because of the difficulties in assessing knowledge and competency based on published papers, most Irish academic institutions do not permit this approach.
Because of the difficulties in assessing knowledge and competency based on published papers, most Irish academic institutions do not permit this approach.
I want to work after hours and on the weekend. How do I get permission to arrive out of normal work hours?
You can find the out of hours policy here:
/administration-and-support/estate-services/health-and-safety/policies-procedures-and-forms/working-outside-normal-hourslone-working-policyAnd the lone worker’s policy here:
/administration-and-support/estate-services/health-and-safety/policies-procedures-and-forms/working-outside-normal-hourslone-working-policy/attachment/after-hour-lone-worker-permitYou need to get your supervisor to sign off on your after-hours access. They can choose a duration up to 6 months. Then submit the signed form to safety@rcsi.ie.Then you’ll need to contact the security desk if you’re going to arrive after normal work hours (e.g. 7am on a Sunday).Any persons working outside normal business hours should be aware of evacuation procedures and internal emergency response. The in-house Emergency Numbers are:
RCSI St Stephen’s Green Campus – Extension 191 / 01- 402 2219
RCSI Education & Research Centre – Extension 2999 or bleep 353 or 726
External Emergency Services – 999 / 112
/administration-and-support/estate-services/health-and-safety/policies-procedures-and-forms/working-outside-normal-hourslone-working-policyAnd the lone worker’s policy here:
/administration-and-support/estate-services/health-and-safety/policies-procedures-and-forms/working-outside-normal-hourslone-working-policy/attachment/after-hour-lone-worker-permitYou need to get your supervisor to sign off on your after-hours access. They can choose a duration up to 6 months. Then submit the signed form to safety@rcsi.ie.Then you’ll need to contact the security desk if you’re going to arrive after normal work hours (e.g. 7am on a Sunday).Any persons working outside normal business hours should be aware of evacuation procedures and internal emergency response. The in-house Emergency Numbers are:
RCSI St Stephen’s Green Campus – Extension 191 / 01- 402 2219
RCSI Education & Research Centre – Extension 2999 or bleep 353 or 726
External Emergency Services – 999 / 112
I’m having health problems and need to get help but don’t know where it to go
Welfare support is provided by the student welfare office: Vice dean for Student Affairs: Orna Tighe Welfare Officer:Clodagh Ni Ghallachoir .The Mercer GP service is available to all RCSI Full-time students http://www.mercersmedicalcentre.com/rcsi-students/ . They will provide counselling and referrals if required.
Separately, counselling services are available in an independent facility:
http://www.rcsi.ie/files/studentlife/docs/20140502085138_RCSI%20Counselling%20Service%20Websi.pdf.
To make an appointment you can ring the practice secretary Maria on 01 283 9366 or email cpslmerrion@gmail.com
I need advice about my course or studies but I don’t want to discuss it with my supervisor?
The School of Postgraduate Studies welcomes students to come and seek advice or help. you can contact us by email: postgraduateschool@rcsi.ie / phone: 402 8594 during school opening hours. you can also make an appointment to meet with Prof. Niamh Moran, or Dr Anthony Chubb for more serious matters
I have recently taken up a job and would like to continue my studies part time, what should I do?
Contact The School of Postgraduate Studies about transferring your registration to part time
I registered for an MSc but following advice from my supervisor would like to continue working on my project- is it possible to convert to a PhD?
Yes, you will need to apply to the School of Postgraduate Studies’ Committee to transfer your registration. If you meet the entry requirements and the committee are in agreement you will be asked to complete a transfer review to assess the work completed so far and the plan for the project going forward and to determine if there is enough work to warrant a PhD. If this review is successful you will be transferred to the PhD register
I registered for an MD but is it possible to convert to a PhD?
Yes, you will need to apply to the School of Postgraduate Studies’ Committee to transfer your registration. If you meet the entry requirements and the committee are in agreement you will be asked to complete a transfer review to assess the work completed so far and the plan for the project going forward and to determine if the is appropriate for a PhD. If this review is successful you will be transferred to the PhD register.
I registered for an PhD but is it possible to convert to a MD?
Yes, you will need to apply to the School of Postgraduate Studies’ Committee to transfer your registration. If you meet the entry requirements and the committee are in agreement you will be asked to complete a transfer review to assess the work completed so far and the plan for the project going forward and to determine if the is appropriate for an MD. If this review is successful you will be transferred to the MD register.
Where can I find current Polices?
The current versions of all policies (some including forms) are on Moodle. Near the bottom of the SARA general information page you’ll find a link to the policies page.
Can I submit my previously published papers for consideration for a PhD award using the recently approved PhD-By-Publication mechanism?
No: PhD-by-Publication is an opportunity for currently-registered RCSI-PhD candidates to submit their research for consideration for a level 10 degree (PhD) using their recent / current research publications, instead of a bespoke monograph-style thesis.
These regulations for PhD-by-Publication can be found here [www.rcsi.ie/phd_thesis_examination] and stipulate that a registered PhD Candidate can, in the 3rd year of their registration, opt to submit their thesis for examination in the format of a compilation of published papers and an accompanying narrative. The criteria are that: the candidate has completed all aspects of compulsory / core PhD training prior to thesis submission. They must have a minimum of 3 publications in high-impact peer-reviewed journals. These publications must have been produced as a result of research done in RCSI or allied sites and must acknowledge RCSI as the site of the research or the address of the candidate. They must follow a connected narrative and produce a significant advancement in knowledge in a current field of research.
We do not accept responsibility for submissions of work done at different sites or outside the time-period of a candidate’s registration in RCSI.
We have a separate a system for allowing researchers, who are graduates of RCSI programmes, to submit previously-published research for consideration for a Higher Degree award. It is the NUI Doctor of Medicine (D.Med) or Doctor of Science (D.Sci) http://www.nui.ie/college/qualifications.asp . Like the PhD, it is a level 10 award on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ). The expectation is for a cohort of work comprising approx. 100 published papers in a broad thematic area. These can be compiled over a a longer period of time and often comprise a lifetime of academic work. A compilation of published papers is submitted to NUI along with a narrative explaining the applicant’s contribution to each specific piece of work. This is submitted to NUI for review. The award is not an RCSI award. Instead it is directly awarded from NUI.
These regulations for PhD-by-Publication can be found here [www.rcsi.ie/phd_thesis_examination] and stipulate that a registered PhD Candidate can, in the 3rd year of their registration, opt to submit their thesis for examination in the format of a compilation of published papers and an accompanying narrative. The criteria are that: the candidate has completed all aspects of compulsory / core PhD training prior to thesis submission. They must have a minimum of 3 publications in high-impact peer-reviewed journals. These publications must have been produced as a result of research done in RCSI or allied sites and must acknowledge RCSI as the site of the research or the address of the candidate. They must follow a connected narrative and produce a significant advancement in knowledge in a current field of research.
We do not accept responsibility for submissions of work done at different sites or outside the time-period of a candidate’s registration in RCSI.
We have a separate a system for allowing researchers, who are graduates of RCSI programmes, to submit previously-published research for consideration for a Higher Degree award. It is the NUI Doctor of Medicine (D.Med) or Doctor of Science (D.Sci) http://www.nui.ie/college/qualifications.asp . Like the PhD, it is a level 10 award on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ). The expectation is for a cohort of work comprising approx. 100 published papers in a broad thematic area. These can be compiled over a a longer period of time and often comprise a lifetime of academic work. A compilation of published papers is submitted to NUI along with a narrative explaining the applicant’s contribution to each specific piece of work. This is submitted to NUI for review. The award is not an RCSI award. Instead it is directly awarded from NUI.