School of Business. PhD Programme

Transcription

1 Rev School of Business PhD Programme 1. Identify a topic area and potential supervisor Submit an outline research proposal. Discuss and get provisional agreement to supervise from a full-time permanent member of academic staff 2a. Complete Research Proposal Complete a full research proposal and have it signed off by potential supervisor 2b. Complete Assessment GMAT or School of Business PhD Admission Test 2c. Make a Formal Application to Dept. Make a formal written application to the department including the authorised research proposal 3. Assessment Interview Interview with a small academic panel (not including the potential supervisor). Panel, supervisor, and head of School or designate then review the application. 4. Panel Decision a) Proceed to formal registration b) Re-submit amended research proposal c) resubmit and re-interview d) not appropriate for PhD at this time Interview with a small academic panel (not including the potential supervisor). Panel, supervisor, and head of department review the application.

2 Notes on PhD Admission Process A PhD is the most advanced degree awarded by the university. It is an enormously fulfilling, engaging, and challenging programme. Those who complete it earn the use of the designation Doctor as a mark of accomplishment, but much more importantly develop their intellectual capacity to examine the world around them at the most advanced level. Many who complete the process describe it as a life changing experience which opens up their minds and their opportunities in ways they had never considered. A PhD research programme is different from other types of academic programmes as the process starts long before you are formally accepted onto the programme. It is important that a) before you commit as a student to an extensive programme of work and b) the university commits the resources to supervise your work, that this programme is right for you at this time. To help you and the university make this judgement we have a process in place to help you explore your interests, strengths, and commitment before embarking on the exciting journey of a PhD. The process is not one where we primarily seek to pass or fail applicants for entry, but where we get to know the student and their interests and come to a common understanding of whether this programme is appropriate for them. How to Get a PhD by Phillips and Pugh (Published by Open University Press) is a useful book for potential (and active) students to read. It provides a good overview of the process and some of the personal challenges associated with completing a PhD. There are a range of other books that also address similar topic and are available in most major bookstores. Admission criteria Candidates will normally hold a first class or second class grade one honours degree together with a Masters degree; one of which will be in a cognate discipline. In exceptional circumstances mature students with substantial experience at a senior level in an area related to the proposed field of study may apply for a waiver to these criteria.

3 1. IDENTIFY A TOPIC AREA AND A POTENTIAL SUPERVISOR The supervision arrangement is one of the most important elements of the PhD process. You will work with your supervisor for at least three years full-time and six years part-time to complete your PhD. It is therefore extremely important that both you and the supervisor have established a clear interest in the area and are confident that you will be able to form a good working relationship. Without the provisional agreement of a supervisor your application cannot proceed. The process of obtaining a provisional agreement from a supervisor will differ from case to case, but typically it will involve you presenting a paper that explains your research interests and proposed research. You may be required at this stage or later in the process to change your research focus to ensure it aligns with the research interest of your supervisor and department. The Schools website contains details of the full-time academic staff and their research interests. From there you can identify a potential supervisor and discuss your research interests with them. It is advisable to prepare a written document in advance of a meeting, it demonstrates your commitment to the project and allows for a more focused discussion. Once you have the provisional agreement of the supervisor you can move to the next phase of preparing for your formal application. To do this you need to complete the assessment tests and a research proposal. The remainder of this document guides you through the process.

4 2a. RESEARCH PROPOSAL The research proposal is a critical element of the process. While we do not expect you to have a fully formed research plan, we do expect that you have explored the field and are in a position to articulate your area of interest. A brief outline of the research proposal is described below, but we would also recommend that you read up on the process of preparing research proposals. Developing Effective Research Proposals by Punch (Published by Sage) and other similar books provide a useful introduction. The research proposal should include: A working title identifying the topic area A general indication of the topic that identifies the intent of the research. General overview This should include an abstract of the broad area to be studied and then go on to identify the academic disciplines that inform investigation of the field. You should ideally identify at this point how your experience and education qualify to address this topic as an expert. In short, you must clearly articulate your rationale for wanting to and being suited to progressing with a doctoral research project in this field. Identification key literature This section should identify the key literature you have identified and investigated. You should identify articles that you believe are central to the focus of your research and then demonstrate your understanding of the broad debates and issues that emerge. Books and practitioner journals may be cited and should help develop why the issue is of interest and importance. It is vital, however, that you clearly address the academic literature that informs your area of interest. Literature must therefore be drawn primarily from articles appearing in peer-reviewed academic journals. Library access If you do not have access to an academic library we can, with the agreement of a potential supervisor, provide you with access to the library at NUIM for a specified period to facilitate the completion of a research proposal. (Note: This only allows for physical access to the library and access to the electronic resources when physically present in the library. Remote access cannot be facilitated until you are a fully registered student). Key research questions A PhD is a large body of work, but requires a clear focus if it is to be completed in a timely manner. In this section you should identify how a clear research question and focus emerges from the discussions in the previous sections. This question will evolve and perhaps change significantly as you progress in the early stages. It is nevertheless necessary that you try to create focus at this early stage.

5 Methodology While it is not envisioned that you will have a deep understanding of methodology before you start, it is important that you have an awareness of methodologies and techniques available. You should identify methodologies you have considered and explain which approach is best suited to your research question. Timescale Provide an outline time plan for your research from the current preparation of the research proposal through to thesis submission. Bibliography You should include a list of references to key articles and texts included in the proposal. 2B. COMPLETE ASSESSMENT The assessment must be taken before you submit your application (2c). If you have a GMAT that is no more than 10 years old you can present this with your application. You can take the GMAT in many locations around the world by going to We typically require a score of at least 600 for consideration for the PhD programme. Alternatively you can arrange to take an assessment test at NUI Maynooth. The assessments are Watson Glaser Critical Thinking Assessment (WGCTA) and Rust Advanced Numerical Reasoning (RANRA). The total assessment time is approximately 2 hours and there is 100 administration fee payable in advance. The test is booked through the School administration office. If you have an eligible GMAT report you attach this to your formal application (2c). If you have taken the assessment at NUI Maynooth a report will be sent to you which you attach to your formal application (2c). 2C. FORMAL APPLICATION The formal application consists of a) Completed Application form b) Research proposal c) GMAT results or NUIM assessment report d) References e) English language proficiency certificate (if English is not your first language)

6 3. ASSESSMENT INTERVIEW When the formal application is received the applicant is invited to a formal interview with a small academic panel (which does not include the potential supervisor). The purpose of the panel interview is to explore the applicants suitability for the PhD at this time. Issues that may be considered include but are not limited to a) the progress the applicant has made in developing a research proposal, b) the viability of the research proposal as a PhD project, c) the applicants intellectual capacity to take on the programme of work, d) the applicants motivation for the project. Primarily the panel are there to make an assessment as to whether it is likely that, given the right research support, the candidate will complete the PhD programme in a timely manner and to a sufficiently high standard. 4. PANEL DECISION Following the interview the panel will consult with the potential supervisor and come to a decision a) Proceed to formal registration b) Re-submit amended research proposal In this case the applicant consults with the supervisor and prepares an amended research proposal. When the supervisor approves the amended proposal the candidate may proceed to formal registration. c) Re-submit and re-interview In this case the candidate will be required to re-submit a research proposal with significant amendments. When the supervisor has approved the amended proposal the candidate then re-presents for the assessment panel interview. d) Not appropriate for PhD at this time In this case the candidate may not resubmit a research proposal and will not be accepted onto the PhD programme. This decision does not necessarily indicate that the topic is unsuitable for a PhD or that the candidate is unsuitable as a PhD student. It is an assessment of the board that given the topic, current stage of development of the research proposal and the supervision supports available the candidate may not proceed.