The PhD course normally involves three years of study, the MLitt degree two years of study. Students can be registered for either the PhD or the MLitt depending upon the quality of their primary degrees. Applicants are generally expected to hold a good upper second or first class honours degree in Geography or a cognate subject AND a Masters degree in Geography or a cognate subject. Movement between the PhD and MLitt. programmes is fairly flexible. Students in the Ph.D. programme may be requested to transfer to the M.Litt. Conversely, students making good progress on the M.Litt. programme may be invited to transfer to the Ph.D. Applicants should consult the staff pages to identify potential supervisors for their research proposals.

One of the key elements in the Irish government’s current strategy for the development of Fourth Level education in Ireland is the promotion of structured Graduate Education Programmes (GREPs).  This, it is envisaged, willprovide for greater comparability of courses and modules across the higher education sector - within Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), between Irish HEIs, and between Irish and foreign HEIs.  Such comparability is important in order to allow standards, module/course content and qualifications in different departments, faculties and institutions to be readily assessed. It will also facilitate collaboration between institutions in the provision of graduate education, wider module choice by graduate students across departments and faculties within HEIs, and greater inter-institutional mobility of graduate students. Working with the National Institute of Regional and Spatial Analysis (NIRSA) and the Irish Climate Analysis and Research Units (ICARUS), the Department is involved in a number of GREPs and expects PhD students to undertake training modules in the areas of specialised substantive modules, advanced methodology training, and generic skills.

Further Information

Further information on PhD/MLitt courses can be obtained by contacting:

Prof. Gerry Kearns
Director of Postgraduate Studies,
Department of Geography, NUI Maynooth,
Co. Kildare,
Ireland.
Tel: + 353 1 7083610
Email: gerry.kearns@nuim.ie

Applicants may also contact individual staff members with whom they intend to work to discuss potential research topics.

• Apply for this Course
• PhD/MLitt Handbook (PDF doc)
• Current PhD/MLitt Students
• Previously completed theses