Prospective students have unprecedented choice in where and what to study, with a large percentage Irish students going on to fourth level. UCD has Ireland’s most diverse graduate student community, including 31% of all full-time PhD students in the country. Many courses are unique in Ireland – from the MSc in Meteorology to the new MSc in Imaging & Microscopy and the MA in Media and International Conflict.
Students can pursue a taught or research degree depending on their discipline and career plans. Taught degrees provide a structured learning environment to study a subject more intensively, while research degrees give the opportunity to conduct original investigation on a more independent basis and make a mark through new knowledge. The UCD Structured PhD gives research students strong transferrable skills, while on the taught side, convenient entry and exit points, and flexible learning options make courses increasingly accessible.
New courses for 2010
Development Practice
Working in international development requires management expertise and an understanding of the economic, political, healthcare and natural environment. In the Masters in Development Practice, academics and practioners come together to train the next generation of international developers and give practical experience in Rwanda or Liberia. Funded by the MacArthur Foundation (USA), the programme is delivered jointly by UCD and TCD in collaboration with the National University of Rwanda, Realizing Rights, Trócaire, Kimmage Development Studies Centre and Earthmind.
Bicycle workshop and fish farming in Rwanda
Biotechnology & Business
In the first semester of the new MSc in Biotechnology & Business, students study Biomedical Diagnostics and Medical Device Technology alongside Management and Marketing. The course culminates with a business project undertaken within the biotechnology industry. Developed in conjunction with employers, the course prepares graduates for opportunities in major companies such as Genzyme, Centocor, Merck, Wyeth and Pfizer.
Clinical Leadership
For doctors, nurses and health professionals on the Graduate Certificate in Clinical Leadership, Quality and Patient Safety along with Strategic Management & Planning form key parts of the course. The programme is part of UCD’s expansive range of graduate opportunities for healthcare professionals, and underpinned by strong clinical partnerships with hospitals such as St Vincent’s University Hospital and the Mater Misericordae University Hospital.
UCD - graduate destination
There are almost 6,000 students enrolled in graduate study at UCD. Some 40% of graduate students did their primary degree outside UCD. Donna Hawthorne did her undergraduate degree in Geography, Archaeology and Palaeo-ecology at Queen’s University Belfast. After getting a taste for the subject, Donna is now studying a Masters in Archaeology at UCD. Donna says “I looked forward to experiencing life at a different university, and UCD offered the specialist archaeology masters which I was interested in pursuing.” In her course, Donna covers key research and IT skills, and can choose from specialist options such as Landscape Management, Archaeological Project Management and Wetland Archaeology. The course also has a very strong practical focus with fieldwork and research placements.
Archaeology students are shown here on a fieldtrip to Glendalough
Applying for graduate study can be based on personal or career development goals and as the logical next step on the ladder. Seamus O’Loughlin is studying for an MSc in Occupational Safety & Health (pdf) after completing the Certificate at UCD in 2006. Seamus says “I decided to do the masters because I have an interest in health and safety which also forms a big part of my work. So it was a decision made on career progression and also personal development, because the masters gives you additional skills, in research and report writing.”
A specialised graduate course often provides professional networking opportunities which will open doors further down the line. Trainee drama teacher Sheila O’Reilly from Monaghan graduated from the MA in Directing for Theatre in 2008, “I was looking for the most practical course going and that is what UCD offered me... The MA Directing for Theatre course had some really good practitioners on it with a wide range of experience and created many opportunities to network. For example, the Head of Drama was a previous actress with credits to her name so she knew people in the business and the main lecturer had worked in different types of theatre and drama projects throughout Ireland. I remember when Professor Frank McGuinness took us for an interpretation of text from a director's point of view. He was very insightful, full of energy and a massive intellect. He was a big influence as he demanded the best from you. Because of the expertise in the course, if I decide to go into lecturing I would contact the course lecturers and ask them for advice... As I go through my teaching I use the knowledge I gained there more and more. The course content was so varied and they taught us some really weird but cool post-modern and post-dramatic stuff which I hope to eventually use!”
Alternatively, for students who wish to change direction at graduate level, UCD offers conversion programmes such as the Master in Management in the UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School. The course provides non-commerce graduates with management skills in key business areas.
For more about all graduate opportunities at UCD, visit the UCD Graduate Studies www.ucd.ie/pgstudy website.