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Graduate Research Programmes

As a destination for graduate studies, UCD offers outstanding teaching resources, extensive research infrastructure,  a splendid collegiate atmosphere and a thriving, diverse international student environment. UCD is Ireland’s largest and most international university with over 7,000 international students from over 120 countries and it is located on a safe, modern campus in Dublin. 

Within the School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, a diverse cohort of people are working to achieve our research mission.  Our PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, technical staff and academic faculty have joined us from around the world and from a wide range of scientific and engineering backgrounds.  They are motivated and passionate about delivering excellent research with significant scientific and societal impact.

Chemical and bioprocess engineering research seeks to address a variety of challenges facing society including manufacturing new therapies to address unmet medical needs, engineering new functional materials for a wide range of applications and developing the circular economy.  Our School’s efforts are focused on the areas of biopharmaceutical and pharmaceutical engineering, energy and the environment and advanced materials engineering.

More details on our PhD programmes

Our PhD programme gives students the opportunity to conduct wide ranging high-level research in the fields of chemical and bioprocess engineering. This is supported by a structured programme, which delivers advanced level graduate courses and training in state-of-the-art techniques as well as courses to develop personal communication, presentation and other skills needed by effective professionals.

The following will form a part of your structured programme:

  • Research Project: Your project is the focus of your programme, with your principal supervisor as your primary source of information, training, advice and support.
  • Research Studies Panel (RSP): Your RSP will support and monitor your progress during the course of your research studies and to provide advice both to you and your supervisor.
  • Research & Professional Development Planning: ensures that your work is clearly focused on achieving your research and professional goals. 
  • Transfer Assessment - If you want to transfer to a PhD programme.
  • Taught Modules: All PhD students must take 30 credits of taught modules.

For further information about PhDs in general in UCD, there is some good information on the UCD graduate studies website:

  • Level 8 bachelor's degree with a minimum of a result of 2.1 overall (or equivalent) or a level 9 master's degree.
  • Where English is not the native language, results from a UCD recognised English language proficiency test should be provided and these must meet the UCD minimum requirement specified at http://www.ucd.ie/registry/admissions/elr.html. Results must have been issued within two years prior to the proposed start of studies.

Applications for graduate research programmes are made directly through a member of our academic staff working in the area of research that most closely matches your field of study. You should email them directly, specifying your research interests, qualifications and experience and enquire about funding opportunities and scholarships. 

The graduate research (PhD) opportunities in our school are normally all funded through research projects or industry partners and they would be advertised on sites like "(opens in a new window)Find a PhD" or "(opens in a new window)Nature Jobs". 

The graduate research (PhD) opportunities in our school are normally all funded through research projects or industry partners and they would be advertised on sites like "(opens in a new window)Find a PhD" or "(opens in a new window)Nature Jobs". 

The Irish Research Council also supports PhD funding - the funding opportunities are listed on their website: (opens in a new window)Funding | Irish Research Council The IRC Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Programme open normally around August/September for entry the following year. If you were interested in applying for this funding, your first step would be to identify a suitable supervisor.

You can read about the expertise of our faculty on our website Research - UCD School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering and contact those who are involved in the thematic areas that you may be interested in.