S&E Structured Ph.D. (SPhD)

There are a number of recognised models for doctoral education within Ireland:  

• “Structured” programmes with taught elements and wider skills training but with emphasis on a major research thesis 

• Traditional PhD has a primary focus on a major research thesis

• Professional doctorates consists of significant taught elements with emphasis on a minor thesis undertaken within a professional and academic environment

• Work-based doctorates whereby the student is either based in a company/organisation or spends significant time in a company/organisation with emphasis on a major thesis

The Science and Engineering Structured PhD programme has been developed to provide PhD students with a high-quality experience of original research which is integrated with professional development. It aims to develop and broaden student’s research knowledge and transferable skills through a formalised and integrated programme of activities that will serve them both in the completion of their research and in the career path that they may follow after their graduation. 

The documents below will provide assistance and information to PhD students and their supervisors and are designed to easily find out how the S+E Structured PhD works.  The first document outlines a list of “pre-approved” specialised modules and a Certificate in Generic and Transferrable Research Skills, both of which are designed to help the student and supervisor select an appropriate path to the taught element of the structured PhD programme.  It also has a link to the 'Structured PhD Programme and Research Student Module(s) Registration Form.

The second document gives a brief outline of the Structured PhD Guidelines

• Structured PhD Handbook
• Structured PhD Guidelines in Brief

What is a Structured PhD?

The Structured PhD Programme in Science and Engineering (S&E) is a four-year Level 10 Structured PhD, offered by the Faculty of Science and Engineering at the University of Limerick (UL). The programme consists of two major components, which includes the PhD Research and Thesis (weighted at 270 credits) and the taught element, consisting of 12 credits (minimum) of specialised modules (which can be any Level 8 or 9 modules, taken from within or outside UL) and 18 credits of Generic and Transferrable Skills (again, can be taken from within or outside UL). The Faculty of Science and Engineering offers a significant number of “pre-approved” specialised modules, which have been selected as suitable modules for Structured PhD’s. In addition, UL’s Certificate in Generic and Transferrable Research Skills affords S&E Structured PhD students to obtain their 18 credits of generic and transferrable skills during the summer semester of their first or second year of study. 

Funded Structured PhD

It should be noted that several national funding agencies, including Science Foundation Ireland (www.sfi.ie) and Research Ireland (www.research.ie) fully fund Structured PhD’s for four years, including stipend and fees. Given that the average finishing time for a PhD at UL is greater than 4.5 Years, opting for a Structured Programme can, thus, clearly provide significant advantages to both the student and the research project.

How long is a SPhD?

The duration of the S&E Structured PhD is nominally 4 Years. 

General Programme Structure:

All students registered on the S&E Structured PhD have to acquire 30 credits of taught modules, to consist of a minimum of 18 credits of Generic and Transferable Skills and a minimum of 12 credits of Specialist Modules (chosen from Level 8 or 9 modules). The general programme structure is shown in Table 1. The programme is very flexible in so far as the Specialised modules and Generic and Transferrable skills modules can be garnered from both within or outside UL over the four years of the programme. It is, however, strongly recommended that the specialised modules be taken during the first 18-24 months of the programme, and that student enrols in the Certificate in Generic and Transferrable Research Skills programme, and a typical programme route for this case is shown in Table 2.

Table 1: Programme Structure for the S+E Structured PhD 

*Individual research work under supervision of a designated supervisor and/or Doctoral Studies Panel. “Research work” is taken to include all aspects to the non-taught element, including writing of PhD thesis, journal papers, conference papers and presentations, patents, etc. 

For SPhD students enrolling in Certificate on Generic & Transferable Research Skills

If students wish to enrol on UL’s Certificate in Generic and Transferrable Research Skills programme, then sufficient credits for generic and transferrable skills (i.e. 18 credits) will be garnered during the first or second summer semester of the Structured PhD. In addition, students may wish to also obtain their 12 credits of Specialised modules during the first 18-24 months of the programme (and this is strongly recommended so that the research element becomes the focus towards the latter half of the PhD programme). Hence, a typical programme structure under this route is shown in Table 2.   

Table 2: Typical Programme Structure for a Student enrolled in the Certificate in Generic and Transferrable Research Skills

*Individual research work under supervision of a designated supervisor and/or Doctoral Studies Panel. “Research work” is taken to include all aspects to the non-taught element, including writing of PhD thesis, journal papers, conference papers and presentations, patents, etc. 

Certificate on Generic & Transferable Research Skills

UL launched the Certificate in Generic & Transferrable Research Skills during the summer semester, 2014. The certificate consists of the following six modules in Generic and Transferrable Research Skills, listed in Table 3, and all are 3 ECTS credits each. For S&E Structured PhD Students the modules are taken on a pass/fail basis. More information can be found at https://www.ul.ie/research/doctoral-college/training-and-professional-development

Table 3: Modules in the Certificate in Generic & Transferrable Research Skills Programme

The certificate is run as a summer school, with a residential week during a full week towards the end of May. The student is then required to complete on-line assignments and e-tivities during the rest of the summer semester, according to a typical schedule listed in Table 4. 

Table 4: Typical Schedule for Certificate in Generic & Transferrable Research Skills Programme

Successful completion of this certificate will fulfil the minimum requirements for the Generic and Transferrable Skills element of the S&E Structured PhD. 

Registration for Certificate in Generic & Transferrable Research Skills 

In March/April of each year the Continuing & Professional Education (CPE) division at UL, who manage the programme, will issue a request by email for PhD students to register for the Generic and Transferrable Research Skills programme. Each PhD student must register their interest by emailing CPE. Registration must be completed before the start of May (normally) and must contain the following information. 

1. Confirmation that you wish to enrol on this programme with your student ID.  

2. Confirmation of the modules you wish to take from the list of 6 modules. There is no obligation to take all 6 modules in one year. 

3. A further email from your supervisor, confirming you’re a current structured PhD student and indicating their support for your participation on this programme

Specialised Modules:

Students are required to select a minimum of two specialised modules as agreed with the PhD supervisor, which will be valued at a minimum of 12 credits. The purpose of these modules will be to strengthen the student’s background in the research area which they have selected for their research PhD. Normally, specialised modules should be selected from fourth year level 8 or Level 9 post-graduate modules. However, a special case can be made to select Level 8 modules from 1^st, 2^nd or 3^rd Year, where it can be demonstrated that the module aligns with, and will benefit, the research. Any 1^st, 2^nd or 3^rd Year Level 8 modules must be approved, in the first instance by the PhD Supervisor and Head of Department/School, and then validated for synergies with the PhD project by the S&E Structured PhD Course Director.  

The S&E faculty offers a significant number of “pre-approved” specialised modules, which have been selected by each of the overarching S+E disciplines as suitable modules for Structured PhD’s. These pre-approved modules are listed in Appendix I. A memorandum of understanding has been agreed, where any module on the “pre-approved” list can be taken by any student registered on the S&E Structured PhD from any Department in the faculty.

Specialised Modules will be weighted as per academic regulations (normally 6 credits in UL). It is assumed that the taught element, and therefore the Specialised Modules, of the programme should be taken during the first two years of the Structured PhD with modules only being taken in years three and four by way of exception, e.g. if the direction of the thesis discloses some deficiency or if other skills are required. Specialised Modules should be taken on a Pass/Fail basis. 

Modules taken from outside of UL

It is possible to take other Generic & Transferrable Skills modules (not listed in Table 3) from UL or from other institutions once they adhere to the skills identified by the Irish Universities Association’s fourth level network of Deans of Graduate Studies as relevant to PhD student education. These skills are, but not limited to

• Research skills and awareness

• Ethics and social understanding

• Communication skills 

• Personal effectiveness/development

• Team-working and leadership. 

This is not an exhaustive list, and their relevance to students will vary upon experiential learning, disciplinary and professional development needs. All external modules must be approved by the PhD Supervisor and validated for quality and credit level by the Head of Department and the S&E Structured PhD Course Director by filling in Section A of the ‘Structured PhD Programme and Research Student Module(s) Registration Form’ - prior to taking the module.

Students must notify the S&E Structured PhD Course Director of these modules once completed. Students will need to supply evidence of successful completion of modules. Note: These modules are only graded in Semester II of each year. 

These module codes will subsequently appear on the student transcript. It is currently not possible to have external modules (Module Name, credit value) explicitly listed on UL transcripts. Hence, all Structured PhD Students are strongly encouraged to keep a portfolio of the modules they take, and this Portfolio should be available to Programme Auditors or funding agencies. 

All external modules must be approved by the PhD Supervisor and validated for quality and credit level by the Head of Department and the S&E Structured PhD Course Director by filling in Section C of the ‘Structured PhD Programme and Research Student Module(s) Registration Form’ – prior to taking the module. It should be noted that a minimum of 12 credits are required for specialised modules in the Structured PhD programme and so where external modules are valued at less than 6 credits more than two modules may be required to reach the 12 credit value. Students must notify the S&E Structured PhD Course Director of these modules once completed. Students will need to supply evidence of successful completion of modules.

Any problems, or conflicting issues, will be brought forward to the S&E Faculty Research Committee for consideration and resolution.

Module Registration:

Students are required to register for all their taught modules. Once completed this registration form should be returned to Student Academic Administration, during Week 1 of each Semester. 

Repeat Modules:

A student who fails to pass any elements of Certificate in Generic & Transferrable Research Skills Programme will have an opportunity to repeat the individual modules (shown in Table 3), or the programme in full, in the following summer. 

A student who fails to pass a Specialised module will have an opportunity to repeat according University norms for Level 8 & 9 modules. 

Progression of SPhD Students:

Progression of a Structured PhD Student will follow the normal UL Research Postgraduate progression protocol (PGR-9 Process), where each Department Research Committee will assess each student’s performance at the Annual PGR-9 Meetings (normally held in October/November).

First year progression meeting to be conducted with all PhD students enrolled since April 2018. In terms of timing, the progression review meeting should take place 12 months after enrolment, but a ‘window’ of 9 – 18 months after enrolment is feasible The review meeting aims to help ensure the successful and timely completion of the research degree.