UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery & Health Systems

Scoil an Altranais, an Cnáimhseachais agus na gCóras Sláinte UCD

Research Degrees

Research activity at the UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery & Health Systems is focused on five clusters, namely:

In addition, programmatic research is concentrated in the School’s two academic centres, the National Centre for the Protection of Older People and the UCD Irish Centre for Nursing & Midwifery History. The School provides opportunities for graduate research training to masters and PhD levels in association with its major research clusters, or in association with its two academic centres, and also welcomes prospective students with their own ideas and topics for graduate research. The following research degrees are offer.

Degree of Doctor of Philosophy
The degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is offered through a structured programme of rigorous training in research and offers students an opportunity to undertake a focused and critical examination of a particular topic with the aim contributing to the development of knowledge in their field. The PhD degree normally requires a registration period of not less than three years and not more than four years for full-time students. For part-time students the period of registration is usually not more than six years. Each student is assigned to two academic supervisors and his/her training programme is overseen by a doctoral studies panel. Applications for entry to the programme are welcome from those in nursing, midwifery or a health-related discipline.

Degree of Doctor of Nursing and Doctor of Midwifery
The School offers a professional doctorate programme leading to the award of a degree of Doctor of Nursing (DN) or a Doctor of Midwifery (DM). The programme of advanced education and training incorporates taught modular elements, applied professional practice and supervised research and is aimed at experienced senior nurses and midwives who are already assuming new and challenging leadership roles in clinical practice or in the development and management of nursing or midwifery services. The programme enables nurses and midwives to further develop their specialist professional knowledge and leadership skills and provides them with the requisite training to research their professional practice and to develop disciplinary knowledge in their respective fields of practice.

Research Masters Degree
The research masters degree provides students with rigorous research training and an opportunity to complete an independent research study, presented as a major thesis. The programme may encompass additional formal instruction in research methods. The period of registration for the Research Masters degree will normally be not less than 1 calendar year and not more than 2 years for a full-time student and not less than 2 years and not more than 4 years for a part-time student. Applications for entry to the programme are welcome from those in nursing, midwifery or a health-related discipline.

Career opportunities
A research masters degree or PhD is a major academic award and gives the graduate a significant advantage in advancing a clinical career or entering a career in research and teaching. A professional doctorate is also a major academic award that gives the graduate excellent opportunities for career advancement in the fields of clinical practice, practice development, service administration, education, or policy development and planning.

International students
The School of Nursing, Midwifery & Health Systems particularly welcomes applications from international students seeking to undertake research degrees. UCD enjoys an excellent position as a research intensive university according to worldwide metrics and our School offers an excellent opportunity for graduate students from overseas to obtain a doctorate or master's degree at one of the world's leading universities. Where the nature of the research study allows, research students may be permitted to study off-site, allowing them to remain in their home country and obtain supervision remotely, with structures in place for intermitten attendance on the campus. All members of staff involved in the supervision of doctoral students at the School are experts in their field and have published in peer-reviewed journals of international standing.

For information about fees for non-EU fees see

http://www.ucd.ie/registry/adminservices/fees/researchfees.html

For English Language requirements see

http://www.ucd.ie/nmhs/researchdegrees/howtoapply

Please follow the following link for further information about studying at UCD

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0sDV56Y1iw

Professor Abbey Hyde
Research Degrees Coordinator