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Students must apply via one of the following online application forms:-
Closing date for applications is 1st April 2024.
Course starts: 01 May 2024Apply now
Take the fastest route to a PhD. Convert your previous research outputs into a qualification which will increase your employability and open up new opportunities. Progress your academic career and add credibility in applications for research funding.
A PhD by Published or Creative Work is designed for individuals with an existing portfolio of published work addressing a central research question. This degree will be awarded to a candidate who has critically investigated an approved topic and demonstrated an understanding of research methods appropriate to the chosen field.
A submission for PhD by Published or Creative Work may comprise of academic papers, chapters, and monographs, scholarly editions of texts, creative practice, artefacts, or curatorial production.
A submission for PhD by Published or Creative Works may be awarded on the basis of existing published work or creative output that shows evidence of originality and independent critical judgment at the level appropriate for the award. All work should normally have been published in the last ten years and be traceable in publicly available databases such as catalogues and must be accessible to scholars or other interested persons. The work submitted must have been subjected to peer review by the relevant academic community.
There is no defined number of publications but candidates need to ensure that the range of publications demonstrates that their work forms a coherent and significant contribution to knowledge. This should be of an acceptable national, or preferably international, standing. For a substantial proportion of all the publications submitted, the candidate must be the sole or senior author.
If your application is successful, you will be assigned one or more supervisors who will advise on which of your publications should form your final submission to be examined and how your commentary should be written. The commentary (usually between 10,000 and 20,000 words) describes the aims of the research you have undertaken to produce your publications, incorporates a critical discussion of the impact of your work and will be examined through an oral defence.
All candidates should hold at least an honours degree (first or upper second class), or equivalent.
To apply, please complete the online application form (see the Apply Now button), together with the following documents to be uploaded through the application portal, see below:
Without all of the above documents, we will not be able make you an offer on this programme.
In addition, in the ‘personal statement’ section of the online application form, please provide a statement of no more than 1000 words outlining:
Duration of programme: Minimum period of registration is six months and maximum two years.
The intake dates are 1 October, 1 February and 1 May each academic year.
Fees are:
Learn more about settled status, pre-settled status, special discounts, visa requirements and Common Travel Area (CTA) agreements for the Republic of Ireland applicants in our Help and Advice article.
Take a look at the scholarships and bursaries that may be available to you.
This information was correct at the time of publication.
There is pressure on teaching staff at universities to demonstrate that they have higher qualifications than those whom they are teaching. A PhD is often required for academic posts in research-intensive institutions.
A doctorate is becoming an increasingly common requirement for recruitment and promotion in university teaching roles.
A PhD also adds credibility in applications for research funding.
Doctorates are now held by at least eight out of ten full-time teaching staff in top institutions, based on data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
The PhD by Existing Published or Creative Work is a fast track for you to gain doctorate-level recognition for work that you have already done. It is therefore well suited to academic staff who would like to develop their careers.
More broadly, the achievement of a doctorate demonstrates your ability to make a major contribution to the development of new ideas, techniques and approaches. There is a strong association between successful postgraduate study and professional employment, according to the Higher Education Policy Institute.