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PhD Global Human Development

PhD Global Human Development

Duration: 3-4 Years Full Time 
Entry to the programme is in September only
Application Deadline: 15th July 2023

The PhD in Global Human Development is part of the Human Development Initiative (HDI). HDI aims to promote and foster development education, produce quality research in partnership with southern universities and raise awareness of contemporary development issues through various outreach programmes. It is comprised of an inter disciplinary group of academics, researchers and students whose work focuses on contemporary development issues.

The PhD in Global Human Development is a 3-4 year full time ‘sandwich’ programme jointly offered by UCD and one of a number of other universities in Tanzania, Malawi, Zimbabwe and China. (University of Dar Es Salaam, University of Malawi, University of Zimbabwe and Xiamen University), or any other university in a ‘developing country’ willing to accept students for their obligatory research stay. The programme has been developed for government personnel and public servants (such as Higher Education academics, research institutes) mainly in East Africa

PhD students on the programme are required to spend at least one semester per academic year at UCD. Consequently the following semester has to be spent at their research university under the supervision of the student’s ‘local’ supervisor.

Programme Objectives

The aim of this programme is to pool the respective capacities of UCD and the respective partner universities to provide graduate research students and supervisors with what is necessary to conduct top class research in the field of development. Students will be provided with the academic and intellectual tools to work on the issues related to the Millennium Development Goals and poverty reduction through their respective core disciplines and place this within real-world experience and research in the developing world. Both institutions will provide members to the student’s Research Studies Panel (RSP). Where this entails primary supervision resting with non-UCD staff members, such persons will be submitted through UCD channels for approval as adjunct staff members.

Programme Requirements

All students within the programme will adhere to all UCD and relevant College-level requirements for a structured PhD and specific programme requirements for the PhD in Global Human Development. This includes, inter alia, the acquisition of a minimum of 30 taught credits at UCD, a formal transfer assessment and completion of a Research and Professional Development Plan (RPDP). All students will submit their final dissertation to UCD and upon successful completion of their examination, will be awarded a UCD PhD. Students on the PhD programme in Global Human Development have to conduct their research at a university in a 'developing country' and therefore need to provide UCD with a letter of an academic from this university, confirming that he/she is willing to supervise the student during his/her research period. The 'local' supervisor will be a member of the Research Studies Panel.

General Information for Incoming Students

A Welcome Note from the Dean of Graduate Studies, with information on registration, fees, support services and orientation, can be found here

This is a 3-4 year full-time PhD Programme and students have to adhere to all UCD and relevant College-level requirements of a structured PhD.
Some general information on UCD Structured PhDs is available here.

We recommend students follow the process below:

Term one:  Students are registered to both institutions, but will start their studies at UCD. It is recommended that students take at least 15-20 credits of taught modules (Level 4 & 5) in the first term at UCD. Students will work closely with their supervisor on the first draft of their research plan.

Term two: Students will conduct research at the partner institution under supervision of their local supervisors. Credits for research will be recorded.

Term three: Students return to UCD to acquire the final outstanding taught credits, which will have to amount to 30 by the end of term three. Students have to liaison with their supervisor and their Doctoral Studies Panel at UCD to prepare for their transfer assessment, which has to take place in the 3rd term of the PhD programme.

Term four & five: Students will go back to the partner institutions, work closely with their supervisors and will finalise their dissertation.

Term six: Students come to UCD to finalise and submit their dissertation.

Core Module: Students have to obtain in total 30 credits through taught modules. Students on this PhD programme will have to attend and have to successfully pass the core module 'Development PhD Roundtable GHSH50050' (5 credits).

Click here to find information on the UCD Academic Year.

Summary Of The Programme Structure
  • Students are registered as full-time PhD students in UCD
  • Students undertake a structured PhD programme
    • Required training in six modules including research design, methods, and research specific areas
  • Students spend up to 13 weeks per year (one semester) in UCD, and the remainder of their time in their home institution
    • UCD training – students complete course work, stage two transfers, full assessment from beginning to completion; completion of a Research and Professional development training programme
  • Home Institute – students execute their research project under supervision in their home location; students are expected to continue to support home institutions

Entry Requirements

The entry requirements for the PhD in Global Human Development is a Master degree (MA or M.Sc.), with an overall grade of 2.1 (GPA 3.6) in the areas of Agricultural Science, Business Studies, Economics,  Engineering, Mathematics,  Medicine, Politics, Sociology and other related areas of study whose ultimate focus is Global Human Development, in particular, poverty reduction.

Additionally we request a proof that the applicant is allowed to conduct research at another university in a 'developing' country by providing UCD with a letter from a ‘local’ supervisor.

Applicants need to comply with the UCD language requirements.

Apply

To apply to the GHD programme, please fill out the application form and send, with the relevant documents, to Dara Gannon (opens in a new window)dara.gannon@ucd.ie

GHD Application Form

Application Deadline: 15th July 2023

Fees are payable to UCD for the semester when students are studying at UCD. Fees will have to be paid directly by the student to the local partner university, when students are conducting their research there. Students on the ‘Sandwich’ PhD programme pay only half of the annual PhD fees for a College of Human Sciences PhD programme, as they are only staying one semester per academic year at UCD.

Note that the GHD programme is listed on the pages listed below as an 'exception' to the general graduate fees for the College of Social Sciences and Law and can be found on the right hand side

EU Fees

EU Graduate Research Fees for the Academic Year 2022-23

Non-EU Fees

Non-EU Graduate Research Fees for the Academic Year 2022-23

Further information relating to fees     

Fees published are inclusive of a Student Centre Levy (€254) which must be paid by all students.

Helpful Links

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UCD School of Politics and International Relations (SPIRe)

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