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University College Dublin

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN (UCD) is one of Europe’s leading research-intensive universities where undergraduate education, postgraduate masters and PhD training, research, innovation and community engagement form a dynamic continuum of activity. The University was established in 1854 by John Henry Newman whose classic work The Idea of a University is one of the most enduring texts on the value of higher education and a source of inspiration for UCD’s current educational philosophy. Today UCD is Ireland’s largest university with almost 25,000 students. It is the most popular destination for Irish school-leavers and actively promotes university life as a journey of academic and personal discovery through its highly innovative and flexible UCD Horizons undergraduate curriculum. UCD is Ireland’s leader in postgraduate education with almost 7,000 postgraduate students, representing approximately 28% of the UCD student population, and almost 2,000 PhD students. Over 50% of UCD undergraduates progress to postgraduate studies. UCD is home to almost 5,000 international students and, in addition, places great emphasis on the internationalisation of the Irish student experience – preparing all UCD students for future employment and life that crosses borders, boundaries and cultures. The role of UCD within Irish higher education is underscored by the fact that UCD alone accounts for over 30% of international students, over 25% of all postgraduate students and almost 28% of all doctoral enrolments across the seven Irish universities.

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College of Letters and Science

• Doctor of Philosophy
• Master of Arts

The graduate program in philosophy is a small, collegial, and supportive program with a largely analytic orientation. The faculty specializes in a variety of areas, including history of philosophy (both ancient and modern), metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of language, philosophy of science (especially biology), philosophy of mathematics, philosophical logic, ethics, meta-ethics, and social and political philosophy. The program has both M.A. and Ph.D. tracks.

Graduate Program Requirements

Contact information.

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• PhD and MLitt Programmes

Postgraduate

• MA and MSc Programmes
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• The Challenges of Doing a PhD

Our Research PhD and MLitt Programmes

Prospective students are encouraged to contact possible supervisors to discuss PhD projects before application. See our faculty pages for the areas of research expertise .

UCD Philosophy runs a structured PhD programme of typically four years of full-time study.  In their first year, doctoral candidates are required to successfully complete three graduate modules, up to two of which may be taken at Trinity College.  After this, they complete a dissertation of approximately 80,000 words under the guidance of a doctoral panel. The panel is made up of the primary supervisor with whom the student works most closely, and two other members of staff.

There is also the option to finish earlier by writing an MLitt dissertation, which is half the length and does not have such stringent requirements of originality.

We have significant placement success with our PhD graduates, some of whom now work in Philosophy departments across Europe, the United States and China.

Recognising the PhD as a professional training for academia, UCD Philosophy supports its graduate researchers in several ways:

• Candidates are encouraged to take part in the numerous professional conferences and workshops held at the university and to travel to others abroad in their research areas;
• Candidates are facilitated in running conferences and workshops of their own, as well as organising and participating in reading groups/research seminars;
• Importantly, all doctoral candidates have the opportunity to gain valuable teaching experience by tutoring undergraduate courses (and are of course remunerated accordingly). Some opportunities to give occasional lectures may be provided to advanced candidates.

Special Option: Writing a PhD Thesis in French or German

The UCD School of Philosophy will consider, as part of a general application to its PhD programme, any request to submit a PhD thesis in the French or German language.

Please note : this option is only available under the usual admission conditions, namely

• the applicant should be otherwise academically suitable;
• the applicant must have certified competence in written English enabling him/her to take part in taught courses and to write work for such courses alongside English native speakers;
• availability of an appropriate supervisor.

Further conditions may also be stipulated after consideration on a case-by-case basis. Please contact (opens in a new window) [email protected] if you wish to discuss this possibility.

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Gillian Johnston

School manager & graduate administrator.

UCD School of Philosophy Newman Building University College Dublin Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland

Assistant Professor Tatjana von Solodkoff

Phd coordinator, ucd school of philosophy.

UCD Philosophy is ranked among the Top 100 Departments of Philosophy worldwide (QS World University Rankings 2017, 2018, 2023 and 2024)

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Doctoral Degree

Candidates in the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in ECE are expected to make an original and significant contribution to knowledge in a specialized area. The ECE Ph.D. program consists of passing a preliminary Ph.D. evaluation—an individualized program of study—performing satisfactorily on a qualifying examination and completing a research dissertation. 

• Admissions Requirements

Consideration for admission requires completion of Graduate Studies’ online application, with fee payment, by the stated deadline. Application deadlines are updated yearly and are available on our  "preparing to apply" page . Applications are submitted online through the Office of Graduate Studies. Additional materials required for admission consideration include:

♦   A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. International applicants must meet an equivalent minimal level of study; Transcripts from each college-level institution attended; ♦   Three letters of recommendation; ♦   A Statement of Purpose, and a Personal History and Diversity Statement; ♦    Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is not required for applications to the PhD program ; ♦   TOEFL or IELTS score (if applicable); International applicants must meet the Office of Graduate Studies' minimum score requirement. Applicants who believe they may be eligible for a TOEFL or IELTS waiver should consult the Office of Graduate Studies page for international applicants for eligibility requirements. Meeting some or all of the minimum criteria does not guarantee admission, but merely eligibility. Admission decisions are made on a case-by-case basis, with emphasis placed on the promise of success in graduate studies and research, as judged by the students’ previous research experience, college record, statement of purpose and letters of recommendation. The decision to recommend admission to the Dean of Graduate Studies will be made by the Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Program Admissions Committee on the basis of available space and the competitiveness of the eligible applicant pool.

Applicants to the Ph.D. program are strongly encouraged to communicate with potential research advisors (major professors) prior to admission to the program. It is important that the prospective students contact faculty in the ECE Graduate Program (ECEGP) whose laboratories are conducting research in areas the student wishes to pursue, in order to introduce themselves and inquire about faculty willingness to accept a new student in this degree program. This process of communicating with potential major professors should begin in the fall, prior to the relevant application deadline. Applicants should take the initiative to inquire about future research directions of laboratories, exchange research ideas with potential major professors, and make every effort to identify viable research opportunities. While formal acceptance to a research group cannot occur prior to admission, it is strongly recommended that contacts should be far-enough developed such that a tentative identification of a research advisor is made concurrently with an offer of admission.

♦    Prerequisites : None. ♦    Deficiencies : Admitted students not holding a bachelor’s degree in electrical and computer engineering must complete a remedial course plan.

Students with a background other than electrical or computer engineering will meet with the ECE Graduate Advisor during their first quarter of residence to determine the required sequence of remedial courses. Students must demonstrate competency by completing the remedial course requirements, obtaining a grade of B or better in six of the courses listed below, or their equivalents. The six courses must be selected from at least three of the six areas listed.

1) Active and Passive Circuits: EEC110A Electronic Circuits I EEC110B Electronic Circuits II 2) Electromagnetics: EEC130A Introductory Electromagnetics I EEC130B Introductory Electromagnetics II 3) Physical Electronics: EEC140A Principles of Device Physics I EEC140B Principles of Device Physics II 4) Signals and Systems: EEC150 Introduction to Signals and Systems I EEC151 Introduction to Signals and Systems II 5) Computer Engineering: ECS30 Introduction to Programming and Problem Solving ECS40 Introduction to Software Development 6) Digital Systems: EEC170 Introduction to Computer Architecture EEC180A Digital Systems I EEC180B Digital Systems II None of these courses can be counted toward an ECE graduate degree and cannot be taken on an “S/U” basis. Remedial courses may be taken concurrently with courses used to satisfy graduate degree requirements and must be completed prior to advancing to candidacy.

• Course Requirements

♦   Core Courses : None ♦    Elective Courses : None ♦    Summary :

Doctoral students must acquire both a broad knowledge of the theoretical and practical aspects of their field of study, and in-depth knowledge of an area within their field. The minimum required number of units differ for students with and without an MS degree in ECE. A doctoral program of study must contain (exclusive of EEC200, EEC29X seminar series and EEC299 courses) at least: • 36 200-level graduate course units if the student does not have an MS degree in ECE. 1). 20 units must be from 200-level EEC courses 2). 16 units can be from 200-level EEC or non-EEC courses • 20 200-level graduate course units if the student has an MS degree in ECE. 1). 12 units must be from 200-level EEC courses 2). 8 units can be from 200-level EEC or non-EEC courses Among the total number of units listed in the program of study, at least 24 units must be taken at the UC Davis. Coursework used to fulfill degree requirements may not be taken S/U unless the course is normally graded S/U. For courses listed on the program of study, a grade point average of at least 3.5 is required. Only courses in the 200 series in which the student receives a minimum grade of “B-“ or “S” (290X series) may be counted in satisfaction of the requirements for the PhD degree. A course in which a student receives a “C+” or lower cannot be used to satisfy the unit requirement for the PhD degree but will count in determining the grade point average. A Doctoral Program of Study must be approved by the Major Professor, the PhD Guidance Committee, the PhD Advisor, and the ECE Graduate Study Committee. The Doctoral Program of Study form must be completed and submitted within the first 7 days of the fall quarter immediately following the passing of the Doctoral Preliminary Examination. A revised Program of Study must be submitted, and approved, each time changes are made to the coursework plan. Students must enroll in a minimum of 12 units per quarter including research, academic and seminar units. Once course requirements are completed, students can take additional classes as needed, although the 12 units per quarter are generally fulfilled with research units (290C and 299). Per UC regulations students cannot enroll in more than 12 units of graduate level courses (200) or more than 16 units of combined undergraduate and graduate level (100, 200, 300) courses per quarter.   

• Special Requirements

All graduate students are required to take EEC290, Seminar in Electrical and Computer Engineering each quarter that it is offered. An S grade in EEC390, the Teaching of Electrical and Computer Engineering, is required to be eligible to hold a Teaching Assistantship in ECE, but may not be used to satisfy graduate coursework requirements. International students may need to take LIN25, LIN26, LIN391, or a combination thereof, to meet university language proficiency requirements.

ECE requires an exit seminar. This seminar is administered by at least three faculty, who are members of the Dissertation Reading Committee or were members of the Qualifying Examination Committee for the student, and must be completed before the dissertation can be filed.

♦    Admissions Committee Once the completed application, all supporting materials and the application fee have been received, the application will be submitted to the Admissions Committee. The Admissions Committee consists of the faculty members of ECE’s Graduate Study Committee (GSC) and the GSC Admissions Chair. Applicants who apply by the space available deadline (but after the general deadline) are not guaranteed to have their application reviewed by the graduate program. Their application will be reviewed only if the graduate program determines that they have additional space available. Based on a review of the entire application, a recommendation is made to accept or decline an applicant’s request for admission. The recommendation to accept or decline an applicant’s request for admission is forwarded to the Dean of Graduate Studies for final approval of admission. Notification of admissions decisions will be sent by Graduate Studies. Applications are accepted from the date the admission system opens (typically in September) through the Space Available Deadline for the next fall-entering class.

♦    Major Professor Selection The student must select a major professor from the members of the ECE Graduate Program (ECEGP) by the end of the first quarter of enrollment. In the case of a change in major professor, signatures of the previous and new major professor are required acknowledging the change. ECE’s Vice Chair for Graduate Studies, also referred to as the Graduate Program Chair, will serve as the interim advisor to the new students during the process of selecting a major professor.

♦    Preliminary Examination Committee Examination panels will be composed of two faculty members in each of the following six areas: (1) physical electronics, (2) signals and systems, (3) electromagnetics, (4) active and passive circuits, (5) systems and software and (6) digital system design.

♦    Course Guidance Committee The student must declare a Ph.D. Guidance Committee after passing the Preliminary Examination. This committee is chaired by the major professor and is made up of at least two other members. The majority of this committee must be members of the ECEGP. The responsibility of this committee is to guide the student through their program of study until the Ph.D. qualifying exam is taken.

♦    Qualifying Examination Committee The Qualifying Examination (QE) Committee consists of five faculty members including the major professor and at least one member from the student’s minor area. The majority of this committee must be members of the ECE Graduate Program. At least one member must be from outside of the ECE Graduate Program. The chair must be someone other than the student’s major professor. In consultation with his/her major professor and Graduate Advisor, the student nominates five faculty members to serve on the Qualifying Examination Committee. These nominations are submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies for formal appointment in accordance with Graduate Council policy. The committee conducts the exam and submits results to the Office of Graduate Studies.

♦    Dissertation Reading Committee The Dissertation Reading Committee is a three-member committee identified by the student, in consultation with the major professor. The committee is chaired by the major professor and is made up of at least two other members. The majority of this committee must be members of the ECE Graduate Program. The third member can be either a member of the ECE Graduate Program or the Academic Senate. If the third member of the committee is neither a member of the ECE Graduate Program nor the Academic Senate, a request for an external committee membership must be completed and approved by the Graduate Advisor. If the student wishes to include two members outside the ECE Graduate Program on their committee, a four-person committee may be established. The composition of the dissertation committee is entered on the Advancement to Candidacy form and submitted to Graduate Studies for formal appointment in accordance with Graduate Council policy.

The role of the Dissertation Reading Committee is to advise the doctoral student of the research topic and methods, then to review the final completed dissertation for acceptance. The Dissertation Reading Committee Chairperson should ascertain the level of interest from other committee members regarding their direct participation in the research and dissertation review at the time the committee is constituted. Students are expected to meet with the Chair of their dissertation committee regularly. The dissertation must be reviewed and approved (via signature) by all members of this committee. Dissertation committee members are expected to read and comment on a dissertation within four weeks from its submission. This time limit policy does not apply to summer periods for faculty holding nine-month appointments. The student and faculty will coordinate a timeline for the student to present the thesis to the dissertation committee. This timeline must allow all dissertation committee members enough time to fulfill their responsibilities within the four-week deadline.

• Advising Structure and Mentoring

The  major professor  is the faculty member who assists the student in preparing a detailed program of study and who supervises the student’s research and dissertation. The major professor serves as the Chair of the Ph.D. Guidance Committee and Dissertation Committee. The major professor also serves as a member of the Qualifying Exam Committee.

The  Graduate Advisor , who is nominated by the department chair and appointed by the Dean of Graduate Studies, is a resource for information on academic requirements, policies and procedures and registration information until the Ph.D. Guidance Committee is formed.

The  Graduate Program Coordinator  should be the first person consulted on all actions regarding graduate affairs. The Graduate Program Coordinator may advise the student to contact the ECE Graduate Advisor or the Office of Graduate Studies to address particular issues.

• Advancement to Candidacy

Before advancing to candidacy for a doctoral degree, a student must have satisfied all requirements set by the graduate program, maintained a minimum GPA of 3.5 in all coursework listed on the program of study and passed both the Preliminary and Qualifying Examinations. Normally, students advance to candidacy by the end of their ninth quarter. The student must file the appropriate paperwork with the Office of Graduate Studies and pay the candidacy fee in order to be officially promoted to Ph.D. Candidacy. Refer to the Graduate Council website for additional details regarding the Doctoral Qualifying Examination at  http://gradstudies.ucdavis.edu/gradcouncil/policiesall.html .

• Doctoral Preliminary Oral Examination

The Ph.D. preliminary evaluation process is based on an oral examination and a letter of support from a Major Professor if the result of the oral examination is intermediate.  Schedule and Application If you intend to take the oral examination, please attend the Preparing for the Prelim Workshop on Friday October 20th on Zoom 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. for instructions on how to register for the exams as well as suggestions on how to prepare. Please note that, as students taking the exam, you should not discuss the prelim problems with the examiners before or after the exams. The Preliminary exam will be held the week of January 22, 2024 and the times will be announced later once we complete the signup process. Applications for the preliminary exam are due to the Graduate Coordinator by 5 p.m. on November 3rd.  Topics The oral Examination will be offered in the six areas listed below. Students are required to take the examination in at least two and no more than three areas. Scores of two areas leading to the best outcome will be used. One of these two areas should be a research area of their Major Professor. ♦    Electromagnetics This material is typically covered in courses EEC130A and EEC130B. Specific topics include: Electrostatics and magnetostatics. Solutions of simple boundary value problems of Maxwell’s equations in free space and in dielectrics Plane electromagnetic waves in lossfree and lossy media. Reflection and transmission of waves at boundaries (normal and oblique incidence) Transmission lines (impedance, reflection, transmission, matching, power) Guided waves in hollow rectangular metal guides ♦    Physical Electronics This material is typically covered in courses EEC140A-B and EEC145A. Specific topics include: Solid-state basics: crystal structure, electronic states, vibrational states, optical properties, electronic and heat transport properties of solids (insulators, metals, and semiconductors) Semiconductor technology: contacts, heterojunctions, pn junctions, bipolar transistors, and FETs Optical devices: LEDs, photodiodes, and photoconductors ♦    Active and Passive Circuits This material is typically covered in courses E17, EEC100, and EEC110A-B. Specific topics include: Complete time domain response of RLC circuits. Analysis of RLC circuits in complex frequency domain and with phasors. Analysis of Operational Amplifier circuits. Large- and small-signal device models for MOSFET, JFET, and BJT Large- and small-signal analysis of circuits containing active devices ♦    Signals and Systems This material is typically covered in courses EEC100, EEC150A, EEC150B, EEC157A, and EEC160. Specific topics include: Discrete- and continuous-time linear time-invariant systems and their difference- and differential equation descriptions (EEC150A, EEC150B) Discrete and continuous convolution (EEC150A, EEC150B) Laplace transform, Z transform, and transfer functions (EEC100, EEC150A, EEC150B) Fourier series and transform analysis of continuous-time signals (EEC150A, EEC160) The discrete-time Fourier transform (DTFT) and discrete Fourier transform (DFT) for discrete-time signals (EEC150B) Filtered signals (EEC150A, EEC150B), time-sampled signals (EEC150B), and amplitude-modulated signals (EEC160) Sampling theorem for bandlimited signals (EEC150A, EEC160) Bode plots (EEC100, EEC157A) Block diagram representation of transfer functions, signal flow graphs, feedback, stability, root loci (EEC150A, EEC150B, EEC157A) ♦    Computer Systems and Software This material is typically covered in courses EEC70, EEC170, ECS60, ECS122, and ECS150. Specific topics include: Assembly Language Instruction Set Design Instruction Pipelining Memory Hierarchy Data Structures: Arrays, Linked Lists, Graphs, Trees. Algorithms: Sorting, Searching, Hashing, Optimization. Basics of algorithm analysis Process Management File Systems ♦    Digital System Design This material is typically covered in courses EEC180A, EEC180B, and EEC172. Specific topics include: Boolean Algebra Combinational Logic Sequential Logic: Flip-flops, Clocking Programmable Logic Finite State Machines: Implementation & Optimization Memory Organization Computer Arithmetic Microprocessor-based System Design

• Preliminary Examination

♦   General Information The purpose of the Ph.D. preliminary examination process is to determine a student’s potential for independent research. All students are encouraged to take the preliminary examination as soon as possible after entry into the graduate program. Students admitted to the Ph.D. program who already have an M.S. degree in ECE must pass the preliminary examination within two years of admission. Students not in possession of an M.S. degree in ECE when admitted must pass the examination within their first three years. To participate in the Ph.D. preliminary examination process, a student must be in good academic standing, have full-time status, and have a major professor who signs a statement indicating his/her willingness to supervise the student provided that the student secures a “clear pass” in the examination process. A student may not participate in the examination more than twice. The Ph.D. preliminary examination process is based on an oral examination and a letter of support from a major professor if the result of the oral examination is intermediate. Each preliminary examination period takes place during the winter quarter

♦   Oral Examination The examination will be given by two faculty members in each of the following six areas: (1) physical electronics, (2) signals and systems, (3) electromagnetics, (4) active and passive circuits, (5) systems and software and (6) digital system design. Students are required to take the examination in at least two and no more than three areas. Scores of two areas leading to the best outcome will be used. One of these two areas should be a research area of their major professor. The faculty examiners will restrict themselves to questions on the topics described in the document “Preliminary Examination Topics” which will be available each year during the fall quarter. Nevertheless, since the purpose of the examination is to assess research potential, the questions may be significantly less structured than questions on written examinations, and the follow-up questions may range over a broad spectrum of related material. Each examining panel can decide the length of its exam but it must be between 15 and 30 minutes long. The oral exams will be finished by the end of the third week of the winter quarter.

♦   Scoring Each of the two examiners present will assign a score from 1 to 4, with fractional scores allowed. Generally, `1′ means a clear fail, `2′ means a marginal fail, `3′ means a marginal pass and `4′ means a clear pass. A total score of 16 is possible and the maximum exam score of each area, which is the sum of two individual scores, is 8. The following determinations are made from scores of four examiners in two areas:

  1) Clear pass if all of the following holds: the sum of all four scores is at least 12, the exam score of each area is at least 5, and no individual score (from any  of the four examiners) is less than two.   2) Intermediate result if the student does not get a clear pass but the exam score of each area is at least 4.   3) Clear fail if the student does not achieve either a clear pass or an intermediate result. ♦   Letter from Major Professor for Intermediate Result Cases A student who secures a "clear pass" has no other requirements and is allowed to proceed with their Ph.D. program. However, for a student in the intermediate range, a letter of support from the major professor is needed. It is understood that in order for a student to pass, the letter will have to be stronger if the student did poorly on the oral examination. The student should discuss what information their major professor will require them to provide in order to write the letter. The letter should not be more than two pages long and should be received by the Graduate Program Coordinator by the end of the sixth week of the winter quarter.

♦   Outcome of the Exam for Intermediate Result Cases The Ph.D. Preliminary Examination Committee will make a recommendation on each intermediate result case by the end of the eighth week of the winter quarter. The ECE Graduate Program faculty vote will determine the final outcome, either pass or fail, by the end of the winter quarter.

• Qualifying Examination

♦   General Information The purpose of the Doctoral Qualifying Examination (QE) is to determine the student’s preparation to pursue his or her proposed research. It should be scheduled at the time when the student has completed all of the necessary course work and the preparation for doctoral research.

To be eligible for examination, the student must have completed all courses in their approved Doctoral Program of Study and remedial requirements (if applicable) and passed the Preliminary Examination. A grade point average of at least 3.5 in courses on the Ph.D. Program of Study is required. At least one month before the qualifying examination is taken, a student must contact the ECE Graduate Advisor, who will confirm that all the Ph.D. courses requirements have been met and the selection of a Ph.D. Qualifying Examination (QE) Committee will be initiated.

Students must have full-time status during the quarter in which they take their QE. The QE must be taken as soon as coursework has been completed, typically by the 9th quarter. In no instance can the exam be taken later than two quarters before the completion of the doctoral program.

The Doctoral Qualifying Examination may be used to fulfill certain requirements for the M.S. Plan II degree, see Master of Science degree requirements .

♦   Written Portion of the Exam – Research Proposal The student must submit a research proposal to each committee member at least 10 days before the oral portion of the exam. The format of the research proposal is flexible, but it should clearly indicate the problem under study, the progress made toward a solution, the work remaining to be done and the methods to be used in the remainder of the work.

♦   Oral Portion of the Exam The oral examination will focus on the major and minor areas of the student’s doctoral program of study. The examination is not strictly limited to these areas, as the examination is intended to test the student’s mastery of a large field of knowledge and potential for scholarly research, which is generally broader than the dissertation field.

♦    Outcome of the Exam The committee will reach a decision on the student’s performance immediately after the oral exam. The committee, having reached a unanimous decision, shall inform the student of its decision to:

“Pass” (no conditions may be appended to this decision), “Not Pass” (the chair’s report should specify whether the student is required to retake all or part of the examination, list any additional requirements, and state the exact timeline for completion of requirements to achieve a “pass”) If a unanimous decision takes the form of “not pass” or “fail,” the chair of the QE committee must include in its report a specific statement, agreed to by all members of the committee, explaining its decision and must inform the student of its decision. Having received a “not pass,” the student may attempt the QE one additional time and the QE report must list the specific conditions and timing for the second exam. After a second examination, a vote of “not pass” is unacceptable—only “pass” or “fail” is recognized. Only one retake of the qualifying examination is allowed. Should the student receive a “fail” on the first or second attempt at the exam, they will be recommended for disqualification from the program to the Dean of Graduate Studies. In the event that the committee is unable to reach a unanimous decision, the outcome will be resolved through the Dean of Graduate Studies as well as the Graduate Council, in accordance with the procedures detailed in the Graduate Advisors Handbook GS-202.

• Dissertation Requirements

♦   Exit Seminar The dissertation follows Plan B with a required exit seminar. The exit seminar is open to the public. At least three faculty, who are members of the Ph.D. Dissertation Reading Committee or were members of the Qualifying Examination Committee for the student, must be in attendance. Upon completion of the exit seminar, students must submit an Exit Seminar Verification form. This form (and the seminar) must be completed before the dissertation can be filed.

An exit seminar notice will go out to graduate program members and graduate students in the department. The student will provide the Graduate Program Coordinator with the date, time, location, major professor and abstract one week prior to the seminar.

♦   Dissertation: General Requirements Filing of a Ph.D. dissertation with the Office of Graduate Studies is normally the last requirement satisfied by the candidate. The deadlines for completing this requirement are listed each quarter in the campus General Catalog (available online at the website of the Office of the Registrar or from the Bookstore). A candidate must be a registered student or in filing fee status at the time of filing a dissertation, with the exception of the summer period between the end of the spring quarter and the beginning of fall quarter. The Ph.D. dissertation will be prepared, submitted and filed according to regulations instituted by the Office of Graduate Studies ( http://gradstudies.ucdavis.edu/students/filing.html ). Satisfaction of this requirement must be verified by the Dissertation Reading Committee Chair.

♦   Dissertation: The doctoral dissertation should be an original substantial contribution to knowledge in the student’s major field. It must demonstrate the ability to carry out a program of original research and to report the results in accordance with standards observed in recognized scientific journals.

• Normative Timeline

• Sources of Funding
• Please see more information on helpful funding resources .
• PELP, In Absentia and Filing Fee Status

Information about PELP (Planned Educational Leave), in absentia (reduced fees when researching out of state) and filing fee status can be found in the Graduate Student Guide:  https://gradstudies.ucdavis.edu/postdoctoral/forms-information/guides-handbooks .

In order to be approved for filing fee status, a student must submit the filing fee request, along with signatures of all three members of the Ph.D. Dissertation Reading Committee, stating they have received an acceptable working draft of the dissertation. This application must be routed through the ECE Graduate Program Coordinator for the ECE Graduate Advisor’s approval and then must be filed with Graduate Studies. Filing fee is available for one quarter only, but extensions may be approved on a case-by-case basis. In the event that filing fee status expires, the student must file a readmission application.

• Leaving the Program Prior to Completion of Ph.D. Requirements

Should a student leave the program prior to completing the requirements for the Ph.D., they may still be eligible to receive the master’s degree if they have fulfilled all the requirements. Students can use the Change of Degree Objective form available from the Registrar’s Office:  http://registrar.ucdavis.edu/local_resources/forms/D065-graduate-major-degree-change.pdf .

Philosophy Department

Ph.d. placements.

Placement Data for the UC Davis Doctoral Program in Philosophy

Since the year 2000, our Ph.D. program has taken in about four new students per year, and it has averaged about 25 Ph.D. students in total at any one time. Approximately 25 percent of our entering Ph.D. students have completed the program and received a tenure-track academic job offer within 10 years of entering the program. Of the remaining 75 percent, some transferred to other Ph.D. programs in philosophy, some left the field without completing the Ph.D., some completed the Ph.D. program at UC Davis and did not seek academic employment, and some found academic employment in non-tenure-track positions.

This is a comprehensive roster showing placement information for each of the graduates of the Department of Philosophy doctoral program, dating back to 1971, when we awarded our first Ph.D. The list is complete and accurate to the best of our knowledge, but we may be unaware of some recent developments. We welcome updates and corrections.

Key to abbreviations:

• VAP: Visiting assistant professor or non-tenure-track assistant professor
• P: Postdoc or other fellowship
• TT: Tenure-track or equivalent
• T: Tenure or equivalent

Any entry not marked with one of the above abbreviations is either a non-tenure track academic position (e.g., adjunct instructor) or a non-academic position.

Philosophy MPhil/PhD

London, Bloomsbury

This is the programme information for 2024 entry

If you require details of this year's programme, Philosophy MPhil/PhD (2025), click here

The Philosophy MPhil/PhD at UCL provides a route for students to produce a thesis of original research under the guidance of their supervisor(s) at a department with a world-leading research reputation.

UK tuition fees (2024/25)

Overseas tuition fees (2024/25), programme starts, applications accepted.

• Entry requirements

The usual prerequisite for the MPhil/PhD is a one-year research degree in Philosophy or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. Direct admission to the PhD requires the MPhil Stud (or equivalent). All applicants for research degrees must submit two short pieces of work, of about 2,000 words each, with their application.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 2

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website .

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

In REF 2021 our research activity was assessed as among the best in the country: 60% of our activity was assessed as world-leading (4*). The department has a lively and flourishing postgraduate community, and advanced research students are offered opportunities to gain teaching experience. We enjoy collaborative connections with other London universities, as well as the nearby Royal Institute of Philosophy, the Aristotelian Society, and the University of London Institute of Philosophy.

Who this course is for

The PhD in Philosophy is for applicants who have completed a period of postgraduate training that included a large research component and are now seeking to develop an advanced critical analysis in a specific area of Philosophy. Please view the areas we can support in terms of supervision for more details.

What this course will give you

The doctoral programme at UCL provides students with the opportunity to conduct original research in philosophy in one of the UK's top philosophy departments, under the supervision of prominent academics in the field. The PhD programme is designed to prepare students for an academic career, whether it be via the MPhil/PhD or the PhD following on from the MPhil Stud (or equivalent), by ensuring that students receive grounding across a range of topics as well as producing a research thesis.

The foundation of your career

The department has an outstanding job placement record in a highly competitive academic market. The most successful candidates in this market are valued for their range of teaching competence, provided by the taught elements of the MPhil/PhD programme, as well as for their particular area of specialisation, determined by the research topic of their doctoral thesis. During the course of the programme, students receive training in presentation skills, interview practice and teaching methods, and are encouraged to present their research at the department's Work in Progress seminars, and at graduate and academic conferences in the UK and overseas.

Employability

Recent graduates with a PhD in Philosophy from UCL have gained prestigious academic fellowships, as well as postdoctoral placements in the UK and elsewhere in Europe. Some example destinations are the University of Oxford, the University of London, the University of Cambridge, the University of Sheffield, the University of Antwerp, the University of Toronto, the University of Dublin and Leipzig University. Others have gone on to lectureships in the UK, for instance at the University of Oxford, the University of York, and LSE, and overseas at the University of Cape Town and the University of Melbourne. Those who have not pursued an academic career have entered a variety of professions, including law, public policy, and publishing.

The department has links with US universities (Berkeley, Columbia and Yale). Academic staff are involved in the running of the Aristotelian Society, the main philosophy society in the UK. Others are involved in running the Institute of Classical Studies lecture series, and the Keeling Colloquia and Lectures in ancient philosophy. Philosophy graduate students host a philosophy conference at the start of every year, and co-organise an annual graduate philosophy conference with graduate students at Berkeley. The Royal Institute of Philosophy lecture series, by the Institute of Philosophy at Senate House, is open to our graduate students.

Teaching and learning

PhD students meet regularly in term time with their supervisors.  As well as their primary and secondary supervisors they can request a term’s supervision with another member of staff.

The department also arranges reading groups and conferences, both internally and in collaboration with other UCL departments and/or other London university philosophy departments, and students receive guidance on setting up their own reading groups.

All doctoral students have numerous opportunities to apply for work as a Post Graduate Teaching Assistants (PGTA) in the department. This experience develops their teaching skills and deepens their philosophical expertise.

The PhD degree is awarded on the basis of a thesis of between 60,000 and 80,000 words. The candidate is also given a viva voce examination.

PhD students should treat their research programme as a full-time job, which equates roughly to 35 hours per week (or 15 hours for part-time students). In term time, students are expected to meet regularly with their assigned term supervisor, usually fortnightly.

Research areas and structure

• Ancient Philosophy
• Epistemology
• History of 20th-Century Philosophy
• Metaphysics
• Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Continental Philosophy 
• Nineteenth Century German Philosophy
• Philosophy of Language
• Philosophy of Mind
• Philosophy of Perception
• Political Philosophy

Research environment

As a research student, you will join the department's lively and flourishing postgraduate community. The department is located in the centre of the rich philosophical life of Bloomsbury and this means we enjoy collaborative connections with other London universities, as well as nearby philosophical Institutes and Societies, whose activities you will be able to gain access to. Our research students run seminars and reading groups, along with organising events for faculty and external speakers.  The doctoral programme provides you with the opportunity to conduct original research in philosophy in one of UK's top philosophy departments . You may be supervised by prominent academics in your field of research. The PhD programme is designed to prepare you for an academic career, by ensuring that you receive grounding across a range of topics as well as producing a research thesis. During the course of the programme, you will receive training in presentation skills, interview practice and teaching methods, and are encouraged to present your research at the department's Work in Progress seminars, and at graduate and academic conferences in the UK and overseas. Our staff cover a broad range of specialisms including 19th-century German Philosophy, Ancient Philosophy, Epistemology, Ethics, Philosophy of Language, Philosophy of Mind and Political Philosophy.

The length of registration for the MPhil/PhD in Philosophy is 3 years full-time. It requires students to take graduate courses assessed by way of several papers in their first year, and, provided they successfully upgrade to the PhD, to produce a thesis of original research under the guidance of their supervisor(s). You will receive supervision each term from either a member of your supervision team or other members of staff in the department who have expertise relevant to your research. The PhD degree is awarded on the basis of the thesis and a viva voce examination.

The length of registration for the MPhil/PhD in Philosophy is 5 years for part-time study at UCL. It requires students to take graduate courses assessed by way of several papers in their first year, and, provided they successfully upgrade to the PhD, to produce a thesis of original research under the guidance of their supervisor(s). You will receive supervision each term from either a member of your supervision team or other members of staff in the department who have expertise relevant to your research. The PhD degree is awarded on the basis of the thesis and a viva voce examination.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble accessable.co.uk . Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services team .

Fees and funding

Fees for this course.

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees .

Additional costs

The department strives to keep additional costs low. Books and journal articles are usually available via the UCL library (hard copies or via e-journal subscriptions).

The wealth of departmental seminars / colloquiums / symposiums and student-organised Work in Progress sessions give ample opportunities to present research, receive feedback and participate in discussion.

Furthermore, the department’s membership to the University of London’s Institute of Philosophy enables participation in intercollegiate conferences and workshops where the above opportunities can be experienced with a wider audience.

The department has limited funding for which it may be possible to apply to help offset the cost of travel to conferences in the UK or overseas.

For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at Accommodation and living costs .

Funding your studies

MPhil/PhD and PhD candidates can apply for AHRC funding through the London Arts & Humanities Partnership (LAHP), whose members are UCL, King's College London, Queen Mary University of London, the London School of Economics & Political Science, the School of Advanced Study at the University of London, Royal Central School of Speech & Drama, Royal College of Art, and Royal College of Music. Other scholarships and sources of funding may be available. You should take note of funding application deadlines as these can differ from programme application deadlines.

The department has a set of funds from which to offer awards to research students allocated on the basis of academic merit. These include the Keeling Scholarships in ancient philosophy, covering UK/EU fees and maintenance matching AHRC funding. These and other scholarships are listed on our Graduate Research Degrees pages.

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website .

Quirk PhD Scholarship

Deadline: 26 January 2024 Value: Fees and maintenance (3yrs) Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need Eligibility: UK

The MPhil/PhD and PhD start date is September each year. Please attach two samples of your written work (2,000 words each) in addition to your research proposal. For more information see our How to apply page.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

Year of entry: 2025-2026

Year of entry: 2024-2025, got questions get in touch.

[email protected]

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2024-2025 General Catalog

Neuroscience, Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Studies

Office & Contact Information

Graduate Study

The Graduate Group in Neuroscience offers programs of study leading to the Ph.D. degree. Neuroscience is a broad, interdepartmental program with faculty interests ranging from molecular biophysics of channels to cortical organization and cognition. A major goal of the program is to prepare students for careers as research scientists. Details of the program may be obtained from the Group office.

The Master of Science degree is offered only en route to the Ph.D.

Graduate Advisors

A. Nord (Med: Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences), R. Chaudhuri (Neurobiology, Physiology & Behavior), D. Fioravante (Neurobiology, Physiology & Behavior), G. Gurkoff (Med: Neurological Surgery), T. Hanks (Med: Neurology), R. Mangun (Psychology)

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Graduate Research Degrees

• Masters Research

PhD Research Programmes

UCD School of Archaeology welcomes applications from potential PhD students in all fields related to Archaeology or World Heritage. A UCD PhD is a four year research degree, undertaken within a clearly structured programme including training, taught modules, a Research and Professional Development Plan and opportunities to develop teaching skills.

All students are assigned a primary supervisor and a variety of academic supports. Students are supported in their programme of independent research which will normally culminate in the production of research worthy of peer-reviewed publications.

All UCD School of Archaeology staff are experienced in supervision of PhD students and have wide ranging expertise, with current field projects in many parts of Europe and Asia and School research interests spanning from heritage management through to experimental archaeology.

Many of our PhD students have been successful in obtaining Postdoctoral funding following their research.

• Further information about UCD's structured PhD programme can be found here >>

For current PhD Researchers UCD supports and procedures can be  found here >> . Current information and downloads for your Research and Professional Development Plan (RPDP)  can be found here >>

How to apply

Any candidate considering a PhD is required to complete a detailed project proposal. These should be developed in collaboration with your potential supervisor. An essential first step is making contact with a potential supervisor to discuss possible research topics.

Contact the Graduate Director if you have any queries about which staff member may be most relevant to your proposed research. 

Full-time and Part-time options are available.

For further information, please contact the (opens in a new window) School Graduate Director' page" href="https://people.ucd.ie/brendan.oneill" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> (opens in a new window) (opens in a new window) School Graduate Director (Dr Brendan O'Neill). We look forward to hearing about your proposed research.

Online application

Applications to UCD can be made online here: Online Applications

Fees and costs

• Further information about fees can be found on the UCD Fees web site  

IRC Postgraduate Scholarship Applicants

If you are interested in applying for a Government of Ireland IRC (Irish Research Council) Postgraduate Scholarship, in the first instance please contact your proposed PhD supervisor and the (opens in a new window) School Graduate' page" href="https://people.ucd.ie/brendan.oneill" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> (opens in a new window) (opens in a new window) School Graduate Director (Dr Brendan O'Neill) to discuss your proposal.

(opens in a new window) Further information about postgraduate funding schemes run by the IRC can be found here >>' page" href="http://research.ie/funding-category/postgraduate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> (opens in a new window) (opens in a new window) Further information about postgraduate funding schemes run by the IRC can be found here >>

Please read the terms and conditions carefully.

Documentation required for Applications for PhD/MLitt in Archaeology or World Heritage:

All Applicants must include:

• A current CV. 
• Transcripts 
• Two academic references
• English Language Proficiency if English is not your first language
• Description of the project
• Location of the project within the current state of research
• Significance of the project for research.

Contact UCD School of Archaeology