Student eligibility criteria
- BSc (2.1) upper second class honours degree in a relevant subject, or equivalent.
- Minimum English language IELTS(academic) score of >6.5 (or equivalent) for international students.
Supervisor eligibility criteria
- The primary supervisor must either be a permanent member of RCSI faculty or be on a contract that extends beyond the duration of the PhD project.
- The primary supervisor must have been awarded a PhD or MD doctoral degree.
- Secondary/co-supervisor can be a temporary staff member (e.g. postdoctoral scientist) or honorary faculty (e.g. medical consultants) or academic/industry collaborator outside RCSI.
Duration
| Degree |
Minimum* |
Maximum |
| PhD Full-time |
3 or 4 years |
6 years |
| PhD Part-time |
5 years |
8 years |
* Some funding schemes offer 4 year scholarships, but a student has to register for a minimum of 3 years of full time research study. Some Programmes insist on 4 years minimum registration (e.g. Dilmun scholarship).
Application process
- Student applies online.
- School of Postgraduate Studies board approves application.
- Student is registered on an annual basis, pending successful annual review.
Documents
For Supervisors: External Examiner eligibility criteria
- Cannot be from 3U or NUI universities (or associated teaching hospitals):
- 3U
- Dublin City University (DCU)
- Maynooth University (NUIM)
- Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI)
- NUI
- University College Dublin (UCD)
- University College Cork (UCC)
- National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG)
- National University of Ireland, Maynooth (NUIM)
- Must not have published with either supervisor within the past 3 years.
- Must be at Senior Lecturer, University level.
- Must have a PhD or equivalent NFQ level 10 qualification.
- Must hold a current university appointment, not honorary or emeritus.
- Must have previous experience of acting as external examiner for PhD degrees.
