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At the Start of the Programme

The transcript you uploaded to the application portal is for application purposes only.

All incoming students must complete the Qualification Check process.

A separate, dedicated qualification check team within UCD’s central admissions unit will review all incoming students’ transcripts to confirm their validity. You may proceed with the Confirmation of Attendance and Module Registration before this process is completed; however, we strongly recommend that you complete this process as soon as possible.

Queries regarding document verification should be directed to the Student Desk. (Select the 'current/incoming student' and 'Admissions' query options.)

You will need to register online and confirm attendance (confirm your registration to UCD) before you can begin your module registration. Registration allows you to obtain your Student Card (UCARD) and gain access to the wide range of facilities available to our students.

Your username is your application number or UCD student number (8 digits), and your password is the same one you use to log into the application portal.

If you are having trouble accessing your UCD Connect Account or email, please contact the Student Desk.

Registration for SPIRe Masters students begins on Friday, 15th August 2025 and all students are allocated a start time. You will receive an automated email to your UCD Connect account confirming your start time.

Module registration remains open until 19 September. It will reopen in January for any changes to your Spring option modules.

UCD Key Dates

An in-person orientation event for SPIRe Masters and Graduate Diploma students will take place at 11am on Wednesday, 10th of September.   Please refer to the invitation email for further details. 

Individual programme orientations will also be arranged by the Programme Directors, who will contact you in due course.

Please see some information about general orientation across the university.

Full-time MA/MSc students must complete 60 credits from taught modules, as well as a thesis or an internship (30 credits). 

This is what the module registration screen looks like:

First, please click on Major Information on the right to see which modules you need to select and how many are required.

  • You'll be automatically registered for your programme's core modules.
  • Some programmes have a "Core-Option" category where you must make a selection as per the instructions.
  • You'll need to select enough option modules to bring your total taught module credits to 60. The total, including your thesis or internship, should be 90 credits.
  • MA students must select either a thesis or an internship. This selection can be amended at a later date.
  • In August/September, you'll select all of your modules for the entire academic year. The registration will reopen in January so you can make any changes to your Spring option modules.
Trimester Workload
Trimesters Months Typical Workload
Autumn September-December 30 credits (approx. 6 hours of lectures per week for 12 weeks)
Spring January-May 30 credits (approx. 6 hours of lectures per week for 12 weeks)
Summer June-August Thesis or Internship (30 credits, No lectures)

Part-time MA/MSc students must complete 60 credits from taught modules, as well as a thesis or an internship (30 credits) over two years.

This is what the module registration screen looks like:

First, please click on Major Information on the right to see which modules you need to select and how many are required.

  • Module registration takes place at the beginning of each academic year. You will be selecting modules for this year only. The registration will reopen in January so you can make any changes to your Spring option module(s). 
  • It is strongly recommended that you complete core modules in your first year.
  • You are also encouraged to spread your workload evenly by selecting 30 credits in each of Year 1 and Year 2.
  • POL42330 Research Design should be taken in your second year (where applicable).
  • The thesis or internship module should be selected in Year 2. (Year 1 students should NOT select these modules.)
  • It is the responsibility of each student to ensure they have correctly registered and enrolled in all required modules over two years. Full-time students will receive an automatic warning if they haven't selected the correct number of modules, but part-time students will not. 
Trimesters Months Typical Workload
Autumn Year 1: September-December 10-20 credits  (approx. 2-4 hours of lectures per week for 12 weeks)
Spring Year 1: January-May 10-20 credits  (approx. 2-4 hours of lectures per week for 12 weeks)
Summer Year 1: June-August No Workload
Autumn Year 2: September-December 10-20 credits  (approx. 2-4 hours of lectures per week for 12 weeks)
Spring Year 2: January-May 10-20 credits  (approx. 2-4 hours of lectures per week for 12 weeks)
Summer Year 2: June-August Thesis or Internship (30 credits, No lectures)
Contact

If you are unsure if you have correctly registered, or need assistance, the SPIRe Graduate team are happy to help. Contact them on (opens in a new window)graduatespire@ucd.ie with your STUDENT NUMBER.

Graduate Diploma students must select 60 credits from taught modules. Full-time students complete the degree in one year, while part-time students spread the workload over two years.

If you are interested in transferring to a Master's degree, please read the following carefully:
  • First, identify the Master's programme you wish to transfer to. See the 'View All Programmes' section of this page.
  • You must select the core and option modules of the Master's programme you wish to transfer to.
  • Full-time students must select 30 credits in the Autumn trimester, and part-time students must select 30 credits in their first year.

For more information, including the transfer criteria, please see the 'Transfer from Graduate Diploma to Masters' section below. We strongly recommend that you contact the SPIRe Graduate team at (opens in a new window)graduatespire@ucd.ie in mid-to-late September to double-check your module registration. Please include your student number and the Master's programme you wish to transfer to.

If this is a core module for your course, please contact the SPIRe Graduate Team at (opens in a new window)graduatespire@ucd.ie with your student number and the module's code and name. They will ensure you are enrolled correctly.

If an option module appears full, you should continue to check daily. Online module registration closes in mid-September, and many students add and drop modules up until the deadline, so spots often become available. Please do not contact the module coordinator or the School office about a full option module, as we do not have a waitlist policy. Unfortunately, there will be instances when your first-choice option modules are full. We cannot guarantee you a space on any option module.

If you would like to attend a module without receiving credit, you may choose to audit it. To do so, you must first obtain permission from the module coordinator by email.

Once you have received permission, please forward it to the SPIRe Graduate Team at (opens in a new window)graduatespire@ucd.ie, and they will register you as an audit student. You will gain access to the module on Brightspace and audited module(s) will appear on your transcript as “audited.”

Please note that, as an audit student, you may be expected to complete weekly readings and actively participate in class discussions.

If you have queries related to document verification, fee payment, UCD Connect account or email, please contact the Student Desk.

If you are having issues with module registration, please contact the SPIRe Graduate Team at (opens in a new window)graduatespire@ucd.ie When doing so, please provide the following information:

  • Your name and student number
  • Your programme (ie. MSc Human Rights)
  • Relevant module names and codes

Assessment

The methods of assessment vary from module to module, but may include a combination of written assignments, presentations, and/or a final exam. Details can be found in the course outlines or from the module coordinator.

All written work must be submitted to Brightspace. Submission links are located in the Assessment/Assignments section of each Brightspace page. A signed "Declaration of Authorship" form must be attached to your essay.

Download UCD SPIRe Declaration of Authorship WORD / PDF

Submission of hard-copy assignments is not normally required unless otherwise specified by your lecturer.

All work submitted for assessment must comply with the policy on plagiarism and the policy on re-use of assessed work. Please refer to the relevant section below. 

You should make every effort to submit your work on time. If you are experiencing difficulties, please contact the relevant module coordinator as early as possible. If coursework is submitted late without approved permission, the following penalties will apply:

  • 1 week late (up to 5 working days after submission):
    • Minus 1 grade point: A+ → A
  • 2 weeks late (up to 10 working days past submission)
    • Minus 2 grades: A+ → A-

Please refer to the (opens in a new window)University's Late Submission of Coursework Policy.

To apply for Late Submission of Coursework you must complete the (opens in a new window)Late Submission Google form Autumn 2025-26. (UCD login required)

It is better to apply for this in advance of any deadline date and to have already consulted with your Module Coordinator. If you require an extension of more than 10 working days, you should apply for Extenuating Circumstances. Please see the section below and the University's Extenuating Circumstances Policy for guidance.

SPIRe understands that sometimes circumstances outside your control can prevent you from completing assessments or sitting exams. Both the School of Politics and International Relations and UCD offer excellent support services for students who need them (see the relevant section below).

It's important to let us know about any problems as early as possible, ideally before the deadlines you're concerned about. This allows us to consider your situation when marking work or deciding whether a late penalty should apply to an essay. In such cases, you should speak directly with your module coordinator.

Application Procedure

Applications for extenuating circumstances are reviewed and decided by the College, not by SPIRe.

You should also familiarise yourself with the university's Extenuating Circumstances Policy. 

Plagiarism, either intentional or unintentional, is a very serious offence, and SPIRe takes possible incidents of Plagiarism very seriously. If you are unsure of what plagiarism is and how to avoid it please consult (opens in a new window)the library's helpful guide.

Self-plagiarism is also a case of plagiarism!- You must not present the same work in full or in part previously submitted at UCD or anywhere else. Please refer to the Policy on Academic Misconduct and Plagiarism section of the Handbook (PDF).

Student Support

SPIRe's faculty and staff are here to ensure your experience at UCD is as fulfilling and successful as possible. Your first points of contact will be your module coordinators, your programme directors, and the School's Graduate Administrator ((opens in a new window)graduatespire@ucd.ie).

Your designated student advisers are Holly Dignam and Kieran Moloney. They will meet youin confidence, either in person or by Zoom, please contact Holly or Kieran to arrange an appointment.

Changes to Modules / Student Status

Changing modules after two weeks into a term isn't generally permitted.

In mid-January, online module registration reopens, allowing you to change your Spring option modules. Refer to the UCD Key Dates for the registration schedule.

  • Students enrolled in SPIRe’s three Graduate Diploma programmes may apply for mid-year transfer into certain of the school’s master’s programmes:
  • Students in the Graduate Diploma in Politics and International Relations may be eligible to apply for transfer into the one of the following programmes:
  • Students in the Graduate Diploma in International Development may apply for transfer only into the MA International Development.
  • Students in the Graduate Diploma in Politics and Data Science may apply for transfer only to the MSc Politics and Data Science.
  • Due to the structure of their core curricula, the school’s other master’s programmes are generally not available for mid-year transfer. In special cases, exceptions may be made for students who have earned final marks of B or higher in the research design/method modules that these programmes require in the autumn trimester.
  • Students who wish to transfer must complete the core modules of the programme they wish to pursue. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure they are registered on the core modules of the relevant programme, which can be found in the Graduate Handbook.
  • In order to be eligible for transfer into one of the master’s programmes listed above, full-time Grad Dip students must pass (minimum D-) all marked modules taken in the autumn trimester and earn a minimum overall GPA of 3.2 (B-). A single IX in the autumn trimester will not disqualify a student from applying for transfer; students with multiple IXs who wish to transfer will be reviewed by the Graduate Studies Committee on a case-by-case basis. (For part-time students, see below.)
  • In order to apply for transfer, students must submit the (opens in a new window)SPIRe Thesis Proposal 2024-25 no later than 4pm on Friday, 17th January 2025. Failure to submit the proposal will be interpreted as a lack of interest in transferring to the Master's programme. It is solely the student’s responsibility to ensure that this application is submitted by the deadline. Applications will not be considered if they are submitted after the deadline.
  • Once applications are submitted, the school’s Postgraduate Administrator will confirm each applicant’s eligibility for transfer and then forward all eligible applications to the Graduate Studies Committee for review and decision. Decisions shall be communicated to the student by the Postgraduate Administrator.
  • Part-time GradDip students are covered by this same tpolicy, but all requirements related to Autumn trimester and Spring trimester apply instead to Year 1 and Year 2. The deadline for part-time applicants is Friday 1st August 2025.
  • Students who have successfully transferred to an MA programme are required to register for either POL42310 Thesis or POL42300 SPIRe Internship. For registration assistance, please contact the Postgraduate Administrator.
  • Students approved for transfer will be required to pay the difference in fees that will apply.
  • Students whose transfer applications are not approved will remain enrolled in their original Grad Dip programme.

A Leave of Absence (LoA) is an extended period of time away from a programme of study, at the request of the student, and approved by the relevant Governing Board. It enables you to take an approved and specified period of time away from your programme.

Details and Procedures

  • The maximum recommended amount of Leave of Absence is a period equal to one-third (1/3) of the total programme length.
  • New students are not eligible to apply until they have completed one full trimester.
  • Apply for your Leave of Absence as early as possible, ideally before the requested period begins. Applications can be submitted up to Week 8 of the relevant trimester.
  • Notify the School at (opens in a new window)graduatespire@ucd.ie before applying for a Leave of Absence through (opens in a new window)SISWeb
  • Once completed, you must notify the School again, so that your application will be processed promptly.

Further Information

Withdrawing from a Module

Students can withdraw from a module without academic penalty before the end of week 12 of a trimester or before the last day of teaching. However, withdrawing after Week 8 of teaching may result in a "Withdrawn" (WN) grade on your student record. Additionally, a module fee might be incurred if you withdraw after Week 8. 

To withdraw from a module, please write to the School at (opens in a new window)graduatespire@ucd.ie. 

Withdrawing from a Programme

SPIRe recognises that students may need to withdraw from their programme for a variety of reasons. If you are not continuing your programme, please follow the procedure below:

Further Information

Graduation and Beyond

Graduation, or conferral from UCD, generally takes place for Master's and Graduate Diploma students at the end of November/beginning of December.

This process is managed by the Conferring Unit.  All eligible students will receive an email from the Conferring Unit directly to their UCD email account approximately three to four weeks before the ceremony date.

What happens if I cannot attend?

We warmly invite you to stay connected with the School and with fellow graduates through the SPIRe Alumni LinkedIn group and mailing list.

These platforms allow faculty and alumni to share job opportunities, internships, events, and other updates that may be helpful as you plan your next steps.

If you haven’t already, we encourage you to sign up to the mailing list and request to join the LinkedIn group.

We look forward to staying in touch.

Electronic and hardcopy documents, such as Academic Transcripts and Diploma Supplements, can be obtained via the Student Desk. 

For documents not listed in the link above, please contact the School directly for assistance at (opens in a new window)graduatespire@ucd.ie and include your student number.

UCD School of Politics and International Relations (SPIRe)

School Office: G301, Newman Building, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.