PG Admissions

All applications should be submitted through UCD online application portal. Applicants will have to submit transcripts of previous study.

The general deadline for applications is June 30 to begin in September, and November 30 to begin in the following January.

Applicants to all programmes are assessed on a case by case basis, and prospective students are encouraged to contact the school manager ((opens in a new window)philosophy@ucd.ie) if they are unsure of their eligibility.  Applicants may be required to attend an interview either via Zoom or in person.

For all programmes, fluency in written English is required. If you are not a native speaker of English and your secondary education or university degree has not been carried out in English, then you must have a minimum score of 6.5 IELTS (minimum of 6.0 in each band), and you must submit evidence of this in your application. 

Students applying for postgraduate study from outside Ireland should see details on the UCD Global webpage.

Eligibility to apply for admission to a graduate programme does not guarantee a place on the programme as demand generally exceeds the number of available places.

General entry requirements for the taught MA Programmes:

• A BA with a 2.1 (a GPA of approx 3.2) in Philosophy

OR

• A Joint Major BA in Philosophy with a 2.1 in Philosophy and a 2.2 in the second subject
• A postgraduate diploma with a 2.1 in Philosophy

However, all applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis, and so students with a 2.2 in philosophy should also consider applying.

General entry requirements for the PhD programme

Applicants to the PhD programme are normally expected to have completed, or to be near completing, an MA in philosophy. However, applicants without an MA will also be considered.

Applicants for the PhD programme are required to submit the following:

1. A detailed 2-page research proposal, along with a table of contents, and a bibliography of at least ten items.
2. The name of a Philosophy faculty member who might be appropriate to supervise the project. Applicants are advised to contact that faculty member before applying.
3. Two letters of academic reference. Applicants should ask their referees to e-mail the reference letters directly to (opens in a new window)philosophy@ucd.ie or they can be uploaded during the application process - this will depend on the preference of referees, not the applicant
4. A philosophical writing sample (maximum length: 8,000 words), e.g. an MA essay.
5. A statement of personal interest, or a statement of explanation (maximum length: 1000 words).