Structured PhD Programmes at NUI Galway
The core component of the structured PhD programme is the advancement of
knowledge through original research. It is a formalised integrated programme of
education, training and research.
Here at NUI Galway, you can enter a
structured PhD programme in any of our five Colleges.
Please click on the links below to get a brief overview on the offerings from each of
the Colleges:
College of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies http://www.nuigalway.ie/arts/structured.html
College of Business, Public Policy & Law http://www.nuigalway.ie/courses/research-postgraduateprogrammes/structured-phd/business-public-policy-law.html
College of Engineering & Informatics
http://www.nuigalway.ie/faculties_departments/engineering/structured_phd.html
College of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences http://www.nuigalway.ie/colleges/mnhs/research.html
College of Science http://www.nuigalway.ie/science/rgroups.html
College of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies
Overview
The College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Celtic Studies welcomes students in
languages, literature and philosophy, as well as in the historical, legal, social,
behavioural and mathematical sciences. The College is the largest in the
University, with some 7,000 students in taught programmes and in research.
It is at the centre of major collaborative research projects, working closely
with other universities nationally and internationally. The College offers a
wide range of Structured PhD Programmes, including those pertaining to
individual disciplines that are affiliated to the College, those that are part of
more focused programmes that relate, for example, to professional practice,
those that have interdisciplinary dimensions, and those that involve interinstitutional collaboration.
Discipline-specific programmes include:
Archaeology; Classics; English; French; Geography; German; Health
Promotion; Irish Studies; Italian; Mathematics; Nua-Ghaeilge; Old and Middle
Irish; Philosophy; Political Science and Sociology; Psychology; Spanish
Studies.
Interdisciplinary and specialised programmes:
Celtic Studies; Digital Arts & Humanities; Film Studies; Global Women’s
Studies; Health Promotion; Latin American Studies; Learning Sciences;
Perception, Cognition & Action; Psychology and Health.
Inter-Institutional programmes:
Child and Youth Research; New Media and Film; Philosophy of Art and
Culture; Texts, Contexts, Cultures.
Core Structure
The credit rating of the Structured PhD is 360 ECTS spread over 4 years. 40
ECTS will be allocated to modules, thus allowing for each student’s course to
be tailored to the research needs of her/his dissertation topic and to a menu of
available modules. Students select modules to the value of 40 ECTS (max 70
ECTS) over 4 years in consultation with their Supervisor and/or Postgraduate
Research Committee.
Modules
The College offers a comprehensive range of modules that cater for
dissertation or discipline-specific research requirements, and
transferrable/generic skills. See the link to our most recent Structured
PhD Handbook, which contains details of all modules on offer.
Placements (if any)
Web Links
Placements may be arranged as part of specific structured programmes.
Applicants should consult with individual Programme co-ordinators or with the
College Office (Vice Dean for Graduate Studies or Vice Dean for Research) for
further information.
http://www.nuigalway.ie/arts/structured.html

College of Business, Public Policy & Law
Overview
The Structured PhD is a 4-year full time programme (360 ECTS).
New entrants will register for the programme in September of each year.
The thesis remains central to the award of the PhD.
Core Structure
Each student must obtain a minimum of 30 ECTS through ‘structured’
modules having a taught or ‘skills’ component, and a maximum of 90 ECTS,
but a recommended normal maximum of 45 ECTS.
Some students, who have prior skills acquired in industry or on taught
Graduate Diploma /Masters’ programmes may in exceptional
circumstances obtain credit for these toward the 30 ECTS ‘skills’ component
Modules
Core module
The only mandatory module on the Structured PhD programme is Induction
There are a number of optional modules which students can select in
consultation with their Supervisor and/or Graduate Research Committee from
the catalogue of PhD modules available in the College.
Web Links


http://www.nuigalway.ie/courses/research-postgraduate-programmes/structuredphd/business-public-policy-law.html
College of Engineering & Informatics
Overview
Core Structure
Modules
The Structured PhD is a 4-year programme which offers added value to the
core component of doctoral training. Students on this programme are offered
disciplinary or dissertation specific modules, as well as generic and
transferable skills designed to meet the needs of an employment market that
is wider than academia.
The programme is flexible and student centered, as candidates choose
their own pathways in consultation with their Supervisor and Graduate
Research Committee.
 The thesis remains central to the award of the PhD.
• New entrants may register for the programme from September to March
each year
• Students select appropriate modules each year in consultation with their
Supervisor and/or Graduate Research Committee.
Discipline Specific Modules
EE502 Bioinstrumentation Design 5
EE587 Exercise Science and Training 10
CT560 Introduction to Biomedical Systems 5
MD507 Stem Cells & Gene Therapy II 5
MD508 Medical Sciences & Clinical Attachment 5
ME512 Advanced Finite Elements in Biomedical Engineering 5
ME513 Biomaterials II 5
ME514 Tissue Engineering II 5
ME520 Research Methods 10
MP406 Classical Elasticity 5
REM502 Translational Medicine 5
REM508 Graduate Course in Basic and Advanced Immunology 5
Web Links
http://www.nuigalway.ie/faculties_departments/engineering/structured_phd.html

College of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences
Overview
Core Structure
The core component of doctoral training in the College of Medicine, Nursing
and Health Sciences is the advancement of knowledge through original
research. The structured PhD programme provides students with transferable
and generic skills which support the student in their research, increase
on‐time completion and ultimately develop holistically skilled doctoral
graduates.

Full time PhD: The PhD requires the successful completion of 90ECTs
per annum. The structured component will require the successful
completion of a minimum of 30ECTs, a maximum of 90 ECTS, but a
recommended normal maximum of 45 ECTS over the entire duration of
the programme. The balance of ECTs awarded each year will be for
the research component of the PhD.

Part time PhD: The PhD requires the successful completion of 60ECTs
per annum. The structured component will require the successful
completion of a minimum of 20ECTs, a maximum of 60 ECTS, but a
recommended normal maximum of 30 ECTS over the entire duration of
the programme. The balance of ECTs awarded each year will be for
the research component of the PhD.
Modules
List of some core and optional modules
Seminar programme
Journal club programme
Oral/poster communications
Research paper publications
Formulating a research project proposal
Neuroscience foundation taught module
Scientific writing course
Laboratory animal scientific training course
Introduction to Psychopharmacology (BAP)
An introduction to the ethics of health research
European dimension of health
Promoting healthy behaviours
Re-orienting health services
Supportive environments
Promoting mental health and social well-being
Web Links
College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
http://www.nuigalway.ie/colleges/mnhs/research.html
School of Medicine
http://www.nuigalway.ie/medicine/research.html
School of Nursing & Midwifery
http://www.nuigalway.ie/nursing-midwifery/Research/
School of Health Sciences
http://www.nuigalway.ie/healthsciences/research.html

College of Science
Overview
The goal of doctoral education is to cultivate the research mindset, to nurture
flexibility of thought, creativity and intellectual autonomy through an original
research project. It is the practice of research that creates this mindset. The core
component of the structured PhD programme is the advancement of knowledge
through original research. The purpose of structuring doctoral education is to create
a supportive environment. It is recognised that doctoral education is an individual
journey. The structured PhD is also designed to meet the needs of an employment
market that is wider than academia.
The structured PhD is a formalised integrated programme of research, education,
training, personal and professional development activities. It enables the
development of discipline-specific knowledge, research skills and
generic/transferable skills. It has declared outcomes for all education and training
components. Supervision is by a principal supervisor who is responsible for
providing guidance on the research carried out by the student and manages the
student’s training. The student and supervisor are supported by the Graduate
Research Committee (GRC). The GRC formally monitors student progress through
an annual review process in line with national and international best practice.
Core Structure
The structured PhD is a four-year programme. Students select between 30 and 45
ECTS of taught modules over the four years.
Most taught modules will be taken in the early years and no student shall take more
than 5 ECTS in a taught module in their final year. The taught modules are a
combination of discipline-specific modules (directly relevant to the student’s
research) and generic/transferable skills modules (to equip students for employment
outside academia).
Successful completion and examination of the research is the basis for the award of
the degree.
Modules
Research Areas
Anatomy; Biotechnology; Biochemistry; Biostatistics;
Botany; Chemistry; Earth & Ocean Science;
Environmental Science; Mathematics; Statistics;
Bioinformatics; Microbiology; Applied Mathematics;
Marine Science; Physics; Pharmacology; REMEDI;
Physiology; Zoology;
Sample of Generic
Skills modules
Statistical Methods for Research; Formulating a
Research Project Proposal; Graduate Research Skills;
Publishing Research & Preparing for the Job Market;
Sample of Disciplinespecific modules
Advanced Molecular Cell Biology; Masterclass in
Advanced Radical Chemistry; Advanced course in
Mathematical Sciences; High Performance Computing
and Parallel Programming;
In addition to modules listed for each College, the following generic skills modules have
been approved by the university.
Code
Module Title
ECTS Course Instance
Who is responsible for course
GS501
Seminar Programme
5
SPA, SPD, SPN, SPL,SPC, SPE, SPS
Contact Supervisor/Discipline/School
GS502
Journal Club Programme
5
SPA, SPD, SPN, SPL,SPC, SPE, SPS
Contact Supervisor/Discipline/School
GS505
Graduate Research Skills
5
SPD, SPN, SPL,SPE, SPS
Contact Supervisor/Discipline/School
GS506
Teaching & Learning
5
SPA, SPD, SPN, SPL,SPC, SPE, SPS
GS530
Graduate Research Information Skills 5
SPA, SPD, SPN, SPL,SPC, SPE, SPS
Rosie Dunne, Library rosie.dunne
nuigalway.ie
GS507
Statistical Methods for Research
5
SPA, SPD, SPN, SPL,SPC, SPE, SPS
Not currently available
GS508
Formulating a Research Project
Proposal
5
SPA, SPD, SPN, SPL,SPC, SPE, SPS
Contact Supervisor/Discipline/School
GS509
Participation in Workshops/Courses
5
SPA, SPD, SPN, SPL,SPC, SPE, SPS
Contact Supervisor/Discipline/School
GS510
Publishing Research & Preparing for
the Job Market
5
SPA, SPD, SPN, SPL,SPC, SPE, SPS
GS511
Research Placement 1
5
SPA, SPD, SPN, SPL,SPC, SPE, SPS
Contact Melissa O'Hea at melissa.ohea
nuigalway.ie
Institute for Business, Social Sciences and
Public Policy(Formerly Centre for
Innovation and Structural Change (CISC))
Contact Supervisor/Discipline/School
GS512
Engaging with the community:
research, practice and reflection
10
SPA, SPE
Contact Supervisor/Discipline/School
GS513
Research Placement 2
10
SPA, SPD, SPN, SPL,SPC, SPE, SPS
Contact Supervisor/Discipline/School
GS514
Research Placement 3
15
SPA, SPD, SPN, SPL,SPC, SPE, SPS
Contact Supervisor/Discipline/School
GS515
Research Paper Publication
5
SPA, SPD, SPN, SPL,SPC, SPE, SPS
Contact Supervisor/Discipline/School
GS516
Industry Placement 1
5
SPA, SPD, SPN, SPL,SPC, SPE, SPS
Contact Supervisor/Discipline/School
GS517
Industry Placement 2
10
SPA, SPD, SPN, SPL,SPC, SPE, SPS
Contact Supervisor/Discipline/School
GS518
Industry Placement 3
15
SPA, SPD, SPN, SPL,SPC, SPE, SPS
Contact Supervisor/Discipline/School
GS520
BioInnovate I Core: Needs finding to
concept generation
10
SPE, SPS, SPC,SPD, SPN, SPL
GS521
BioInnovate I core and project: Needs
15
finding to concept generation
SPE, SPS, SPC,SPD, SPN, SPL
Siobhan Cunningham, BioInnovate
siobhan.cunningham@nuigalway.ie
GS522
BioInnovate II Core: Concept
Development and Implementation
10
SPE, SPS, SPC,SPD, SPN, SPL
Siobhan Cunningham, BioInnovate
siobhan.cunningham@nuigalway.ie
GS523
BioInnovate II Core and project:
Concept Development and
Implementation
15
SPE, SPS, SPC,SPD, SPN, SPL
Siobhan Cunningham, BioInnovate
siobhan.cunningham@nuigalway.ie
GS524
Structured PhD Induction
SPD, SPN, SPL
2010/11 only
GS525
Laboratory Animal Science Training
(LAST) Ireland course
SPD, SPN, SPL, SPS
Contact Supervisor/Discipline/School
GS526
Oral/poster communication (year 1 - 3) 5
SPA, SPD, SPN, SPL,SPC, SPE, SPS
Contact Supervisor/Discipline/School
GS5xx
An Introduction to the Ethics of Health
5
Research
SPA, SPD, SPN, SPL,SPC, SPE, SPS
Not on offer for 2011/12
GS527
Clinical Skill Development 1
1SPL1, 2SPL1
Contact Supervisor/Discipline/School
5
5
Contact Dr. Iain Mac Labhrainn iain.maclaren
nuigalway.ie
Siobhan Cunningham, BioInnovate
siobhan.cunningham
nuigalway.ie
GS528
Clinical Skill Development 2
5
1SPL1, 2SPL1
Contact Supervisor/Discipline/School
GS529
Clinical Skill Development 3
5
1SPL1, 2SPL1
Contact Supervisor/Discipline/School
GS532
Introduction to
Psychopharmacology (BAP)
5
SPD, SPL, SPN
Contact Supervisor/Discipline/School
GS533
Biostatistics
5
1SPC1, 1SPD1, 1SPE1, 1SPS1
This course is only available 2011/12
and Part 1 was completed in January 2012.
Part 2 to be completed in June 2012.
GS535
Induction & Professional Development 5
1SPA1
Contact Dr. Kelly Coate kelly.coate
nuigalway.ie
GS536
Communication & Outreach
1SPS1, 2SPS1, 1SPE1, 2SPE1, 3SPE1
Contact Supervisor/Discipline/School
5