Taught Modules for Research Students

Taught Modules

Taught Modules

All graduate research students (Research Masters, PhD, MD and students on a Professional Doctoral programme) have the opportunity to take taught modules relevant to their area of research or for their professional development in the course of their programme. Each research programme differs in taught module requirements; for example, all UCD PhD students must take 30 credits of taught modules over the duration of their programme. These taught modules are intended to facilitate research and provide the student with important transferable skills, enhancing their career development. For information on specific research programme requirements, please refer to the UCD academic regulations or Key Points webpage 

  • Your School or Programme may recommend or require certain modules; please check with your Supervisor.
  • Unless your School or Programme stipulates specific modules, you may choose from the full range of modules available throughout the University in consultation and agreement with your Principal Supervisor and your Research Studies Panel (RSP).

Registration Procedure for 2024 Spring Modules

Update: Registration for Spring taught modules will be open from Tuesday, 16th January 2024 at 10am until Tuesday, 6th February 2024. As in previous years, you will register via either SISWeb or a Google Form. You will receive an email from Graduate Studies advising which registration method you must use. Please contact student.records@ucd.ie if you do not receive such a notification by Tuesday 16th January.

 

There are two methods of registration:

Method A

 

Method A: The majority of PhD students can register directly to a curated selection of modules delivered by their School via SISWeb. Method A is open for Spring Trimester modules from Tuesday, 16th January 2024 at 10am to Tuesday, 6th February 2024. You will be notified by email by 16th January whether this method is open to you. Please contact student.records@ucd.ie if you do not receive such a notification by Tuesday 16th January. 

To register:

  1. Open SISWeb
  2. Click ‘My Registration’
  3. Choose the modules you wish to register to


Note: If the module you wish to register to is not on the School listing, you can apply to register for that module via Method B.

Method B

PhD Students/Research Master's Students/MD students

Method B: Module registration is via an online Google Form. Please note that for Method B, you must allow 3–5 working days from the form submission date until you see that your record is updated. Confirmation emails will not be issued.

Registration for Spring Trimester modules is open from Tuesday, 16th January 2024 at 10am to Tuesday, 6th February 2024.

Notes

  • While students do not need a signature/authorisation from their Principal Supervisor to register to modules, it is imperative that your module selection will have been agreed with your supervisor prior to registration. You will be required to sign-off on a declaration that states that you have discussed your choice of module with your Principal Supervisor
  • If you wish to register to a module delivered outside your school, please make sure you have spoken to the relevant module coordinator prior to registration, to ensure there is capacity on the course
  • Students must ensure that they have read the prior learning requirements for a module(s) before making a request for registration
  • Please note that, although you may be successfully registered to a module,  high demand for a particular module may see a School re-assign you to a different time slot/withdraw from the module (you will be notified if this happens)
  • Modules will be delivered either face-to-face, online or blended (face to-face and online). Check each module descriptor for the mode of delivery.
  • Please see the FAQ below for answers to common questions
  • All queries about module registration should be directed to student.records@ucd.ie 

Other Policies

Credit for External Learning

Graduate Research students may, with the approval of their supervisor, register to modules outside of UCD for credit. This credit can contribute towards the 30 credit component. This recommendation can be submitted, to the Graduate Board, using the relevant template within the InfoHub Tasks menu.

External credits will be reflected on a transcript with the College specific module code (EXTLXX101) and the description ‘External Credit’. Please discuss with your supervisor if you wish to explore taking modules outside of UCD. 

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Students can submit an online InfoHub form to submit their application to the School. The final recommendation is assessed by the Governing Board.  Further information on UCD's RPL policy can be found here.

FAQ

If you requested registration close to your first lecture in your module, then the quickest way to confirm you are registered to a module is to look at your UView account under 'Current Module Registrations' .  You can access UView by logging into SISWEB, Reg, Fees & Assessment (top row nav button), and then selecting UView.    Please note the UView will provide a more up to date picture of your registration then Brightspace (in this instance).  

Students are advised that they must discuss their choice of module with their supervisor before selecting the module online and/or completing the Google form. Please review the Registration Procedure above. 

 

Students will be directed to the groups of modules as approved by their School.  When the student seeks a module outside of this list, and possibly outside of their School, they will be advised to ensure that they have spoken to the module coordinator as well.   Module Coordinators/Schools may wish to review the registration to the module(s) in case there are any students from outside their School(s).



The registration of Jan/May start students may make capacity management more challenging.  Every step will be taken to address this but Schools/module coordinators with popular modules are advised to continue to keep a close eye on capacity.  Messaging within forms will advise students that changes to their registration may follow (if a particular time slot proves popular).



Yes, they can either de-register from a module within SISWeb online registration (September-start students). January -start and May-start students can contact student.records@ucd.ie requesting the change.  Depending on the complexity of a query, a student may be referred to a School. 

Any changes to your module registration should only be requested, or made if SISWeb is available to you, after you have consulted with your supervisor.    

 

Opening: From 10.00am on Tuesday 17th January 2023 to for  SISWeb ( Method A) and Google Form ( Method B)

Closing: 5pm on Tuesday, 07 February 2023 for  SISWeb ( Method A) and Google Form ( Method B)



 Module registration will open again in May 2023



Where a prerequisite is set up in the module, then this learning will be captured within online registration.  Where an individual module has not been specified as a prerequisite, then students will be directed to prior learning requirements within the module descriptor (in line with normal practice).



Research Masters students are not required to complete taught modules but can do so e.g. in anticipating of changing over to a PhD, and should register via Method B if they wish to do so. 



In the first instance, please check the Taught Modules Registration Procedure and FAQ as these cover many common queries.  If this does not answer your question, module registration queries should be addressed to student.records@ucd.ie