Expand+In order to be considered for admission, applicants will normally have completed and earned high grades in a taught or research Masters in the areas of law, politics and international relations, or a cognate field, and articulate a research interest ...

Hide-In order to be considered for admission, applicants will normally have completed and earned high grades in a taught or research Masters in the areas of law, politics and international relations, or a cognate field, and articulate a research interest that fits with the expertise of an academic staff member in either of the sponsoring schools. (Applicants with a very good primary degree in law will also be considered.) In most cases, applicants to the ELG PhD with prior training in politics, international relations and other social sciences are considered for admission through SPIRe, whilst applicants with prior training in law are considered for admission through the School of Law.

Expand+General information
The PhD in European Law and Governance (ELG) is designed for students who want to develop multidisciplinary expertise on the structures and dynamics of European governance. This complex and increasingly important field of study e...

Hide-General information
The PhD in European Law and Governance (ELG) is designed for students who want to develop multidisciplinary expertise on the structures and dynamics of European governance. This complex and increasingly important field of study encompasses relations between the member states and institutions of the European Union, Council of Europe and other European bodies, processes of treaty negotiation and supranational law-making, issues of political economy, citizenship and human rights, foreign policy, and environmental protection, and controversies related to sovereignty and democratic legitimacy, compliance and enforcement, and lobbying and social mobilisation, among many others.

The ELG programme is offered jointly by the UCD School of Law and the UCD School of Politics and International Relations (SPIRe), both of which have large, internationally-renowned academic staffs in this area. The programme includes (1) substantive coursework in both of the sponsoring schools, (2) training in research methods, (3) regular contact with a supervisor from either of the sponsoring schools and a Doctoral Studies Panel of three staff including at least one from each sponsoring school, and (4) the writing of a doctoral thesis based on original research. Students in the programme register to the school where their supervisor is located. They are also associated during their studies with the UCD Dublin European Institute, Ireland’s largest and oldest university research centre on European integration and governance.

In addition to writing a research thesis, ELG students must complete 40 credits of taught coursework. The content of this requirement differ slightly (see below) depending on whether they are registered through Law or SPIRe. All ELG students also have the option of pursuing additional coursework in Law, SPIRe or other Schools (such as Business, Economics, Sociology, etc.) to deepen their substantive knowledge and/or methodological skills.

Expand+The core seminars for students who enroll in the ELG programme through SPIRe are:
POL 50020 European and International Governance
LAW 41040 Law and Governance of the EU
POL 50160 Research Design
GSBL 50050 Methods for Qualitative Research

In a...

Hide-The core seminars for students who enroll in the ELG programme through SPIRe are:
POL 50020 European and International Governance
LAW 41040 Law and Governance of the EU
POL 50160 Research Design
GSBL 50050 Methods for Qualitative Research

In addition, it is strongly advised that SPIRe’s ELG students take the POL 50150 PhD Thesis Workshop in their 3rd year.

The core seminars for students who enrol in the ELG programme through Law are:
POL 50020 European and International Governance
LAW 41040 Law and Governance of the EU
LAW 50010 Advanced Research in Law
And any one of the following:
POL 50160 Research Design
GSBL 50050 Methods for Qualitative Research
POL 50150 PhD Thesis Workshop

For more information on the academic specializations of academic staff in the two sponsoring schools, see www.ucd.ie/law and www.ucd.ie/spire. For more information on the UCD Dublin European Institute, see www.ucd.ie/dei