UCD School of Politics and International Relations

Scoil na Polaitíochta agus Gnóthaí Idirnáisiúnta UCD

FAQs on the application process

Q1 Do I have to pay the application fee?

A1 Yes. Until you pay it, we will not review your application because the system won't allow us to offer a place.

Q2 What is an academic reference?

A2 Your referee should be one of the lecturers from the university where you are doing/did your undergraduate degree. It should include a history of academic grades, and why you should be recommended to the programme.

Q3 Do I need two references?

A3 No. We only require one.

Q4 My referee doesn’t want me to see my reference, but the UCD online application system asks me to upload a scan. What can I do?

A4 You may ask him/her to send the hardcopy to:

Postgraduate Administrator, Room G310, School of Politics & International Relations, Newman building, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.

You may also ask him/her to send your reference by email to spire@ucd.ie. The email must be sent from a professional email account (e.g. XYZ@harvard.edu, XYZ@politics.ox.ac.uk, XYZ@tcd.ie) not from a personal one such as Gmail or Hotmail.

Q5 I finished my undergraduate degree a long time ago, and it is difficult to contact my lecturer. What can I do?

A5 We primarily require an academic reference. However, we would accept a reference from your current/recent employer as an exception.

Q6 Can I upload a personal statement, a letter of motivation or my CV (resume) as an additional document?

A6 Yes, you can. In the admission process, the most emphasis is placed on applicants’ academic transcripts and references. Relevant work/life experiences will also be taken into account.

FAQs on the programmes

Q7 As a full time student, how many lectures I am supposed to attend per week?

A7 In 2011-12, MA/MSc students are registered for:

- 6 modules (10 credits each / one semester)

- A dissertation design module (5 credits / 5 weeks in Semester one)

- a minor thesis (10,000 words, 25 credits) due in mid-August

The structures for 2012-13 programmes are currently under review. However, we do not expect major changes.

UCD Term Dates: http://www.ucd.ie/students/keydates.htm

Q8 How is a module run?

A8 Our modules are delivered in two hour lecture sessions every week for 12 weeks. All lectures take place between 9:00am and 6:00pm, Monday-Friday.

Q9 How is the part time course run?

A9 A part time student will spread the workload over two years. Please see the question and answer no. 7.

Q10 Are there any modules offered in the weekday evenings and weekends?

A10 In 2012-13, we have no plan to offer modules in the evenings or weekends.

Q11 What are the differences between MA and MSc degree?

A11 Please see the page two of each leaflet. (Click the programme names on the right to download.) MSc students will take research-oriented modules such as the Qualitative Methods and Statistics modules as cores. Please refer to the timetables below. Also, MA students may substitute a minor thesis with an internship placement, while MSc students must write a thesis.

Q12 Is the timetable available?

A12 Here are the timetables for each programme in this academic year. Ones for the year 2012-13 will be availalbe in July 2012. Please note the lecture schedules change every year.

Should you have any further queries, contact us at spire@ucd.ie.