Program Overview

Business – Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD)

Course Overview

Why take this course?

• A Doctor of Philosophy qualification is the highest level of education in a particular field.
• It typically involves several years of advanced original research that culminates in the submission of a thesis or dissertation.
• The process of earning a Ph.D. can be challenging, but it is also an opportunity to make significant contributions to one’s field of study.
• Obtaining a Ph.D. is a demonstration of one’s expertise, knowledge, and research capabilities in a specific area of study.
• A Ph.D. usually lasts 4 years primarily focused on original, independent research.
• In TUS Faculty of Business and Hospitality, a Ph.D. can be taken part-time or full-time.
• A part-time mode will offer some flexibility on timespan.
• In TUS, our structured Ph.D. also includes taught research methods classes to support the student journey.
• Throughout the research, students are required to pass exams and defend their thesis in front of a committee of experts in their field.
• A Ph.D. is not just for academics – undertaking a PhD can add significant professional and personal development value to you and your employer.

What will I experience?

• Access to primary supervisor with expertise in the discipline and specific topic area.
• Access to supervision panel from within TUS and beyond. Your second supervisor may be from our RUN-EU network, for example.
• Access to core online modules which support you on your research journey.
• RUN-EU, our alliance of European universities, allows you to pursue funded mobility visits to partner universities in our network to avail of external expertise.
• Opportunities to publish, create research with impact.
• A strong support network. You will join a community of PhD students in the Faculty of Business and Hospitality.
• Shared office space with desk, IT equipment, and access to specialist labs as required.

What opportunities might it lead to?

• Academic careers: A PhD is often a requirement for lecturing and research roles in universities.
• Research positions: Many organisations, including private companies, government agencies, and non-profit organizations, hire PhDs for research positions. These roles may involve conducting original research, analysing data, and developing new products or technologies.
• Consulting: PhDs with expertise in specific fields may work as consultants, advising businesses and organizations on topics related to their area of expertise.
• Entrepreneurship: PhDs may use their specialized knowledge to start their own businesses, particularly in fields such as science, engineering, and technology.
• Government and policy: Many government agencies and non-profit organizations require experts with advanced degrees to help shape policy decisions.
• Non-academic research roles: PhDs may work in research roles outside of academia, such as in think tanks, research institutes, or other organisations.

Entry Requirements

• TUS regulations stipulate that the normal entry route for inclusion on the PhD register is transfer from the master’s register (Section 1.6.17).
• Where direct entry to the PhD register is available, the minimum entry requirement is an honours primary bachelor’s degree with a minimum classification of 2.1 honours.
• Where a student is transferring from a master’s register, this student will have met the entry requirements for that register which are as follows:
  • An honours primary bachelor’s degree with a minimum classification of 2.2 honours or equivalent qualification.
  • A postgraduate diploma equivalent to a 2.2 honours level 8 award.

Additional Information

Who should I contact if I am interested in pursuing a PhD in Business?

• Your first step is to make contact with us for an informal discussion.
• We will then connect you with appropriate supervisors and work on a project proposal with you.
• Admission is offered in February and October.
• Contact us early – the proposal writing process and admission can take several months.

Registration Closing Date

Please contact us for an informal conversation if you are interested in pursuing a PhD with us. You can contact a potential supervisor by searching through our staff interests, or contact the Head of Department for further information.

Course Fees

Please contact fees office for latest PhD fees.

Career Opportunities

• Academic careers: A PhD is often a requirement for lecturing and research roles in universities.
• Research positions: Many organisations, including private companies, government agencies, and non-profit organizations, hire PhDs for research positions. These roles may involve conducting original research, analysing data, and developing new products or technologies.
• Consulting: PhDs with expertise in specific fields may work as consultants, advising businesses and organizations on topics related to their area of expertise.
• Entrepreneurship: PhDs may use their specialized knowledge to start their own businesses, particularly in fields such as science, engineering, and technology.
• Government and policy: Many government agencies and non-profit organizations require experts with advanced degrees to help shape policy decisions.
• Non-academic research roles: PhDs may work in research roles outside of academia, such as in think tanks, research institutes, or other organisations.

Sample Topics

Our current students are working on the below projects:

• Investigating the development of employee training and behaviour towards cyber-security in the Irish Credit Unions.
• Digital advantage framework for growth and competitiveness in small and medium enterprise.
• The Correlation between Bioplastics and Business Sustainability in the Irish Food Packaging Sector.
• Virtual leadership and employee engagement: An investigation of effective leadership styles on increasing engagement levels in the private sector.
• Aligning Personal Values in the Workplace: A Cross Cultural Mixed Method Study.
• Blockchain Technology and its Potential for the Third-Level Education Sector in the Republic of Ireland.
• Understanding Incubators and Accelerators: analysis of their social and economic impact on innovation and entrepreneurship.
• Factors influencing transnational knowledge transfer in publicly funded projects between universities in North and South Africa.

Structured Classes

The structured elements of this programme facilitate the student to develop his/her generic transferable skills, discipline-specific competencies, and attributes associated with a graduate who has completed a level 10 programme at TUS. This structured element requires the student to complete a minimum of 15 ECTS credits in each year of study. A PhD student must complete a minimum of 50 ECTS credits by the end of Stage 3 of their programme of study; students have the option of completing a further up to 10 ECTS credits of study in stages 2 and 3, should they so wish.

Recognition of Prior Learning

Persons whose prior experiential learning equips them adequately for entry to a master’s programme by research, including persons who have made a significant contribution in a field of study that falls within the ambit of disciplines catered for by TUS and whose contribution in their chosen field is evidenced by patents, publications, books, compositions, works of art, inventions, or any other scholarly endeavours that may be deemed by TUS to be appropriate contributions to the particular field of study. Persons who have a qualification other than a degree and who possess a substantial portfolio of industrial, artistic, commercial, laboratory, professional, teaching, or research experience, usually developed over a period of not less than eight years, by virtue of which they could be deemed to be suitable entrants to a master’s research programme. Applicants who fall into any one of the categories listed shall be considered in the first instance at the Faculty Research Committee followed by a recommendation to the Graduate School Research Committee, and will be reviewed under the university’s accreditation of prior learning policy. Candidates approved under the process described in regulations will be required to register for, and complete successfully, a master’s qualifying programme prior to formal progression to research master’s studies. The format and requirement of the programme will be agreed by the Graduate School Research Committee on the advice of the Faculty Research Committee.

Assessment Information

Assessment on a Doctoral programme is rigorous and includes:

• Continuous Assessment on taught modules.
• Annual progression presentations.
• Transfer viva from Master’s to PhD between 18-24 months.
• A final viva voce examined by internal and external examiner(s).
• Examinations for Doctor of Philosophy in TUS consist of thesis: submitted before the end of the student registration period in the format indicated, and the Viva voce: for successful completion of a PhD qualification.
• Candidates are assessed by at least two examiners after the thesis has been submitted. One examiner will be appointed internally in line with requirements and at least one independent external examiner will be appointed in line with requirements.