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Faculty of Science & Health

School of Chemical Sciences | Structured Doctoral Pathways 2024-2025

Link to PDF file of Chemical Sciences Structured Pathways

Overview

The School of Chemical Sciences possesses an outstanding track record for postgraduate research, currently home to more than 60 postgraduate students engaged in research-based M.Sc. and PhD programmes, in diverse fields. These range from the development of chemical and biological sensors and intelligent materials to drug design and discovery, and advances in science education. The School houses a suite of state-of-the-art research equipment including high resolution electron microscopy and a range of both mass and magnetic resonance spectrometers. It is one of the most successful Chemistry Schools in Ireland for attracting large-scale research funding, with our researchers having significant roles within a number of recently established, nationally significant university/industry collaborative initiatives, including biomedical diagnostics, bio fermentation process analysis, separation science and marine monitoring. The School of Chemical Sciences structured PhD programme is tailored to the needs of the School and its postgraduate students. It is a student-centred, flexible, research-focused programme, which aims to provide SCS students with discipline-specific knowledge, generic skills and autonomy to augment and support their postgraduate research. Within the programme, with their supervisor's guidance, students can undertake a range of modules across multiple subject areas, developing both scientific and generic skills. This allows our students to create truly individual and personalised PhD programmes, tailored to their specific needs

Selection and Registration

The student's original research presented as a written thesis is the sole means of assessment for the award of PhD. In addition, PhD students will also normally have accumulated 30-50 taught credits. MSc students will have accumulated at least 20 credits. Modules will be taken from the current GTE (Graduate Training Element) offering within the Faculty. Additionally, appropriate level 8 modules may also be taken, in discussion with the student, the supervisory panel and the module coordinator. Normally students will take 10 credits each year for years 1-3, with year 4, if appropriate, focused exclusively on their research. Students will normally take approximately two-thirds discipline-specific modules and one-third transferable skills/language modules. It is the policy of the School of Chemical Sciences that all students who are assigned teaching-related responsibilities must complete CS6071 and CS6072 Laboratory Tutoring, two 5-credit modules to be taken over at least two years. Once approval from the supervisor has been granted, students should register for their approved Faculty GTE modules during the online registration process. However, if you wish to take a non-FSH GTE module you MUST first email the module coordinator listed to check that you are eligible to register for this module, then email science@dcu.ie providing: 

  • confirmation and proof of approval from module coordinator 
  • module code and title 
  • student id number 
  • qualification code
Progression

The individually-tailored structured pathway for each student should be discussed and agreed in the first instance with their supervisor and progress recorded on the annual PGR2 form.

Induction and Training

Students are encouraged to take advantage of the Graduate Studies Office (GSO) Training Suite for additional training opportunities and opportunities offered by the School as appropriate. All students are required to attend the orientation and induction sessions organized by GSO during year one. GSO communicates details of their training schedule to each student at the beginning of each semester. First-year students are also required to take the Online Research Integrity Training module during year one of their studies. Students are encouraged to take additional training opportunities offered by the School and GSO as appropriate throughout their PhD.

Core Discipline Specific Modules | Year One

Analytical Science Training

  •  BE536: Precision Medicine II – 7.5 ECTS 
  •  BE516: Bio separations – 5 ECTS

Bio-based Training

  • BE533: Gene Cloning and Gene Expression – 5 ECTS

Physical Science Training

  • MM600: LabVIEW, Data Acquisition, Analysis and Control – 7.5 ECTS 
  • PS523: Applied Spectroscopy II – 5 ECTS

 

Core Discipline Specific Modules | Years One to Three 

Teaching and Learning Skills

  • CS6071: Year One Laboratory Tutoring – 5 ECTS 
  • CS6072: Year Two Laboratory Tutoring – 5 ECTS
     
Core Transferable Skills Modules
  • TP602: Research Ethics – 5 ECTS
     
Non-accredited Training, Workshops and Masterclasses

 

Approval Date