The Structured PhD is a 4-year programme which offers added value to the core component of doctoral training. Students on this programme are offered disciplinary or dissertation specific modules, as well as generic and transferable skills designed to meet the needs of an employment market that is wider than academia.
The programme is flexible and student centred, as candidates choose their own pathways in consultation with their Supervisor and Graduate Research Committee.
Programmes available
PhD (full-time, four years)
New entrants may register for the programme from September to March each year
The thesis remains central to the award of the PhD and is weighted at 330 ECTs.
Students select appropriate skills modules in consultation with their Supervisor and/or Postgraduate Research Committee as follows: At least 10 ECTs in two of the three skills categories, and an overall total of at least 30 ECTs
Skills Categories: (i) Problem Based Learning; (ii) Publication/Dissemination; (iii) Formal Training (from a range of Discipline-specific, Interdisciplinary and Generic modules).
Research Areas
Research activity spans a broad spectrum of civil engineering subjects, which include (but are not limited to) concrete, steel and timber structures, wind engineering, environmental engineering, highway engineering, geotechnics, earthquake engineering, building energy management, offshore and coastal engineering, construction management, advanced materials and computational mechanics. This topical and strategic research is funded by industrial partners and several national and international funding agencies, including the European Union (EU). Some of the research is interdisciplinary and is aligned with the university's major research themes; for example, some academic staff work within research institutes such as the Environmental Change Institute, and the Ryan Institute for Marine Science research.
*Price shown is for indicative purposes, please
January 2025
University of Galway
University Road,
Galway,
H91 TK33, Republic of Ireland
PhD-high Honours standard in the primary degree.
English Language Requirements
IELTS: 6.5 overall, no less than 5.5 in any one component; Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE): 176 overall; Cambridge C2 Advanced (CPE): 180 overall; TOEFL: 88 overall (7 Listening, 16 Speaking, 18 Writing, 8 Reading); Pearson PTE: 61 overall, no less than 48 in any one component.
*There may be different IELTS requirements depending on your chosen course.
While situated in one of the smaller university cities globally, Galway has a far-reaching reputation for excellent research and study programmes.